Ninnies and Hinnies

[Arpa]

What ninnies! Or should I säy “hinny”?

In popular jargon the word means “female donkey”, yet, see here;

http://www.summershadefarm.net/assets/mini_hinny.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/moredonkeys/aboutmules.html

Even a donkey knows how to get back home. Except that some “horse’s arse/էշու պոչ” s don’t learn.

In March of 2003, when furkey shut the road to Baghdad, even our not so an expert in geography chief commander chose to invade Baghdad via Kuwait, Jordan, Saudia et al, and now… all of a sudden furkey, once again becomes the only route to re-un-deploy?

Didn’t I say that “ëven a donkey knows the way back home”? But, how about ninnies and hinnies?

Do our geniuses know that the shortest way to and from Baghdad is not through furkey?

Look at this map and tell us.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm

In the Arabic there is saying that goes; “äl tikrar yuallem al himar” to mean “repetition teaches even the donkey”.

What have we, the ninnies and the hinnies learned? Or is it that our troupes can rest and recuperate at the whorehouses of istanbul or ïnjirlik**?

**Note that in that language “”ïnjir=fig” is a euphemism for the female organ just as in the Armenian “touz/թուզ”. Is it a coincidence that at that airbase there may be more whorehouses , ayshas and fatma’s than “bunnies” in Nevada?

World

U.S. welcomes Turkey's greenlight to help withdrawal from Iraq

Turkey’s signal this week that it would be willing to let U.S. troops transit the country as forces leave Iraq is a sign of improved relations, but it is not yet certain the route will be needed, a top U.S. Army commander said on Tuesday.

"We're in the process now of trying to re-establish what had been a long standing positive relationship," Gen. Carter Ham, who commands U.S. Army Europe, told the AP. "I’m not aware that there are any plans from Central Command to move troops through Turkey but the fact that the (Turkish) prime minister said he would consider that is a positive sign."

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said he would be receptive to allowing U.S. troops to leave Iraq through Turkish territory, provided President Barack Obama’s administration asked permission, CNN reported Sunday.

Ham's remarks came after he wrapped up a two-day meeting with Turkish defense officials in Ankara, but he said the topic was not a part of those discussions.

Fuel and other supplies for U.S. forces in Iraq come in through Turkey, which could also be used to take heavy equipment out of Iraq. Were U.S. troops were to leave through Turkey, they would likely fly out of Incirlik Air Base.

U.S. relations with Turkey soured in 2003 when Washington’s plans to send the 4th Infantry Division to invade Iraq from the north as other troops moved in from the south were thwarted when Turkish lawmakers voted against letting American soldiers move through the country.

Since then, relations have gradually warmed between the two fellow members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Ham said that, since the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq is expected to be gradual, many troops would likely leave the country through ports in Kuwait and airports in Iraq.

Still, he said it was too early to discount Turkey as another avenue.

"It’s always good to have more options, but it may not be a requirement," he said. "It would only make sense if the pace of the deployment meant that you were stacking up stuff at the port in Kuwait, but well see how this plays out." 25 Mart 2009

U.S. Prefers to Leave Iraq Through Jordan and Kuwait, Rather than Turkey

3rd March 2009

Ever since Pres. Obama declared that he would end Americaʼs military presence in Iraq, Turkish officials have been salivating at the opportunity of presenting the United States with a series of demands in return for allowing U.S. troops to leave through Turkey.

As a NATO ally and staunch opponent of the war in Iraq, one would have expected that the Turkish government would extend all necessary logistical assistance to the United States to withdraw its troops from the region in a safe, orderly and expeditious manner. Instead, Turkeyʼs leaders are viewing the U.S. departure as a golden opportunity to exploit to the hilt for their own benefit.

 

Even before anyone from the U.S. government mentioned about the possibility of American troops leaving Iraq through Turkey, Ankara officials volunteered to support such an idea, of course, subject to negotiations and eventual approval by the Turkish Parliament. In other words, if the price was right, and if all Turkish demands were met, Turkey would be more than happy to give its blessing.

 

Turkish leaders are also pleased that Pres. Obama is going to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, in addition to seeking soldiers from other countries. This is yet another opportunity for Turks to fleece the U.S. Todayʼs Zaman newspaper quoted unnamed Ankara officials as stating that Turkey is opposed to sending troops to Afghanistan, beyond its 800 non-combat soldiers already there. However, since the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is approaching and both Pres. Obama and the Congress are expected to take a stand on this issue, Turkey may change its mind and decide to contribute troops to Afghanistan, after all!

 

This is the same kind of horse-trading that went on in 2003, when Washington asked for permission to enter Northern Iraq through Turkey. After lengthy bargaining on how many billions of dollars the U.S. would offer Ankara to allow such passage, the Turkish Parliament voted down the American request. This rejection delayed the start of the war, forcing U.S. troops to travel from the Mediterranean to Iraq through the Persian Gulf, and resulted in more casualties among American troops who had to fight their way from Southern Iraq to the North.

 

One wonders what demands the Turks would make this time around to allow U.S. troops to leave Iraq through Turkey and to send more Turkish soldiers to Afghanistan. How many billions of dollars would Turkish leaders ask for and which U.S. policies, in addition to genocide recognition, they would seek to influence?

 

One would hope that Pres. Obama draws valuable lessons from the experience of previous administrations -- that Turkey is not a reliable ally -- a lesson also learned by Israel during the recent Gaza conflict.

 

It appears that some U.S. military officials have already concluded that they cannot place the fate of American soldiers in the hands of capricious Turkish leaders. U.S. troops are expected to be evacuated from Iraq through neighboring Jordan and Kuwait, which have never put any conditions nor made any demands on the U.S. government! Given the attractiveness of the withdrawal route through these two friendly Arab countries, the American military may completely ignore the Turkish transit option. The traditional Turkish practice of making excessive demands may have finally backfired.

 

The Associated Press (AP) released a report last week, disclosing that U.S. troops will "shift" to the South (Kuwaiti border) and "exit" through the desert, meaning Jordan. The AP quoted Terry Moores, deputy assistant chief of staff for logistics for Marine Corps Central Command, as stating: "The Marines have already tested exit routes through Jordan with plans for a full-scale exodus" in 2010.

 

One would hope that at long last, U.S. appeasement of Turkey might be coming to an end. The mistake made by previous U.S. administrations as well as Israeli governments is that the more they cave in to Turkish blackmail, the more demanding the Turks become.

 

Due to Turkeyʼs persistent use of bullying tactics in the past, U.S. commanders have good reason to be concerned with choosing the Turkish option out of Iraq. What would happen, if in the midst of the troop pullout, Turkish leaders object to a particular U.S. policy? What if the Turks threaten to block the transit of U.S. troops unless the State Department revises its latest human rights report which accuses Turkey of torture, unlawful killings, limited freedom of expression, and restrictions on minorities?

 

The wisest approach is to eliminate all such demands and threats once and for all, by telling Turkey that unless it cooperates fully with the U.S., it will receive no further economic or military aid. After all, Turkey needs the United States much more than the U.S. needs Turkey. The tail should not be allowed to wag the dog!

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

Edited March 27, 2009 by Arpa