The end of this article had some interesting points:
Israel ship raid puts Obama in diplomatic hot seat - Taiwan News Online
"Difficult U.S.-Turkish relations are bound to be seriously set back if Obama does not condemn the Israeli ship raid. That carries the possibility for major problems inside NATO, where Turkey is the only Muslim member. And it will further complicate U.S. efforts against the Iranian nuclear program.
Turkey had just reached an agreement to take Iranian enriched uranium in return for a smaller, more pure batch of nuclear fuel for Iran's research reactor that produces medical isotopes. The U.S., Russia and France had proposed the deal late last year, with Russia to serve as receiver of the Iranian fuel and France to provide the material for the research reactor. Iran said no to that proposal.
The day after the Iranian deal with Turkey, the U.S. announced it was moving ahead with harsher sanctions in the U.N. Washington was at pains to thank Turkey for its efforts, but declared them insufficient. Turkey is deeply opposed to sanctions on its eastern neighbor.
During the Cold War, Turkey served as an unquestioning NATO bastion on the Soviet Union's southern flank. But with the end of the superpower standoff, Turkey slowly began charting a more independent course _ most visibly with its refusal to allow the U.S. to use its territory in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
That, among many other difficulties, including American support for the Kurds in northern Iraq, has put U.S.-Turkish relations on shaky ground.
The Turks have been fighting a Kurdish insurgency and independence movement on their own territory for decades.
Thus, Turkey, by sanctioning the aid flotilla and putting one of its flagged vessels in the lead, and Israel, by launching the bloody confrontation with the convoy, are testing American diplomacy to the utmost.
Washington has stood beside the Israelis throughout their history, vetoing many anti-Israel U.N. Security Council resolutions. At the same time, the U.S. has been at pains to keep the Turks in place as a valued NATO member and democratic buffer against Iran and Arab dictatorships like Syria.
Now it would seem that Obama has to choose. And he's going to have to make that wrenching decision even as he faces the worst U.S. environmental catastrophe _ the so-far unstoppable spewing of millions of gallons (liters) of crude into the Gulf of Mexico from a blowout BP well.
He's already under heavy criticism for being late to take charge of the damaging six-week oil accident as he intently battles opposition Republicans over his ambitious domestic agenda.
Now he must hit the diplomatic sweet spot over the Israeli attack, and that could prove an impossible task."
Israel ship raid puts Obama in diplomatic hot seat - Taiwan News Online
"Difficult U.S.-Turkish relations are bound to be seriously set back if Obama does not condemn the Israeli ship raid. That carries the possibility for major problems inside NATO, where Turkey is the only Muslim member. And it will further complicate U.S. efforts against the Iranian nuclear program.
Turkey had just reached an agreement to take Iranian enriched uranium in return for a smaller, more pure batch of nuclear fuel for Iran's research reactor that produces medical isotopes. The U.S., Russia and France had proposed the deal late last year, with Russia to serve as receiver of the Iranian fuel and France to provide the material for the research reactor. Iran said no to that proposal.
The day after the Iranian deal with Turkey, the U.S. announced it was moving ahead with harsher sanctions in the U.N. Washington was at pains to thank Turkey for its efforts, but declared them insufficient. Turkey is deeply opposed to sanctions on its eastern neighbor.
During the Cold War, Turkey served as an unquestioning NATO bastion on the Soviet Union's southern flank. But with the end of the superpower standoff, Turkey slowly began charting a more independent course _ most visibly with its refusal to allow the U.S. to use its territory in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
That, among many other difficulties, including American support for the Kurds in northern Iraq, has put U.S.-Turkish relations on shaky ground.
The Turks have been fighting a Kurdish insurgency and independence movement on their own territory for decades.
Thus, Turkey, by sanctioning the aid flotilla and putting one of its flagged vessels in the lead, and Israel, by launching the bloody confrontation with the convoy, are testing American diplomacy to the utmost.
Washington has stood beside the Israelis throughout their history, vetoing many anti-Israel U.N. Security Council resolutions. At the same time, the U.S. has been at pains to keep the Turks in place as a valued NATO member and democratic buffer against Iran and Arab dictatorships like Syria.
Now it would seem that Obama has to choose. And he's going to have to make that wrenching decision even as he faces the worst U.S. environmental catastrophe _ the so-far unstoppable spewing of millions of gallons (liters) of crude into the Gulf of Mexico from a blowout BP well.
He's already under heavy criticism for being late to take charge of the damaging six-week oil accident as he intently battles opposition Republicans over his ambitious domestic agenda.
Now he must hit the diplomatic sweet spot over the Israeli attack, and that could prove an impossible task."
