# Lebanon: America has become the butt of jokes



## ekrem (Jan 18, 2011)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1


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## ekrem (Jan 18, 2011)

How much money did you spend since 2003 into operations over here and what do you actually have achieved?
You've even become counter-productive for allies like Hariri.


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## hipeter924 (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1


Lebanon is a nation on the road to theocracy calling itself a democracy just like Turkey, who cares what it believes. I would rather give my money to the government or a corporation, than to a pack of pedophile mullah's that hate everyone that isn't Muslim. 

PS: Just because you trade with nations doesn't mean you have to like them, so what if Islamic nations have money, it is kept in the hands of a wealthy religious elite, the common people remain poor, a policy Hamas and Fatah practice to such effect in 'Palestine', or closer to you:



> While a few Azerbaijani clans are getting richer and richer, thanks to  all the dollars pouring into the country, the rest of the population is  barely scraping by. Over 40 percent of the country's inhabitants are  living in poverty; the average monthly income is just &#8364;24. As Lala  Shevkat, the leader of the Liberal Party of Azerbaijan, says: "Oil is  our tragedy."


http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,734307,00.html


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

hipeter924 said:


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It's their nation, it's off course important what they believe. 
It is also important, that the leaders represent the will of their people. That is probably the reason why the likes of Hariri are shying away from too much visible US-connection.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Riyadh has abandoned mediation efforts to end the political crisis in Lebanon
BBC News - Hariri tribunal: Saudi Arabia quits Lebanon mediation


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Lebanon is Iran #2, who gives a damn what they think.


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## Trajan (Jan 19, 2011)

hipeter924 said:


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some things never change. thx for the link.


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## GHook93 (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1



I'm glad I want the puppet government to fall and have Hezbollah take over! It much more difficult running a country with social, economy, educational, welfare, waste management etc services than it is to run a terrorist organization that only needs to plan the next place to kill innocent lives. 

Another reason is when the next Lebanon-Israeli War takes place, they will have more identifiable targets! The government and military installations of the Lebanese govenment. They won't be fighting a terrorist group within a country, they will be fighting the Lebanese goverment! Much different!


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## Trajan (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1



hummmm, first I'd say;

a corrupt(ed) negotiation process, lack of historical perspective,  UBER-partisanship ala the UN and its coterie of NGO's and American presidential ineptitude got us here all-together. 
( and I include Republican as well as  Democrat pres.'s)


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## GHook93 (Jan 19, 2011)

They say the Chicago Way is corruption and backdoor deals. 
The Muslim Way is just overthrow and kill the opposition. This shouldn't be shocking to anyone. Next to get overthrown? Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Iran or heck even Turkey!


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

GHook93 said:


> They say the Chicago Way is corruption and backdoor deals.
> The Muslim Way is just overthrow and kill the opposition. This shouldn't be shocking to anyone. Next to get overthrown? Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Iran or heck even Turkey!



Don't forget Pakistan.


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## Douger (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Lebanon is Iran #2, who gives a damn what they think.


How nice. Uh murkin expert on Lebanon.

IDAL - FAQ

"What are the official public holidays in Lebanon?
The schedule of the official pubic holidays is as follows:

New Year 	January 1
Christmas (Armenian Community)  	January 6
Eid El Fitr 	Varies according to Muslim Calendar
St Maroun's Day 	February 9
Eid El Adha 	Varies according to Muslim Calendar
Islamic New Year 	Varies according to Muslim Calendar
Easter (Western)
Good Friday & Easter Monday 	Varies according to Gregorian and Western Calendars
Easter (Eastern)
Good Friday & Easter Monday 	Varies according to Gregorian and Western Calendars
Labor Day 	May 1
Martyr's Day  	May 6
Liberation of South 	May 25
Prophet's Day 	Varies according to Muslim Calendar
Assumption of the Virgin Mary 	August 15
Ashoora 	Varies according to Muslim Calendar
All Saints Day 	November 1
Independence Day 	November 22
Christmas Day 	December 25"


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Douger said:


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Huh? shut the fuck up clown.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Douger said:


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And all of this means what exactly? fuck Lebanon and fuck you as well.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1



Only a liar would twist a quote the way you did. The article says " American diplomacy has become the butt of jokes here"


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

sangha said:


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States interact though economy, diplomacy and the extreme extension of both: War. 

If the article says, that American diplomacy has become a joke, it is valid to say that America has become a joke. They're not talking about Fiji-Islands and their diplomacy in Lebanon.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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Only a liar would think there's a good reason to make stuff up.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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Please, America is still a better place to live than Lebanon or your beloved Turkey.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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Turkey is a haven for terrorists and terrorism. Turkey is the joke.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

sangha said:


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Turkey is not that bad but it is still a third world country, when Turkey has people from the West coming there to immigrate than ekrem can come back to me and say America is a joke and Turkey is better.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

sangha said:


> Only a liar would think there's a good reason to make stuff up.



I chose a heading for this thread based on some combination of words which appeared within the 1st third of the article. Before those words, I placed the geographical location which is Lebanon.

The content of the article doesn't support your claim, that this is all about made-up illusionary things.
It's the bitter truth for America.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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What this thread is really about is

"Ekrem is bitter because Turkey is a terrorist nation"


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/world/middleeast/19lebanon.html?_r=1



Interestingly, the article isa as much about:



> Turkey has proved the most dynamic, projecting an increasingly assertive and independent foreign policy in an Arab world bereft of any country that matches its stature.



As any US foreign policy becomming the "butt of jokes."

But that wouldn't have elicited the response to the thread.

At any rate it's high-time the Ottomans re-asserted themselves: They always knew how to keep the middle east under control: Unrelentingly Crushing Brutality.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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So Turkey has more influence than American in Lebanon? whoop dee fuckin doo, you can have that shit hole. America already tried in Lebanon and if you think Turkey will do any better, good luck. Have fun with Hezbollah.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Turkey is not that bad but it is still a third world country, when Turkey has people from the West coming there to immigrate than ekrem can come back to me and say America is a joke and Turkey is better.



Where in the article Turkey is connected with the word 'joke'?
How Turkey is being described in the article speaks for itself.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> High_Gravity said:
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The article doesn't have to say it

You're doing all the work yourself


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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You said in your post America is a joke.


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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....like the mustashe on a young Turkish Girl....Sangha is best ignored


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> So Turkey has more influence than American in Lebanon? whoop dee fuckin doo, you can have that shit hole. America already tried in Lebanon and if you think Turkey will do any better, good luck. Have fun with Hezbollah.



I never said Turkey has more influence in Lebanon then USA. 
I implied based on the NYT article, that in resolving the current Lebanon-crisis USA has no influence and USA has become counter-productive for its allies like Hariri in such way, that they do not want to make that US connection visible in resolving the current crisis.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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Do you know how they separate the men from the boys in the Turkish Navy?

A: With a crowbar


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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LMAO! Turkish women are very hairy though!


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Blowboys in this thread want to distract from the topic.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> Blowboys in this thread want to distract from the topic.



Blowboy? what the fuck are you talking about?


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> Blowboys in this thread want to distract from the topic.



The whiny bitch wants us to ignore his lie.

Why is terrorism Turkeys' biggest export?


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Blowboy? what the fuck are you talking about?



I talk about Lebanon, what the fuck are you talking about ?


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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I'm talking about the resurgence of the Ottoman Empire, and mustashes on girls.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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You tell me, what the fuck is blowboy?


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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I talk about the Turks long tradition of having sex with young boys


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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Turkish Army hasn't those uniform colours. 
It's uniform colours of Israel.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Israelian uniform colours


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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Of course it's not a real Turk. He didn't want to hurt anyones' eyes. Here's a real turkish woman


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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Meh....mustashe or no, turkish or Israeli, she's still quite do-able.

Ekrem, you need to stay focused if you're going to play a pivitol role in the New Ottoman Empire. I expect you'll be torturing Lebanese for unpaid taxes by 2020.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


> Ekrem, you need to stay focused if you're going to play a pivitol role in the New Ottoman Empire. I expect you'll be torturing Lebanese for unpaid taxes by 2020.





> ...the khazouk is a spike driven through its victims rectum, which the Ottomans used to terrify locals and deter potential insurgents.


The Return of the Ottomans | The Weekly Standard


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

There are some good looking Turkish women, but I would still put the women from Israel or even Lebanon over Turkey.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

sangha said:


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I'd still hit it, a little shaving cream and the mustache is gone.


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## sangha (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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I don't care how much she shaves, you're still going to end up with your thighs scratched up.


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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I bet a guy walking around with a spike through his rectum did a lot to deter terrorism.

Interesting article ends with these notes:



> *For more than 65 years, the United States was the power underwriting the Arabs, and if not always the most sincere benefactor, we nonetheless protected them from more dangerous forces and their even more dangerous fantasies.* What we won from the region is what the Turks now want as well: the wealth, influence, and power that is consequent on hegemony in the energy-rich Middle East. Ankara will serve as an inter-mediary between their Arab charges and a stingy Europe that up till now has turned its back on Turkey. But what do the Turks have to offer the Arabs that they hadnt already impressed upon the region when they left it to its own devices almost a century ago? The Americans brought schools and hospitals to the Middle East, and, after 9/11, democracy, too, at lastor perhaps, too late. *Its not the Arab vacuum that Ankara is rushing to fill, but our own*.



Essentially the Turks are re-asserting their role as the Ottoman Empire as a balance to the Persians (Iranians).


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

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Iran has a better Military than any other country in the Middle East right now besides Israel and they are close to getting nukes which will make them feared in the region, how is Turkey going to counter that? they goin after Nukes too?


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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Iran is "close to getting nukes? Really? You have a source?

Turkey is a member of NATO.

Other NATO member countries have nukes.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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Nato? Nato is a paper tiger, only a couple countries in that actually do anything and they are all busy in Afghanistan, fuckin Nato only had 5 fuckin helicoptors to use in Afghanistan! The US Military had to supply the rest. I really don't think Iran is losing sleep over Nato.


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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You asked, "How is Turkey going to counter a nuclear-armed Iran."

I'm simply suggesting that, as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, if Iran attacked Turkey, then they could expect that sinaturees of the Treaty would respond.

Frankly, regardless of Iranian military strength, the division of the middle east between the Ottomans (Sunni) and Persians (Shiites) would be a welcome relief for the USA. NATO is already soliciting Iranian cooperation with A-stan



> Some news reports have suggested that Nato countries with forces in Afghanistan might have an interest in using Iran as a supply route.
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> Correspondents also point out that the opening of a dialogue between Nato and Iran comes as President Barack Obama has set new priorities for the United States in Afghanistan and weeks after he signalled a willingness to revitalise American relations with Tehran.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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I understand, neither country is going to attack each other though, they are using soft power and proxies to gain power in other countries, not their Military at least not yet. The sad thing is Iran says it helps in Afghanistan but it turns back around and gives aid to the Taliban, just like what Pakistan does in Afghanistan.

McChrystal: Evidence is &#39;clear&#39; Iran aids Taliban - Washington Times


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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I wouldn't expect Iran to help in A-stan.

No what is sad is that the US gives aid to Pakistan, and Pakistan doesn't enforce its borders (of course, this is the US calling the kettle black).


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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Pakistan doesn't do anything, it takes US aid that is supposed to go to fighting terrorism and uses it to line its pockets and gives money to the Taliban. Pakistan is playing a double game and hedging its bets. Even if Pakistan could enforce its borders it would not do so, everyone knows Pakistan is a sanctuary for Taliban fighters.


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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Yes that's my point.

But to bring this back to topic: the Turks are the only "Islamic" country to have deployed to A-stan.

It would be interesting to see if their new middle eastern popularity (compared to the USA) in Lebanon could be extended to A-stan, and the northern border of Iran.

This might be Iran's impetus for cooperating more with NATO: Either help to stabilize an independent A-stan, or we'll pull out and let the Turks run the show.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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I forgot the Turks were in Afghanistan, how many troops they got though? UAE has troops in Afghanistan.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Muslim troops help win Afghan minds

They keep it real low key because they now sending troops there is not popular with other Muslims.

jordanian troops in afghanistan - Google Search

Jordan also has troops there, but like I said their not going to talk about in public.


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## Samson (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


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Compared to the US, every other country only has a token force.

But that's not the point.

If Turkey wants to be a serious playa in the middle east, a la Lebanon, then maybe we should let them run the circus in A-stan.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


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They don't want it, last time I checked they only sent 88 troops there. Even if they wanted to they don't have numbers, resources or equipment to run it in Afghanistan, I wish they did have it, there would be riots in the streets of Turkey if they tried to increase their presence there. The Turks were too scared to let us invade Iraq from their borders, their not doing anything in Afghan.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

German State Radio, Deutsche Welle

Every day some 900 Afghans are coming to Turkish built hospitals. Each treatment is free. In the last eight years some *800,000 Afghans* could be helped medically. And in 34 Turkish schools more than* 50,000 Afghan children* learn reading and writing. Many of them learn Turkish.
But that should not be all. 
Turkey wants to build another 35 more clinics and schools. 
However the country also pursues economic interests in Afghanistan. Latest infrastructure project is a railway line from Pakistan via Afghanistan and Iran to Turkey.

Türkische "Soft-Power" für Afghanistan | Europa | Deutsche Welle | 20.07.2010


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## High_Gravity (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


> German State Radio, Deutsche Welle
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> Every day some 900 Afghans are coming to Turkish built hospitals. Each treatment is free. In the last eight years some *800,000 Afghans* could be helped medically. And in 34 Turkish schools more than* 50,000 Afghan children* learn reading and writing. Many of them learn Turkish.
> But that should not be all.
> ...



"Soft power" doesn't do jackshit against the Taliban kid, you hide behind the scenes and hand out water bottles and notebooks while the US, England a few others do the really heavy lifting. Without the US Troops those hospitals and schools would be burned to the ground.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

@High_Gravity

You have sparse knowledge in the topics you are participating in. Especially in foreign policy topics. The provinces the Turkish reconstruction teams are, are zones from France, Italy and Turkey. 

You just make claims that lack serious knowledge and when something doesn't proceed the way you like, you become childish.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


> (...)
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> If Turkey wants to be a serious playa in the middle east, a la Lebanon, then maybe we should let them run the circus in A-stan.




The Afghan president acknowledged that there have been discussions about Taliban officials setting up somewhere in Turkey "in order to facilitate reconciliation and integration," according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
"If Turkey can be kind to provide such a venue we, the government of Afghanistan will be pleased and happy to see that facilitation (in) Turkey," said Karzai.
Report: Karzai open to Taliban setting up office in Turkey - CNN.com

Probably something we will see happening in 2011.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Samson said:


> (...)
> "How is Turkey going to counter a nuclear-armed Iran."
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Who says, that we want to counter Iran? 
If we do certain things in the region, then primarily due to OUR economical and political interests. 

Why should we divert our resources into 'countering' Iran? 
Iran isn't in competition with us in the regions we're trying to broaden our influence.
No one in Turkey will come up with the idea to dispute the region South of Baghdad from Iran's influence zone.

North of Baghdad we have secured the Kurdish Areas, and in Mossul-Province we have founded and financed al-Hudba movement according to WikiLeaks, which has won in the elections on regional level.
That's all we want in Iraq in geo-political terms. Further economical deals in S.Iraq are simply bonus:


Resurgent Turkey Flexes Its Muscles Around Iraq


> A Turkey as resurgent as at any time since its Ottoman glory is projecting influence through a turbulent Iraq, from the boomtowns of the north to the oil fields near southernmost Basra, in a show of power that illustrates its growing heft across an Arab world long suspicious of it.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/world/middleeast/05turkey.html?pagewanted=all


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Iran has a better Military than any other country in the Middle East right now besides Israel and they are close to getting nukes which will make them feared in the region, how is Turkey going to counter that? they goin after Nukes too?



George Friedman, CEO of Stratfor:
"It would not be a contest".
When he gave the Interview, Turkey was17th biggest economy, in 2011 we're 16th.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Al Jazeera Forum gathering intellectuals in Doha, Qatar.



> Turkey, Turkey, Turkey...That was the refrain


A Crisis of Self-Confidence in the Arab World - foreignpolicy.com


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> "Soft power" doesn't do jackshit(...)



"Soft Power" contributes to de-escalation and is offering another door for small countries entrenched in the status-quo to walk through. 
Turkey is exporting schools, hospitals, TV series, faciliates business deals and infra-structural integration. 
Everyone in the Muslim world wants to be friends with Turkey. And Turkey wants to be friends with them also. 


Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, (...) described Turkey as *"the only country in the Middle East actually pointing toward the future."* 
That is what is known as soft power.
 James Traub | Foreign Policy


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> LMAO! Turkish women are very hairy though!



EDIT. Was a bit to harsh in retro-perspective.


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## Ropey (Jan 19, 2011)

sangha said:


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Pretty much. But you're not saying anything that is not known here.

Lebanon, once the Jewel of the middle east is now... 

Might as well let the Turks in there. They can't screw it up worse than the Syrians and Iran. Oh, that's their bosom buddies.

Well, as I said, Lebanon the . . .


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## 007 (Jan 19, 2011)

ekrem said:


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> ...



It's *THAN* not 'then' moron, and I'd say America can be whatever kind of joke to those rag headed killers they want us to be. It doesn't really matter. When their oil runs out they're fucked, and I know who will be laughing then, and it won't be them.


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## ekrem (Jan 19, 2011)

Pale Rider said:


> It's *THAN* not 'then' moron, and I'd say America can be whatever kind of joke to those rag headed killers they want us to be. It doesn't really matter. When their oil runs out they're fucked, and I know who will be laughing then, and it won't be them.



But Lebanon has no oil, and oil in Mid-East in general won't diminish. 
It's a game to achieve certain market-prices by limiting production. 
Then there is oil-shale in Mid-East which is currently not being processed, why invest in infrastructure and technology to extract oil from shale when you already have infrastructure in conventional oil-production?
Amortization. 

There is enough oil in Mid-East, would oil really be running out, those countries would invest more in exploration. Most of the oil deposits in Mid-East were found a long long time ago. A big ($) rush to explore new oil fields with 21st century methods would raise oil reserves in this region. 
The only countries in this region searching really for new oil deposits are countries which have small reserves (Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey). In case of Lebanon and Syria, both lack money for exploration.


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## hipeter924 (Jan 20, 2011)

ekrem said:


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> ...


I guess, but overall not everyone can be employed in the oil sector, so you really have to find something else for people to do, maybe a different sector here (agriculture) but the same principle applies as if you just focus on one sector you have plenty of money (among those who work in that sector) but high unemployment and poverty among everyone else, thus it's no wonder that the UAE,etc are trying to build up tourism and IT to escape the trap of focusing just on one area of the economy at the expense of the others.

PS: Another problem is that many oil companies hire foreign contractors, thus cutting the locals out, as well as keeping the wealth in the hands of a elite group (the foreign corporations and the government), as for the US situation it focused on agriculture but it's food is over-processed (genetically modified, filled with additives and chemicals) in a world where organic food is more profitable and where over-processed foods are unpopular for export and banned as unsafe in many countries, and industry (which is being outsourced gradually all overseas), as well as mining and trade (US has a trade deficit now as far as I know), stock trading and banking (we all know how that turned out).


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## High_Gravity (Jan 20, 2011)

ekrem said:


> @High_Gravity
> 
> You have sparse knowledge in the topics you are participating in. Especially in foreign policy topics. The provinces the Turkish reconstruction teams are, are zones from France, Italy and Turkey.
> 
> You just make claims that lack serious knowledge and when something doesn't proceed the way you like, you become childish.



Let the US Troops pull out of Afghanistan and we'll see how childish the Turks look when the Taliban are kicking their asses. The only reason Turkey has done anything in Afghanistan is because they have been behind the scenes while the US, England a few others do the actual fighting.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 20, 2011)

ekrem said:


> High_Gravity said:
> 
> 
> > "Soft power" doesn't do jackshit(...)
> ...



Soft power doesn't work in places like Afghanistan without muscle to back it up, how effective would Turkey be in Afghanistan without the US doing all the heavy lifting?


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## High_Gravity (Jan 20, 2011)

ekrem said:


> High_Gravity said:
> 
> 
> > LMAO! Turkish women are very hairy though!
> ...



What did you say?


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## Ropey (Jan 20, 2011)

> With minutes to spare, Wednesday night, Jan. 19, Hizballah called off its plan to hold to siege UN buildings in Beirut and their staff of 1,000, as a show of strength in the face of the threatened UN Hariri tribunal's indictment of its high officials for the Hariri assassination six years ago. debkafile's military sources report.
> The sites targeted were the offices of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia which Hizballah militiamen were ordered to seal against ingress and egress, while its armed units were to encircle and pin down UNIFIL patrols in South Lebanon and cut off isolated UN outposts and lookout posts.





> The registrar also stated Tuesday: "The pretrial judge is very keen to move the process forward as fast as possible."
> This means that Fransen will make an effort to hand down his decision on the indictments within 6-10 weeks, much earlier than the several months originally reported. The court realizes that the longer the court process, the deeper Lebanon will sink into crisis.
> 
> Von Hebel also referred to the joint effort Syrian president Bashar Assad, Turkish premier Recep Erdogan and the Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani were making in Beirut for a compromise that would free the Lebanese government of its commitment to honor the international tribunal's warrants and contribute to its funding. The registrar said: "We know for sure it is not easy to get accused persons arrested. The problem with international tribunals is that they do not have a police force. We are dependent on the cooperation of states."
> He then remarked: "The tribunal's budget is $65.7 million for 2011 should not be affected by the collapse of the Lebanese government which is obliged to pay 49 percent. The obligation is for the state, not a government."



Obama proposes in abstentia trial for Hizballah 

Hizballah's eleventh-hour pullback from siege of UN sites and troops


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## High_Gravity (Jan 20, 2011)

What the fuck is the UN doing in Lebanon, shining Hezollahs shoes and washing their bed sheets? what a joke, they might as well leave before Hezbollah takes over their buildings and embarasses them by chasing them out in the streets naked.


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## ekrem (Jan 20, 2011)

Turkey, Qatar halt efforts to mediate Lebanon crisis
"Because of some reservations," to proposed solutions, "they have decided to halt their efforts in Lebanon at this time and leave Beirut to consult with their leaderships," the statement said.
Turkey, Qatar halt efforts to mediate Lebanon crisis

Russian FM was visiting on Thursday so the Foreign MInister had to return, and Friday+Saturday are the nuclear talks about Iran in Istanbul.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: 
" (...) there's not only one topic for this meeting, the *lifting of sanctions* on Iran must also be on the agenda,"
Istanbul meet should cover lifting Iran sanctions: Lavrov &mdash; EU business news - EUbusiness.com


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## ekrem (Jan 20, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Let the US Troops pull out of Afghanistan and we'll see how childish the Turks look when the Taliban are kicking their asses. The only reason Turkey has done anything in Afghanistan is because they have been behind the scenes while the US, England a few others do the actual fighting.




Turkish troops don't have authority for counterinsurgency or counterterrorist operations. We are there for the Afghan people, not for the Taliban. 


> Turkey was instrumental in establishing the military academy, medical school, Kabul University and its faculty of political sciences, the music conservatory, and the public health service of Afghanistan.
> (...)
> Unlike many other members of the international community, *Turkey did not neglect Afghanistan in the years preceding 9/11* but was silently active.


How Turkey can help NATO in Afghanistan - CSMonitor.com

The Afghans know, that Turks are no invaders but are there for reconstruction-work and development-aid.

Wouldn't the USA have invaded Afghanistan, Turkey would still be doing development-aid in Afghanistan. 
So your claim, that without USA Turkey couldn't do a shit in Afghanistan is false. Although after 2001 Turkish aid has risen significantly, but that is more connected to the "Wirtschaftswunder" in Turkey.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 21, 2011)

ekrem said:


> High_Gravity said:
> 
> 
> > Let the US Troops pull out of Afghanistan and we'll see how childish the Turks look when the Taliban are kicking their asses. The only reason Turkey has done anything in Afghanistan is because they have been behind the scenes while the US, England a few others do the actual fighting.
> ...



I understand that but the Taliban target aid projects all the time, if the US were to pull its troops out of Afghanistan today the Taliban would burn all these Turkish projects to the ground, the Taliban don't necessarily care about what the Afghan people want. Tell me how many aid projects Turkey had in Afghanistan before the US went there?


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## High_Gravity (Jan 21, 2011)

Why can't the Turks admit what happened with the Armenians, grow the fuck up, apologize and move on? Germany has no problem admitting its mistakes in the holocaust.


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## Ropey (Jan 21, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Tell me how many aid projects Turkey had in Afghanistan before the US went there?



Exactly. Turkey not about Afghanistan. It is about Turkey attempting to gain power in the Arena. 

The last time they gained power in the Arena?  They performed genocides on the Armenians. 

Let's not forget what the Turks wish to pretend never happened. We (Canada) took them to task for these MANY genocides on the Armenians. The Turks even used Azerbaijan and their immigrants to slaughter the Armenians from that side as well.












> Turkey is threatening serious consequences in its relations with the United States to protest a vote by the House Foreign Relations Committee declaring the slaughter of more than 1 million Armenians to be an act of genocide.
> 
> Armenian-Americans have been lobbying for years to have what happened to their ancestors during World War I officially declared a case of genocide. It has been a perennial issue &#8211; noticed mostly by Armenian-Americans and by Turkey &#8211; in Congress and even in presidential campaigns.
> 
> ...



*Click*

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/10/turkey_escalates_action_near_i.php


> Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked suspected positions of Kurdish rebels near Iraq on Wednesday, a possible prelude to a cross-border operation that would likely raise tensions with Washington.
> 
> The military offensive also reportedly included shelling of Turkish Kurd guerrilla hideouts in northern Iraq, which is predominantly Kurdish. U.S. officials are already preoccupied with efforts to stabilize other areas of Iraq and oppose Turkish intervention in the relatively peaceful north.
> 
> ...



_*Click*_

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Is7XIiEygk"]Turkish Genocide of the Armenians[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ-HcshI3cA"]Turkish Genocide of the Armenians[/ame]

More peaceful Muslim intent? Ekrem says, don't worry, you don't have to watch us anymore. 

Then he goes on to say that Turkey actually needs to watch the West.  

Looking above, it's clear who needs to be watched.


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## Ropey (Jan 21, 2011)

High_Gravity said:


> Why can't the Turks admit what happened with the Armenians, grow the fuck up, apologize and move on? Germany has no problem admitting its mistakes in the holocaust.



Huge statement HG. HUGE.


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## Sunni Man (Jan 21, 2011)

Zionist Jews answer to everything:

#1) that's anti-semitic

#2) remember the Holohoax


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## Ropey (Jan 21, 2011)

Sunni Man said:


> Zionist Jews answer to everything:
> 
> #1) that's anti-semitic
> 
> #2) remember the Holohoax



Lebanon turning into a dump? Turkey pretending to be a friend of Lebanon and Afghanistan when we know it is just trying to gain power in the Arena.

Remembering what Turkey has done to the Armenians?

What's that got to do with your post? Let us know?  Was the Armenian genocide not real? A hoax as well?


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## High_Gravity (Jan 21, 2011)

Sunni Man said:


> Zionist Jews answer to everything:
> 
> #1) that's anti-semitic
> 
> #2) remember the Holohoax



The Holocaust

Sunni how can this be a hoax?


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## Ropey (Jan 21, 2011)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpj3l2s2L9Y"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpj3l2s2L9Y[/ame]


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## Samson (Jan 21, 2011)

Sunni Man said:


> Zionist Jews answer to everything:
> 
> #1) that's anti-semitic
> 
> #2) remember the Holohoax



Does this have any relationship to the topic?


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## rhodescholar (Jan 21, 2011)

Sunni Man said:


> Zionist Jews answer to everything:
> 
> #1) that's anti-semitic
> 
> #2) remember the Holohoax



You're a bigger fucking idiot than I remembered....


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## LibocalypseNow (Jan 26, 2011)

I agree,we did waste a whole lot of American Taxpayer Dollars on that waste of space Nation. Lebanon is a perfect example of why we need revolutionary changes in our Foreign Policy. Is aggressive Foreign Interventionism really working? I would have to say no. It's time for change. No Taxpayer i know wants to give their money to nations like Lebanon or Terrorist Orgs. like Hamas. Yet our Government continues to pour the American Taxpayer cash in. Hezbollah,Syria,and Iran were clearly behind the assassination of their former Prime Minster. If the Lebanese People want those assholes running their country,than so be it. But lets stop giving Lebanon hard-earned American Tax Dollars.


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## daveman (Jan 26, 2011)

Did anyone ever come up with a reason why I should care what Lebanon thinks?

Because, you know, there isn't one.


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## LibocalypseNow (Jan 26, 2011)

Allowing the same Assholes who assassinated your previous Prime Minister to run your country is well beyond a pathetic joke. That's just asinine. So let em have their Hezbollah. My Government shouldn't give another Taxpayer penny to Lebanon. End of story.


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## High_Gravity (Jan 27, 2011)

LibocalypseNow said:


> Allowing the same Assholes who assassinated your previous Prime Minister to run your country is well beyond a pathetic joke. That's just asinine. So let em have their Hezbollah. My Government shouldn't give another Taxpayer penny to Lebanon. End of story.



So if America were like Lebanon, John Wilkes Booth would have taken the Presidency after he shot Lincoln.


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## LibocalypseNow (Jan 27, 2011)

Time to get out of the Middle East all together. Man,when is our Government going to wake up?


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## High_Gravity (Jan 27, 2011)

LibocalypseNow said:


> Time to get out of the Middle East all together. Man,when is our Government going to wake up?



No shit, you seen the thread about the US diplomat who shot and killed 2 Pakistanis today? all hell is going to break loose over there.


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