As I was not too excited with his election, I am not too disappointed with Obama’s moves on Afghanistan. In fact, I remember he was repeatingly on Afghanistan instead of Iraq. Now PM Erdoğan will be meeting with President Obama. It is reported that Obama wants soldiers from Turkey. The latter does not intend to give any. I hope TR-US relations will go through another bitter period…
“What Obama Should Say to Erdogan”
Hugh Pope, the International Crisis Group’s Turkey analyst — who just returned from a two-month fellowship at the Transatlantic Academy in Washington — has a new paper out ahead of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Monday visit to the White House. The paper, published by the Transatlantic Academy, takes a close look at two areas in which Washington has an interest in pushing Ankara along, its normalization process with Armenia and its European Union membership process, and also helpfully unpackages the debate over Turkey’s perceived eastward “drift.”
Turkey says no more troops for Afghanistan – washingtonpost.com
Prime Minister leaves for the US as Turkish-American relations gain momentum
Stop the old ?bridge? metaphor; Turkey has become a new regional ?hub?
During Prime Minister Erdoğan?s upcoming visit to Washington, his host at the White House is likely to offer him diplomatic niceties on Turkey?s role as a ?bridge? between East and West.
Our argument is that this metaphor, however flattering it may have been in the past, no longer fits the reality of contemporary Turkey.
Obama?s ideal partner: Turkey by JOSHUA W. WALKER
US President Barack Obama laid out his new Afghanistan strategy on Tuesday night by ordering an additional 30,000 US forces to the country.On Afghanistan, Obama is a prisoner
US diplomats attended seminar by anti-Ergenekon journalist
Today’s Zaman
British journalist Gareth Jenkins, known for his criticism of the Ergenekon trial and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government,
Turkey session in US Congress sees tension, controversy
Today’s Zaman
A Turkish journalist briefly walked out of the convention when some commentators spoke in favor of the Ergenekon trial, saying, ?I can’t take this anymore.
Uras: People who ignore Cage plan are accomplices
Today’s Zaman
In addition, Uras spoke on recent developments regarding the Ergenekon investigation, especially prosecutors’ plans to question three generals who are
‘No Afghanistan withdrawal in 2011’
The US won’t pull out of Afghanistan in 2011.
President Obama’s top national security adviser, who has played a key part in designing the new Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy, has been trying to clear up some confusion about the exit strategy.
Obama Kills His Better Half
Obama’s decision to escalate in Afghanistan was sad and stupid, and made stupider by the bollocks he talked in justifying the dumb murderous thing.
October 1911. Lowell, Massachusetts. “Robert Magee (smallest), 270 Suffolk Street, apparently 12 years, been working in Mule Room #1, Merrimac Mill, one year. Michael Keefe (next in size), 32 Marion Street, been at work in #1 Mule Room for eight months; apparently 13 years old. Cornelius Hurley, 298 Adams Street, been at work in #1 Mule Room for six months; about 13 or 14 probably.” Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.
found in Mule Room Boys: 1911
Obama Needs Time and Allies
Polling Wars: Hawks vs. Doves
Source: Pew Research Center
Though most Americans are not ready to cut and run, an increasing number are having second thoughts about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. Pew Research Center?s November poll finds the number saying the initial decision to use force in that country was the right one has fallen to 56%, 8 percentage points below the level recorded in January.
T-shirt: Freshjive (via Raymond Roker) found in Hope is fading
MAIN FOCUS: Obama’s star sinks | 24/11/2009
In two new opinion polls the approval rate of US President Barack Obama has fallen under the 50 percent mark for the first time. Whether on healthcare reform, Guantánamo, climate protection or Afghanistan, the president is not living up to his promises.
Are the Democrats losing their way?
The Democrats are celebrating their victory in the Senate that allows the healthcare proposals to move forward. But are they so busy focusing on the details of legislation that they have forgotten the fight for the big picture ? Could that be something to do with the president’s approval ratings slipping below 50% for the first time?
A very different Black Friday
It’s Black Friday in the USA and it’s nothing to do with shares tumbling on Wall Street , but it will be a sign of whether Americans still feel in the red.
To British ears, the phrase “Black Friday” sounds ominous, redolent of financial or some other crisis.
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