NATO Is About US Control: Washington Targets Turkey

800px-Secretary_Kerry_Poses_for_a_Family_Photo_With_European_and_NATO_Leaders

When U.S. leaders and pundits talk about NATO, they describe it as the linchpin of world security and the manifestation of Western liberal values. In other formulations, the U.S. is graciously bestowing a kind of welfare program to its allies in the form of security and protection throughout the European continent because, well, that’s just how much we care about our fellow man.

In reality, NATO is about U.S. control and domination, and a recent report at Foreign Policy demonstrates this fact quite well. Apparently Turkey, a NATO member, has been trying to finalize a deal with a Chinese company to build its first long-range air and missile defense system. This infuriated officials in Washington to the point that they drew up legislation that would ban Chinese-built missile defense systems within NATO. Subtle, I know.

Turkey stunned U.S. officials in September when it reached a provisional deal worth up to $3.4 billion with a Chinese company blacklisted in the United States to build Turkey’s first long-range air and missile defense system. Monday, Congress drew a line in the sand over it: If the 2014 U.S. defense spending bill goes through as proposed, it will ban the use of U.S. funding to integrate Chinese missile defense systems with U.S. or NATO systems, effectively making it impossible for Turkey to operate Chinese equipment with many partner nations.

The provision is one of many hardball tactics in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and is clearly aimed at short-circuiting Turkey’s plan. Turkey, which entered NATO in 1952, indicated it favored the Chinese company, China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corporation, in part because some components would be built in Turkey, providing a boost to the country’s economy. U.S. and NATO officials strenuously objected to Turkey’s plan, warning that Turkish companies involved in building components for the Chinese system could face U.S. trade sanctions.

It looks like Turkey’s rationale for dealing with the Chinese company mirrors perfectly U.S. rationales for selecting defense corporations to build weapons and defense systems – namely, that it enhances the security of the nation and boosts the economy by creating jobs. But that is a prerogative Turkey doesn’t have, apparently.

The other aspect of this is that Turkey’s willingness to deal with a Chinese company in particular probably irked U.S. officials profoundly. China is a rising superpower and its expanding global influence, especially on military and foreign policy matters, is terrifying to U.S. policymakers intent on maintaining the position of sole superpower, or to put it in Pentagon-ese, hegemony.

As this controversy demonstrates, NATO is not about helping keep our allies safe and strong. International relations scholar Christopher Layne, in his book The Peace of Illusions, describes NATO as “the instrument through which Washington exercise[s] its continental preeminence.” It is essential to U.S. grand strategy, he writes, to “prevent” member countries “from following an independent foreign or security policy.” If countries do attempt to demonstrate independence, Washington views it as “a direct assault on U.S. hegemony.”

NATO ensures a U.S.-run system of control over much of history’s most strategically important geography. It is not a charitable welfare program.

56 thoughts on “NATO Is About US Control: Washington Targets Turkey”

  1. Turkey have a issue with USG and a historical issue with EU and Turkey membership.
    Turkey demanded for NATO invading Syria where Turkey would become THE power in Middle East by occupying Syria. In another word, Turkish government followed by the Saudis and UAE would be the dominating force in Middle East not Iran, Syria and Iraq. The unity between Iran, Iraq and Syria would empower the shie'at majority whereby the sunnies would be the minority, but with Turkish sunny government onboard in NATO invasion of Syria or the continues of Syrian war, by NATO or US realizing the Syrian war is no longer feasible; therefore, Turkish Erdogan-government, political maneuvering, is nothing but admitting to the fact that they have found themselves in odds with USG and more so with EU and have nowhere to run to but to China, Russia would be very obvious.

    Turkish government acting as a child who is angry at USG and EU not sharing what the Turkish government wants. In the other hand, Turkish Erdogan-government primary rule in Syrian war was to support the sunny Muslims no matter who or what they are, at the moment it is the Turkish Erdogan government letting the Wahhabis terrorism, the jihadists that are affiliated with Al-Quaeda whom the USG and EU calling terrorists and fighting the world for into Syria, for that Erdogan needs to be brought to justice as he have falsely accused the Turkish journalists and others of treasons and prisoned them for life or so.

  2. Indeed, NATO occupies an important part in the world. It is not only an organization but it is also a long-standing system. I really see the importance of it very large. Not just a normal organization. It holds much power in the hands

  3. America has been letting down her staunch ally Turkey in very important issues lately , Her tacit long time support to Kurdish terrorism in South east Turkey, her support to the establishment of a Kurdish Autonomus Region in Northern Iraq and the continuation of the bloodbath in the country, in first encouraging Turkey to strongly support the Syrian opposition and then letting her alone by herself and thus causing the disintegration of the country with 130.000 civilians dead and 3 million refugees with 600.000 only in Turkey.
    It is first the U.S. and the Israeli (or the other way around ) interests for American Policymakers.
    Turkish interest in the Chinese missile system is also due to over one billion USD. it will save by not choosing the American or the European systems.
    The U.S. has been loosing public opinion around the Continent for a long time now and "the American Century" is approaching its demise very fast.

    1. Turkish government is up to its neck involved in Syrian war, the Saran gas imported to Syria via turkey is with Turkish government knowledge, the cooperation with Saudis and UAE smuggling arms to Syria is another, the Turkish government involvement in training these terrorism is another, Libya and other part of Africa in cooperation with Saudis and UAE is yet another, the economic cooperation as well as political interests of Saudis and UAE is another. Turkey has become THE joker among NATO members wanting to become the major force in Middle East, the cooperation with Israeli apartheid regime in all front is yet another. The Turkish falsified pride is going back in time whenTurkish empire was a occupation force in Middle East and elsewhere, over a million Armenians was killed for that reason. Turkish government was and still is the key player for NATO wanting to invade Syria, without turkey cooperation NATO wouldn't even dare to even talk about invading Syria or Iran or Iraq, now they are up to their neck involved with Iraq sunny terrorists giving the safe haven to their leaders, they are up to their neck involved in Kurdish rights for independent cooking and helping the presents of Wahhabis-Al-Queada affiliated terrorist groups who have the free ticket from turkey to enter Syrian northern territory, who are flown by the Turkish airline from Europe to Istanbul and to safe houses in borders around Turkish Syrian borders and then into northern Syria, these people are not Syrian born mercenaries, they are imported by Saudis and UAE or Europe, the only way they can inter the northern part of Syria is via Turkey; therefore, Turkish government is up to its neck involved in Syrian war and familiar with its geopolitical position and interests, Turkish government knows these facts but not willing to do anything about it, they are, as Israel, the Saudis and UAE are among governments that are not interested in any kind of peace in Syria. If Turkish government stopped its political standing, the Saudis, the Israelis, the UAE and others would make Turkey a bankrupt country within a week.

  4. North Atlantic treaty organization (NATO) is a militarism entity of THE regimes which supports a non democratic regimes as themselves, it was built for, in case, of USSR wanting to invade Europe, after the collapse of USSR in 1990 and the start of world economic cooperation, the meanings of the agreements was for NATO to be dismantle and for countries around the world the world to become independent than anything. Since 1990 the world has seen more of wars than peace and NATO has become a land grabbing, expansionist institutions for USA and Europe than a simple military for defense.

    There are many, non direct, members participating in NATO military operations, intelligent gathering, direct military action and etc. Even the Swedish government, once known to be the most peace loving nation, cooperated in Congo, Somalia, Sudan and cooperating with NATO at present time, latest are the Afghanistan, Balkan war and bombardments of the Libyans. Although the Swedish or other EU government participation, to some degree, is based on UN Security Council decision but the reality of the matter is about the economical interests and UN security councils being "infiltrated"-influenced by USG and EU, or If you will the NATO alliance dividing the wealth of nations that are occupied or divided. Turkey is the key for NATO expansion in Middle East, turkey is the gate to the first part of Middle East, Iran is the gate to Far East, both countries are of being occupied or to be divided by USG and EU. Therefore, turkey was promised being the driving force by NATO if NATO could occupy Syria, which is the main reason for Turkish government supporting Wahhabis, Al-Quaeda and their affiliated terrorists in the region, these affiliations are the Saudis mercenaries and Turkish or the Swedish government are well a were of who these people are.

    1. Turkish Gov. is not, repeat, not supporting the Wahhabies or the U.S. created Al Qaida. Turkish policy, right from the beginning, has been that Alawite Dictator Assad permit, slowly, democracy and majority rule (not the 25% Alawite and Christian rule as has been during the last 50 years) but Assad, supported by the Shia gov.s of Iran and Iraq as well as the Hizbullah of Lebanon, woulnt accept that. The situation plays well into the Israeli policies, thats is why the U.S. and the rest of the West would rather have Syrians and Iraqies and all the rest of the Islamic Middle East kill each other.
      Timur Eke

    2. I am afraid you have mixed up apples, oranges and bananas. Turkey and Saudi Arabia are NOT friends, Turkey had to join anti-Assad witch hunt to protect itself, to insure that Saudi Arabia alone does not control Syria after Assad's fall. Saudi Arabi and US have toppled Morsi using Saudi aggitation of their Salafi movement, and with a signature brutality Wahhabi's and Salafi's are known for, had the rivers of blood in Cairo. Turkey will not accept Saudi rule over Egypt, wth Us in the background. Turkey has already YEAR ago entered China/Russia led Sahghai Cooperation Organization on the level of Dialogue Partner (look up org. website) and signed security, economy and cultural agreements with the organization. Turkey has EXCELLENT relations w Iran (buying oil and gas for gold), a visa free regime w Russia, and so forth. Turkey NEVER supported Salafi groups in Syria, although could not control mercenary smuggling. THERE IS MUCH MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE.

      1. by supporting the FSA, the Erdogan regime is promoting instability in Syria. Thus the regime is in the US Isreli saudi axis. There is an implicit battle over water since the regime has diverted the rivers from syria iraq for atleast a decade. The turkish electorate will turn against erdogan policy if salafists -AQ dominate the border. Anticipate a new independent policy from NATO

  5. What does it mean "effectively making it impossible for Turkey to operate Chinese equipment with many partner nations"??? This sounds like a non-sequitur. Turkey contracted the Chinese company to build this system for themselves, and they're presumably planning to pay for it with their own money. Much ado about nothing.

    1. Turkey has all US systems. The Chinese system will have to be integrated in with the US systems Turkey already has. They will need American engineering support for this. The US is threatening to block that support.

      1. Not really. Turkey can have their own defence systems that are not part of NATO integrated systems. Especially since NATO will NOT allow Turkey to have access PATRIOT SYSTEMS, without US staff controling it. During Syria crisis, Turkey requested PATRIOTS, and after much hohumming, three systems were put in, but each came with a "trusted" crew — Netherlands, Germany and US. And with LIMITED time only. Now, Turkey will have their own, since Patriots are out. Patriots have been offered in the bid, but only to be used by US crew, and no technology transfer. Turkey interprets this as a result of not having good relations with Israel, and therefore, should Israel decide to attack Turkey, US technology will not be threre to defend it.

  6. Pingback: NATO Is About US Control: Washington Targets Turkey | Uprootedpalestinians's Blog

  7. the USG will assure its thinktank policy implemented just as in egypt pakistan jordan thru direct military relations. Erdogan will be pushed over.

    1. Except that he has packed off over 300 of such generals and their staff to jail, as they have been caught red handed in plotting a pretty nasty coup.

      1. seriously Bianca, do you think NATO will allow its military insiders to turn into worthless duds, unable to assert on the civilian govt. AEI Hoover NED all of these coercive tools are controlling nascent moslem governments hostage thru their insider military pimps

  10. Turkey should withdraw from NATO, end its support for war with Iran and Syria and shut down the US bases there. The Chinese and Russians should build missile defense shields in the Mideast, Cuba etc. The US has built missile defense shields all over Europe.

  11. Pingback: NATO Is About US Control: Washington Targets Turkey | Stop Making Sense

  12. I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
    The sketch is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish.
    nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish
    be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the
    same nearly very often inside case you shield this increase.

  14. Gucci Shoes UK, http://www.guccishoesfactories.com/
    Polo Outlet Online, http://www.ralphvlaurenpolo.com/
    Ralph Lauren Outlet Online, http://www.ralphlaurenuker.com/
    Ralph Lauren UK, http://www.polo-outletstore.com/
    Beats by Dre, http://www.discountbeatsbydresale.com/
    Sacs Longchamp Pairs, http://www.saclongchamppairs.com/
    Canada Goose Outlet, http://www.canadagooser.com/
    Hollister UK Shops, http://www.cheaphollistersale.co.uk/
    Michael Kors Outlet Online, http://www.michaelkors.so/
    Marc Jacobs Outlet, http://www.marcjacobsonsale.com/
    Michael Kors Outlet, http://www.michaelkorstates.com/
    North Jackets Clearance, http://www.north-faceoutletonlines.net/
    Burberry Outlet Online, http://www.burbagssale2013.com/
    North Clearance Outlet Online, http://www.north-clearance.com/
    Coach Factory, http://www.coach-factoryy.com/
    Coach Outlet Online, http://www.coach-purseonsale.com/ Coach Outlet USA, http://www.coach-outletusa.com/

  27. Crimea is dirt poor, even by Ukranian standards, and was intensely dependent on government aid. The regime change brought about a lot of philosophical shifts in government, but the big change from the Crimean perspective was economic in that

  41. Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can't wait to read lots of your posts….Boom Beach Cheats

  46. When all the aid; military, etc is tolled, they get billions every ywar. In fact, they get more foreign aid than all the foreign aid we send to other countries combined. Link building

Comments are closed.

viewpoint highlights
breaking news
© 2024 Antiwar.com. All rights reserved.
Antiwar.com Blog Stock Photos provided by our partner Depositphotos