Israel Matzav

More great news: NATO says it has plans in place to protect Turkey from Syria

Isn't this just great? An organization that's a Cold War anachronism has plans in place to protect a country that joined it under very different circumstances against the consequences of an Islamist uprising against a dictator that's been neglected by the West to the point of going really bad.

The head of NATO said on Tuesday the military alliance has plans in place to defend Turkey against attack from Syria if needed.

"We have all necessary plans in place to protect and defend Turkey if necessary," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters before a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers in Brussels.

And while they're at it, NATO could end up protecting Turkey against its own Kurdish rebels.

Turkey's Dogan news agency said some 25 warplanes had been sent to a military base in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the southeast, and reported military sources as saying this was in connection with Syria and cross-border anti-terror operations.

It said a large number of F-16 fighter planes landed at the base on Monday afternoon. Local sources confirmed there was heightened activity at the base but said this was related to operations against Kurdish militant bases in northern Iraq, not Syria.

 What could go wrong?

Labels: NATO, Syrian uprising, Turkey

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:17 PM