CONVENIENTLY BAD TIMING
By Jeb Hensarling
National Review Online Blogs, NY
Oct 16 2007
The cost of passing this nonbinding resolution is far greater than
its benefits.
This week, the antiwar faction of the Democrat Congress reached a
new low in their effort to put forth controversial legislation that
further complicates our military efforts in Iraq and could have
potentially devastating effects on the men and women of our military.
Once again, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has come down with a case of
conveniently bad timing. Last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee
dug 80 years into history and passed a non-binding resolution that
condemned what is now the nation of Turkey (at the time, the Ottoman
Empire) for genocide for the mass killings of Armenians. The Turkish
ambassador to the U.S., Nabi Sensory, was immediately recalled to
Ankar for "consultations" – not exactly a minor diplomatic maneuver,
rather a giant warning flare.
The ins and outs of successful diplomacy are extremely complicated,
and to be successful, a nation must never take its eye off of the big
picture. We are a nation at war, and right now America’s big picture
is the safety of our citizens and the men and women serving abroad.
Turkey has been a key ally during the War on Terror, and has helped
our cause by facilitating critical supply routes into Iraq and
Afghanistan. We rely heavily on Incirlik, an air-force base located
near the Iraqi-Turkish border, as a gateway into Iraq. Access to this
base is the closest and most efficient means of shipping supplies
to Iraq. Currently, nearly 70 percent of all air cargo supplies for
American forces in Iraq go through Turkey, including 95 percent of
the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles that shield American
troops from harm.
Make no mistake, by condemning a strategic ally for crimes that
were committed early in the last century, the Democrat Congress
jeopardizes our relations with a key ally during a time of War. We
need not look back far into history to see the ramifications of such
action. Last year, Turkey broke all military ties with France after
its parliament passed legislation that made the denial of Armenian
genocide a crime. Similar action today by the Turks would threaten
the wellbeing of our soldiers in the region and greatly undercut
American efforts in Iraq.
If public opinion serves as an indicator, we should expect the
Turkish government to respond in similar fashion. According to the
first nationwide survey conducted in Turkey (conducted by Terror Free
Tomorrow), 78 percent of Turks oppose the congressional resolution,
and nearly 75 percent say that House passage of the Armenian resolution
will worsen their opinion of the United States. That’s not all. Perhaps
most telling of all is that nearly 80 percent of Turks would support
a "strong response" by their government if this resolution is passed
by Congress – including suspension of diplomatic relations with the
United States.
With all of these realities before us, it is perplexing to understand
why Democrat leaders continue to push for the immediate consideration
of this nonbinding resolution. There is no question that a great
human tragedy occurred last century in what is now Turkey, and
an accurate history should be written. But first, we should note
that no one responsible is alive today. Second, we should question
whether now is the time for Members of Congress to assume the role
of historians. Responsible members of Congress have one question
to consider: Is passing a nonbinding resolution (meaning, it simply
expresses the opinion of Congress) worth risking American access to
key supply routes into Iraq, and destabilizing the Kurdish portions
of that nation?
It seems clear that the cost of passing this nonbinding resolution
is far greater than its benefits. We are a nation at war, and our
first concern must always be the brave men and women of our armed
forces, who I believe are done a great disservice by this symbolic
House vote. This is just the latest example of anti-War-on-Terror
Democrats in the House being either oblivious or indifferent to the
welfare of American forces serving in harm’s way.
Is it appropriate for Congress to act so irresponsibly that it would
purposely consider legislation which could cause direct harm to the men
and women of our armed forces? This is the question that Speaker Pelosi
must consider; while the resolution that will be brought to the floor
will be largely symbolic, its repercussions most certainly will not be.
– Congressman Jeb Hensarling is chairman of the Republican Study
Committee, a group of over 100 conservative Republicans in the House
of Representatives.
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