At Summit, NATO Is Divided Over Chief.

elleng

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Sat Apr-04-09 08:10 AM
Original message

At Summit, NATO Is Divided Over Chief.

Source: NYT/Reuters

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Turkey defied the other 27 members of NATO on Saturday by blocking the appointment of their choice as the military alliance's next leader, undermining a show of unity at a 60th anniversary summit.

Violent clashes between police and anti-NATO protesters also soured the atmosphere at a summit where U.S. President Barack Obama was trying to drum up support for the Afghan war and leaders hoped to forge a new strategic vision for the alliance.

The protesters set ablaze a former frontier post on the Franco-German border and police fired teargas and shock grenades to try to contain the violence. At least 50 people were injured.

Turkey refused to accept Europe's candidate for the post of NATO secretary-general, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, citing his handling of a row in 2006 over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that offended Muslims.

Rasmussen defended their publication at the time on the grounds of free speech and refused to apologize to Muslim countries.'

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/04/04/world/international-us-nato.html?hp

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KDLarsen

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:00 PM
Response to Original message

1. Fogh Rasmussen was chosen as the next leader

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7968237.stm

It's been on the cards for a while now, but it was a bit doubtful if he would actually get it due to his close relationship with Dubya. However, it seems like Obama has decided not to hold it against him, and all that really stood between him and the post was Turkey. However, it appears that Turkey has softened up after being offered a few key Nato posts.

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elleng

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:24 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Thats good news.

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Romulox

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:37 PM
Response to Original message

3. NATO is a joke and Turkey shouldn't be a member. nt

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denem

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Er ... Turkey was critical in the cold war,

Edited on Sat Apr-04-09 01:49 PM by denem

you know, um, that period the Truman Doctrine and NATO were established.

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Romulox

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:49 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. "Crucial" in what way? Drumming up red-scare hysteria back in suburbia?

:eyes:

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denem

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Sat Apr-04-09 01:54 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. The conflict, along with Greece, that established the Truman Doctrine

Edited on Sat Apr-04-09 01:55 PM by denem

the basis for US military policy ever since 1947.

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