Israel, Turkey, Gaza in covert sea war.

[Christians4LessGvt]

Israel, Turkey, Gaza in covert sea war

Hamas frogmen thwarted

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

June 7, 2010, 11:11 AM (GMT+02:00)  

The Israeli commando raid on a Turkish ferry heading to break the Gaza blockade, in which 9 activists were killed, is turning out a week later to have kicked off a semi-clandestine sea war between Israel, Turkey and the Gaza-based Hamas, debkafile's military sources report. Monday, June 7, Hamas frogmen were on their way to a large-scale attack on an Israeli target when their boat was intercepted by Israeli commandos and four or five armed Palestinians killed. Turkey is investigating suspicions of Israel's hand behind a deadly Kurdish terrorist attack on its Iskenderun base on May 31.

Our military sources disclose Iskenderun's quietly growing role in the last two months as a military hub in potential confrontations by Syria and Hizballah with Israel. In mid-May, Turkey moved anti-air missile batteries into the port to defend targets in Syria and Lebanon against potential Israeli air strikes from the eastern Mediterranean. This is the first time Ankara has provided Syria and Hizballah with an air defense umbrella and come down on their side in their conflict with Israel.

Some hours after Israeli commandos clashed with armed men aboard the Mavi Marmara, Kurdish PKK rebel fighters attacked the Turkish naval base at Iskenderun on the Syrian border, killing seven Turkish seamen and injuring another six. If Ankara can prove its suspicions, it will be able to claim that Israel is involved by proxy in terrorist attacks on Turkish soil. Diplomatic relations still in force despite the frictions between the two countries will then be severed, one step before a declaration of war.

Following the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's fiery abuse of Israel, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said Sunday, June 6: "We have been working hard, especially to ascertain what happened in the Iskenderun incident." Local media have suggested he is looking for Israeli covert invovlement in the planning and execution of the deadly attack on the Turkish naval base in revenge for the violence on the Marmara against the Israeli naval boarding party.

Early Monday, June 7, an Israeli Navy Commando force intercepted a large group of armed Palestinian frogmen, members of the Hamas sea commando, on their way from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli shore to the north early Monday, June 7. Palestinian sources confirmed at least four wet-suited terrorists were killed, and another four were missing in the wake of a shootout in the Nahal Aza area of the Gaza Strip near Nuseirat between their boat and Israeli troops.

The IDF spokesman reported there were no Israeli casualties. debkafile's military sources report the Hamas seaborne unit aimed to prove itself capable by striking an Israeli target of retaliating for the thwarting of the Turkish-led campaign to break the Gaza blockade.

Shortly afterwards, a Palestinian Qassam missile squad was spotted on land near Jebalya preparing to fire into Israel. It was knocked out by the Israeli Air force.

debkafile: Cross-fire from Gaza on Israeli border patrols is frequent, almost daily and Hamas still launches several Qassam missiles and mortar bombs into Israel every week, but attempts attacks by Hamas or related groups from the sea are a new development.

[Michael Tee]

Turkey's a NATO member.  What are the implications for  NATO if Turkey gets into a shooting war with the Israelis?  I guess they'll find out how much the "mutual defence" provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty are worth when the shit hits the fan.  This ought to be hilarious.  Too bad it'll never come to that.

[Stray Pooch]

Turkey's a NATO member.  What are the implications for  NATO if Turkey gets into a shooting war with the Israelis?  I guess they'll find out how much the "mutual defence" provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty are worth when the shit hits the fan.  This ought to be hilarious.  Too bad it'll never come to that.

This isn't the first time Turkey has been involved with a NATO controversy.  Up until the time the Ayatollah took over Iran, Turkey gave us only caretaker access to our Common Defense Installations (CDIs) in Turkey because we had an arms embargo against them over the issue of Cyprus.  Turkey had used weapons we had provided against Greece - a NATO ally - which was in direct violation of the NATO treaty.  When we lost Iran, previously our biggest Muslim ally in the region, we made nice with Turkey very quickly in order to regain access to our joint bases.  I was stationed there in 1979 as part of the forces sent to bring the stations back on line.  While stationed there, I found out a few things about Turkey that I think are germane to this discussion.

First, Turkey will not be pushed around.  They are very serious about getting respect and they will retaliate in a heartbeat if they feel they are being treated disrespectfully.  I could give several direct examples of this, but the hostilities in Cyprus and the reaction to our embargo are examples in themselves.  Another one which might ring a bell is the reaction to the strong US pressure to stop heroin production in the country.  Turkey decided that if the US wanted to get tough on drugs, the Turks would oblige.  We shipped soldiers caught using or dealing out of the country in a mailbag, because any Americans caught with drugs got extended stays (and I mean REALLY extended) in the Turkish prison system.  The movie "Midnight Express" was real.  The Turks do not take kindly to bullying.

Second, Turks are not wimps.  They train their soldiers like warriors.  Beetle Bailey's Sarge is a fictional character here. In Turkey, he would be a pansy.   Once we saw our MPs responding to a gunshot report.  We all thought it was a terrorist attack.  One of the MP's (Sergeant Carter, believe it or not) told us to calm down.  The shot had been fired by the Turkish base commander.  He had caught a guard sleeping on duty.  The guard never woke up.  Turk NCOs carried batons during PT with which they would strike poorly performing troops across the thighs.  It wasn"t a casual swat - the troops would drop in pain (and they'd better get back up quick).  Turks are tough, and take military discipline seriously.  

Third, the Turks are not swayed by public opinion - either domestically or in international relations.  After Ataturk, the Turks went against the Muslim tradition.  Ataturk had turned them towards the west and after purging his own nation of the Islamic establisment he began to court Europe and modernization.  The Turkish nation became a budding democracy (though Ataturk had a few "Cromwell" moments of overturning the legislature by the force of his own will).  Though they are trustworthy allies because honor means something to the Turks, they are fiercely independent and will not be pressured.

I was stationed in Sinop over three decades ago and a few important things have changed since then.  For one thing, the government and economy were stable for most of my stay there.  Since then there have been uprisings, regime changes, economic upheavels and a drift towards Islamic revolution.  Turkey is still our biggest Muslim ally - really the only one with no strings attached - and it would be an exaggeration to think of them as an Islamic nation.  But the population and the government are leaning more towards their historic alliances (and the memories of the Caliphate) and less towards the west.  We have been restraining them in their war against Kurdish militants and President Bush - never a brilliant diplomat - actually scolded them during the early days of the present conflict.  Turkey has been condemned as too western by potential Muslim allies, treated condescendingly by the west, and now badly insulted by Israel - the nation with whom relations are most damaging in the eyes of Turkey's cultural partners.  (Did I mention that there are very strict laws against insults in Turkey?)  This treatment would have been difficult enough to bear in a time when Turkey was more pro-western and less inclined to theocratic internal struggles.  Today it could potentially be explosive.

I know that greater minds than mine are dealing with these issues right now, but I am sick with worry over this issue.  A shooting war - even a minor skirmish - between Israeli and Turkish forces is a nightmare.  I hope it never comes to that - because I can't see how it could ever come back.

[Plane]

  I agree with Pooch.

  Turkey could be persueded either way at this point , and what has Isreal to offer in negotiation?




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