US nukes in Turkey- worth the risk** Update** it gets worse

[philip964]

http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/ ... -of-turkey

I thought we moved our nukes out of Turkey as part of the negotiations that ended the Cuban missile crisis.

But apparently not.

In this new age are we more worried about Russia or Turkey going rogue and taking them.

Today I'm more worried about Turkey and think we need to be better friends with Russia. This would be a good way to start.

I'm sure the current administration would disagree.

[The Annoyed Man]

The nukes at Incirlik consist of approximately 50 B61 gravity bombs with "dial-a-yield" varying between .3 and 340 kilotons. A 340 kt bomb is a very significant weapon. Those 50 bombs constitute something like 25% of the entire NATO arsenal.......at that one base. They are all fitted with a PALS device, making it much more difficult to actually explode one if it were hijacked.

[parabelum]

340 kt bomb can really ruin your day.

I agree with phillip964 in that we ought to be worried about Turkey more, especially now that Erdogan is emerging as a slowly shifting dictator kozy with Islamic radicals, and Russia ought to be our natural ally in the fight against Islamofascism.

[DevilDawg]

The base as I understand it has been isolated since the attempted coup and running low on fuel for generators. Even if the current administration doesn't want to do something, they will have to sooner than later. There won't be a shady backroom deal to save any of them if the USAF personnel or those nukes get away.

[Beiruty]

I heard rumors that Turkey is trying to make friends with Russia and I do not believe it. Turkey is a corner stone for NATO and I do not think Turkey is not so stupid to leave NATO or abandon the US and EU. One wrinkle in my assessment if the US administration were behind the failed coup or were supporting it covertly.

[MechAg94]

In general, is Russia still our primary adversary like the old Soviet Union? Should we still have nukes in Turkey? Should we even still have NATO. I get the impression we are trying to maintain a military network that isn't really necessary for the task it was created for.

[DevilDawg]

Russia bombed a joint US/UK base last month, twice in 90 minutes. They were told to stop bombing it after the first time by US command in the region, notifying them it was our base. Russia went back and hit it again.

The message here? Our administration is a laughing stock in the World and Russia is letting everyone else know it. Don't think for a minute the administration would do anything against Turkey for taking over this base. Except maybe apologize and offer some money and concessions.

[Beiruty]

Covertly, Did US bomb the Russian Air base? And this is a reaction?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 46646.html

[philip964]

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/mili ... /87665750/

So when a thousand protestors storm the gates will the US military kill them all or will they surrender the nukes.

Time to bring them home.

[ELB]

I heard rumors that Turkey is trying to make friends with Russia and I do not believe it. Turkey is a corner stone for NATO and I do not think Turkey is not so stupid to leave NATO or abandon the US and EU. One wrinkle in my assessment if the US administration were behind the failed coup or were supporting it covertly.

I don't believe Turkey is trying to make friends with Russia, but that does not make them our or NATO's friend. Turkey has turned away from the US and NATO, and the latest alleged "coup" and the more-than-alleged purge that follow is widening the gap considerably. Yes I believe Turkey will leave NATO and the US/Europe, if Erdogan and his allies can continue the path they are on. If NATO doesn't kick them out first (which I think will be too bold for NATO). I think Turkey will ally itself more with other hardline Islamic movements and governments, and away from Europe and the West. (For one thing, Europe has long made it clear that NATO was as close to Europe as Turkey was going to get, the EU did not want Turkey in its economic fold).

That's too bad, Turkey was a good ally for many years, but no more. Given our current President's fondness for Islamic militant movements that are hostile to the US there is not way that the US was supporting the "coup". There are probably a few people still in government who were rooting for a successful coup, but not as a US policy. Losing Turkey is bad for us, but I don't see how it will be headed off unless the Turkish people change direction.

And yes, we should pull the nukes out of there.