Matthew Petti, National Interest: Will Turkey Drag America Into a ‘World War III Scenario’ With Russia?
The U.S. military is cautious about the role it is playing in Syria while the State Department is eager to step in and help Turkey as it tussles with Russia.
Russia and Turkey are headed towards a Cold War nightmare scenario after fighting between the two major powers in Syria left two Turkish soldiers dead.
Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad is driving his forces into Idlib, the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria, with Russian support. Turkey faces a humanitarian crisis on its borders as up to two million Syrians fleeing Assad’s rule are left with nowhere else to go, and Turkish forces have entered Idlib to stop the offensive. Now, the United States is mulling over its response to the escalating tensions.
The fresh concerns about America’s role in the region come on the heels of an airstrike by either Russian or pro-Assad forces, which killed two Turkish soldiers during a rebel counter-offensive east of Idlib on Thursday. In response, the Turkish military has reportedly asked the United States to deploy anti-aircraft missiles and launch air patrols in Turkey in order to deter Russia.
“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] has never seen fighting of this intensity this close to the border of a member state,” said Amb. Robert Ford, the last U.S. ambassador to Syria, at a Thursday press conference at the U.S. Capitol.
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WNU Editor: I do not see the U.S. or NATO rushing in to help Turkey. And they are certainly not going to positioned themselves in a World War III scenario with Russia. Turkish President Erdogan has been threatening and insulting the U.S. and European nations for years. His military involvement in Libya coupled with his territorial demands on Cyprus have further alienated him from his traditional allies. Bottom line. This is a mess that Turkey will need to solve on its own.
