Turkey Shoot

The Turks have shot down a Russian fighter jet and NATO asks why didn't Turkey just escort the jet out of Turkish airspace.  The evidence in the aftermath is that Russia only just clipped a strip of land that projects - like a peninsula - into Syria.  The incursion was only a few seconds.  Really, Turkey, why so trigger happy?

It seems that Russian jets have been making a habit of drifting into Turkish airspace.  Here's a story from October 6th:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/06/nato-chief-jens-stoltenberg-russia-turkish-airspace-violations-Syria

Moreover, it should be remembered that Turkey and Russia have a long and troubled history.  They have been at war with one another 12 times in the past 450 years.  Much of the Balkans were lost during wars with the Russians.  Though it has been nearly a century since they last clashed in war during World War I, they remained belligerent toward one another.  Turkey became part of NATO during the Cold War, continuing the adversarial relationship.  Russia is just as aware of this history and should have known that repeated poking would provoke a response.

 

Though no fan of Erdogan, I'm generally on Turkey's side here.  Whether or not there were warnings this time around, there had been warnings in the recent past.  This was not some passenger plane that was a little off course, this was an armed fighter.  Russian pilots dismissed them and have paid the price.  I am willing to bet that there will be an end to the airspace incursions.

 

That aside, this is the first time in over half a century that a Russian plane was shot down by a NATO member.  Precisely this was feared when Russia joined the Syrian Civil War.  Russia and NATO allies have different objectives in Syria and it is inevitable that there will be clashes.  It is unlikely this will be the only one.

 

Theodore Roosevelt said that one should speak softly and carry a big stick.  He was accused of being a jingoistic warmonger.  However, there were no wars during his presidency.  In fact, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a peace between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War (1905).  He sent the Great White Fleet - consisting of 16 battleships and various escorts - around the world to display American naval power.  With such an outward show of strength, the warmonger never had a war.  That was by design.

 

By contrast, Barack Obama has shown nothing but weakness and withdrawal.  He talks of smart diplomacy and the right side of history but the conflicts multiply and our enemies grow stronger.  For the last 7 years, we have negotiated with adversaries (Iran, Russia) and undercut our allies (Poland, Israel).  The incident on the Turkish border is a direct result of the catastrophic foreign policy of the Obama Administration.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shares in this disaster and promises to stay the course.