Blame it on Turkey & Tommy

CS Monitor
On Friday, the Turkish government said it supported the plans of the Turkish president to visit Syria in early April, despite the US warning that he should not go. On Saturday, the US ambassador to Turkey resigned, following a tumultuous two-year appointment. And on Sunday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that by "blocking" US efforts to get into Iraq from the north two years ago, Turkey had allowed the insurgency there to "flourish."

Turkish Weekly
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that he is upset that the US could not enter Iraq from the north (Iraqi-Turkish border) during the Iraq war and added that fomented the resistance to grow in the aftermath of the occupation. The level of insurgency in Iraq would not be so high if the U.S.-led coalition had been able to invade through Turkey, a NATO ally, Rumsfeld said Sunday.

Mr Rumsfeld yesterday hailed Iraq's liberation and January elections, but said the insurgents' success was a result of the Government in Ankara blocking US troops from entering Iraq from Turkey, to the north.

"Given the level of the insurgency today, two years later, clearly if we had been able to get the 4th Infantry Division in from the north, in through Turkey, more of the Iraqi, Saddam Hussein, Baathist regime would have been captured or killed," Mr Rumsfeld told Fox News. "The insurgency today would be less."

..."General Franks made a call, and he made a judgment that not only would they not be needed and it would not be appropriate, but that it would be ill advised to put that many more, quote, 'occupation forces' in," Mr. Rumsfeld said on the ABC News program "This Week."

Turkey is to blame Journal of Turkish Weekly
It's Turkey's Fault Journal of Turkish Weekly
Prolonged Insurgency Due to Turkey Zaman Online

That's the Rummy we all know and love, and so typical of every pod in Bush's cabinet: When the shit hits the fan, blame someone else. Turkey did it! Franks did it! And, of course, you go to war with the allies and commanders you have.