The Mood In Turkey

Michael Totten has been keeping us up to date with the reaction from the world community to the Israeli raid on the blockade runners. This particular article caught my eye: The Mood in Turkey I've been trying to think of something to say about this, but I've got nothing. With anger and sarcasm, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu lashed out Tuesday at Israel's attack on a Gaza aid flotilla and by extension the Obama administration's reluctance to immediately condemn the assault that left at least nine civilians dead. "Psychologically, this attack is like 9/11 for Turkey," Davutoglu told reporters over breakfast in Washington before going to the State Department to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. [...] "We will not be silent about this," he said. "We expect the United States to show solidarity with us. . . . I am not very happy with the statements from the United States yesterday." Michael, I've thought of it too. There is an important element of this to notice, so that the average person can differentiate between 9/11 and the struggle that ensued aboard the Mavi Marmara. It's not just the 3,000 lives lost versus the 9 lives on the Mavi Marmara. No, the real difference is that on Sept 11 of 2001, the Trade Towers didn't try attacking a foreign enemy, they were instead the unwilling targets. They weren't smuggling weapons through a blockade, thereby attacking an opponent. The innocent civilians had no opportunity to surrender and they certainly weren't offered any assistance from those piloting the airliners filled with innocent people. Comparing these two events is like claiming that the victims of the concentration camps asked for their death sentence. Every year, Jim Diamond (Mega-Genius) publishes his list of "Stupidest Statements Awards". It looks to me like Ahmet Davutoglu has first-place guaranteed for Jan of 2011.