Ottomans To the Rescue!

The recent LOLable plea by the Ottomans for Great Satan to hop in Syria double quick time actually highlights the amazing fact that despite all the chiz about Ottomanic Regional Power maybe it's time for the Ottomans to live up to the formidable (on paper anywrought) rep.

On the eve of the Iraq war in 2003 many regional powers - including the Turks who went out of their way to organise conferences of like-minded states - tried to dissuade Great Satan from invading by arguing that Saddam Hussein was a regional problem, to be dealt with by the regional countries.

Great Satan could argue that she is hot to support and help any action that the regional states - Turkey would be essential to any such project - might undertake against the Assad regime.

This could entail air attacks on Syrian air defense installations and airbases, in support of a Turkish and allied attempt to create safe havens at both ends of Syria. This could be undertaken on the understanding that under no circumstances would there be any US military units on the ground. At the same time, Sunday's violence demonstrates that Turkey is not insulated from possible Syrian meddling.

This approach is not only relatively safe for 44's posse, but it is reasonable. If this crisis is directly affecting the regional powers, they need to share the burden of solving it.

It is likely that the Turks and others would recoil at the idea of sending in their own troops; they too have public opinion to heed. It has been easy for them so far to put the onus on Great Satan.

Were Great Satan to offer its support to a Turkish-Arab intervention in this way, before long the regional powers would have to seriously reconsider their options for acting to end the crisis.

If the regional powers did not step up their response under those conditions, they would still have to face the consequences of the civil war on their own populations, security infrastructure and resources. They would not, however, be able to put the blame on Great Satan and her western allies.

Pic - "Ottomanic Opportunity!"