FoxNews: Turkey holding 50 US nuclear weapons 'hostage'

[essentialsaltes]

Turkey holding 50 US nuclear bombs 'hostage' at air base, report says

Officials are reviewing plans to evacuate up to 50 U.S. nuclear bombs that have long been stored at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey in the wake of Ankara's military offensive in northern Syria, according to a report.

The weapons are now essentially being held "hostage" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a senior official told The New York Times on Monday.

Erdogan has previously expressed a desire to boost Turkey's nuclear arsenal.

“Some nations have missiles with nuclear warheads — not just one or two. But [they say] I should not have missiles with nuclear warheads. I don’t accept this," Erdogan said last month, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

 

[zephcom]

Turkey holding 50 US nuclear bombs 'hostage' at air base, report says

Officials are reviewing plans to evacuate up to 50 U.S. nuclear bombs that have long been stored at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey in the wake of Ankara's military offensive in northern Syria, according to a report.

The weapons are now essentially being held "hostage" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a senior official told The New York Times on Monday.

Erdogan has previously expressed a desire to boost Turkey's nuclear arsenal.

“Some nations have missiles with nuclear warheads — not just one or two. But [they say] I should not have missiles with nuclear warheads. I don’t accept this," Erdogan said last month, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

<sigh> How much more do the Democrats need to justify impeachment?

If it were up to me, the House would vote to impeach this afternoon, the Senate confirming it tomorrow morning and Trump would be on the golf course by noon as a private citizen.

But that is just me.

 

[evoeth]

<sigh> How much more do the Democrats need to justify impeachment?

If it were up to me, the House would vote to impeach this afternoon, the Senate confirming it tomorrow morning and Trump would be on the golf course by noon as a private citizen.

But that is just me.

By "on a golf course" you mean on a prison work crew cutting the grass?

 

[zephcom]

By "on a golf course" you mean on a prison work crew cutting the grass?

I don't know that I could make THAT happen by tomorrow, but losing nuclear bombs on one's watch should certainly come with a penalty of some sort.

 

[Nithavela]

<sigh> How much more do the Democrats need to justify impeachment?

A senate held by less than 50% republicans.

 

[Nithavela]

Concerning the OP... have those nukes really been lost or "held hostage"? As far as I can tell, the USA just doesn't have the capacity to get them out.

Did Erdogan put a boot on the missiles? What?

 

[Basil the Great]

We just cannot imagine what will happen next...

 

[Nithavela]

We just cannot imagine what will happen next...

Not sure if I'm allowed to link to that terminator nuke scene, so I'll just leave it to you to find it on youtube.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Concerning the OP... have those nukes really been lost or "held hostage"? As far as I can tell, the USA just doesn't have the capacity to get them out.

Did Erdogan put a boot on the missiles? What?

I dunno. I agree with your assessment. I assume that removing them from a Turkish airbase would require the Turks to agree. And the Turks in the control tower could say "you don't have permission to take off". And you probably need permission to drive a caravan of nukes across the Bosporus.

 

[Kentonio]

Concerning the OP... have those nukes really been lost or "held hostage"? As far as I can tell, the USA just doesn't have the capacity to get them out.

Did Erdogan put a boot on the missiles? What?

I think I read something about how Turkey previously cut all power to the base during a previous diplomatic furor. I’m amazed they were left there after that.

 

[Nithavela]

I dunno. I agree with your assessment. I assume that removing them from a Turkish airbase would require the Turks to agree. And the Turks in the control tower could say "you don't have permission to take off". And you probably need permission to drive a caravan of nukes across the Bosporus.

Has anyone tried? Because as long as the US military doesn't try to remove the nukes and Turkey does anything to stop them, I wouldn't call it a hostage situation even by the loosest definition.

That would be like me parking my car in your driveway and calling it grand theft auto because I'm too lazy to pick it up.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Has anyone tried? Because as long as the US military doesn't try to remove the nukes and Turkey does anything to stop them, I wouldn't call it a hostage situation even by the loosest definition.

Confidentially, I quoted FoxNews for a reason.

Although I guess the reeeaallll Trump supporters have all moved on to RT and OANN.

 

[zephcom]

I dunno. I agree with your assessment. I assume that removing them from a Turkish airbase would require the Turks to agree. And the Turks in the control tower could say "you don't have permission to take off". And you probably need permission to drive a caravan of nukes across the Bosporus.

If we no longer have complete control over them, then we have lost them. We might be able to get them back, but getting them back doesn't mean we didn't lose them first.

Losing control of one's nukes is very serious because of the danger they pose. One has to wonder why we even had them in Turkey in the first place.

 

[LoveOurNeighbor]

If we no longer have complete control over them, then we have lost them. We might be able to get them back, but getting them back doesn't mean we didn't lose them first.

Losing control of one's nukes is very serious because of the danger they pose. One has to wonder why we even had them in Turkey in the first place.

They have most likely been there since the cold war. This is just another piece of the tangled web that comes from unilaterally shooting from the hip.

 

[wing2000]

...it would not surprise me if Trump already made a "deal" to turn them over to Turkey.

 

[zephcom]

...it would not surprise me if Trump already made a "deal" to turn them over to Turkey.

No doubt that if he got a 'good price' for them he would sell them. And then brag about selling them for such a high price.

 

[wing2000]

No doubt that if he got a 'good price' for them he would sell them. And then brag about selling them for such a high price.

...or have nothing to show for it...as is the case with his green light to Turkey. What did the United States gain in return for pulling our troops?

 

[SimplyMe]

Has anyone tried? Because as long as the US military doesn't try to remove the nukes and Turkey does anything to stop them, I wouldn't call it a hostage situation even by the loosest definition.

That would be like me parking my car in your driveway and calling it grand theft auto because I'm too lazy to pick it up.

Your analogy does not work at all. It would be more like, I don't have a garage and so negotiate to keep my bicycle in your garage, to protect it from the elements. The agreement works well for both of us for a few years, but one day you get upset and lock the garage door so that I cannot get my bicycle out. In that case, just as the claim here is, you are essentially holding my bicycle "hostage" and it could even be interpreted as theft.

 

[Speedwell]

...or have nothing to show for it...as is the case with his green light to Turkey. What did the United States gain in return for pulling our troops?

We got our troops out and we handed over the geopolitical influence we had in the region to the Russians. Looks like a win-win for Trump.

 

[iluvatar5150]

I dunno. I agree with your assessment. I assume that removing them from a Turkish airbase would require the Turks to agree. And the Turks in the control tower could say "you don't have permission to take off". And you probably need permission to drive a caravan of nukes across the Bosporus.

I think that sort of extraction would be the point where the US could legitimately play the “and who’s going to stop us?” card. We’re quite capable of seizing land.