Talking Turkey And Torpedoes

It’s outrageous; it’s barbaric; it’s inhumane; it’s irrational; it’s illogical; it’s simply unbelievable. No, we are not talking about Israel’s commando raid that tragically killed nine activists aboard the blockade running Turkish flotilla headed to Gaza. But, yes, we are referring to the super-cavitation North Korean torpedo that wantonly and willfully killed forty-six South Korean sailors aboard their naval vessel.

Not unexpectedly, the world’s outrage has focused –with almost microscopic exclusivity – upon the inexplicably improvident Israeli commando raid. Indeed, the Turks, the E.U., the Arabs and the entirety of the Moslem world are infuriated. They are all, separately and severally, aflame with self-righteous, moral indignation. And, let there be no mistake, the conduct of Israel’s raid –during which nine activists died- was wholly unacceptable.

Still, there is not the slightest suggestion or even thinly veiled hint from any quarter, regardless of how pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel, that Israel premeditated, willed, planned or even contemplated the tragic civilian deaths. Admittedly, those deaths were foreseeable. Commando raids are inherently dangerous and deadly. The Israelis certainly knew that. Furthermore, Israel had multiple other options to impede, interdict, block and stop the flotilla from reaching Gaza.

Need it be said that everyone everywhere customarily demands a higher standard of behavior from Israel. Traditionally, even Israel has held itself out as dedicated to acting in and on a higher moral plane. But, in this flotilla situation, Israel screwed up big time and it has frightfully little room for excuses. The Israeli commando raid was conducted with an insensitivity, irrationality and an uncharacteristic incompetence that has –of late- crept into an unseemly number of Israeli affairs. Israel must better conduct itself, if only in pursuit of its own self-respect, its own dignity and its Biblical mandate to be “a light unto the nations."

But there is an more odious flip side to the above. Sanctioning an attempt to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza was among the most dangerous and provocative acts that Turkey could have underwritten. The Turkish government was well aware that a Turkish organization with unquestioned links to Hamas was launching a flotilla of rabid activists heading for Gaza. The Turkish authorities knowingly opted not to stop the flotilla. The Turks clearly understood that the flotilla would place Israel in an untenable situation. The powers that be in Turkey knew that the flotilla would constitute a head-on challenge to the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The Turkish organizers were cognizant that attempting to break a blockade constitutes “the use of force” under the rules of the United Nations. The Turks clearly understood that Israel proactively defends its national interests and security.

Indeed, it is or should be crystal clear –except to those whose vision is beclouded by anti-Israel myopia- that everyone with knowledge of the Turkish flotilla knew or
should have known that its mission was fraught with eminently foreseeable danger to life and limb. Blockade busting is an inherently dangerous act. It contemplates hostility; it anticipates angered antagonism; it invites armed intervention; and it solicits proactive military interdiction. It is astounding is that the Turkish flotilla did not elicit greater loss of life.

Perhaps of equal importance, the Turks – egged on by their Islamist-oriented and Israel-bashing Prime Minister- had absolutely no doubt that Israel would react to the blockade busting flotilla precisely as Israel did react. Indeed, that Israel’s raid resulted in bloodshed is a testament not only to Turkish geopolitical acumen, but –pointedly- also to Turkey’s conspiratorial complicity and behavioral culpability.

Of course, the Turkish flotilla may well have also had a humanitarian purpose. But that clearly secondary status did not mask the flotilla’s primary significance. The flotilla’s attempt to breach the Israeli blockade while attempting to deliver a completely unknown cargo (destined for Hamas) had significant military ramifications for Israel. Furthermore, the flotilla proceeded in flagrant disregard of Israel’s offer of docking rights in an Israeli port. The flotilla disdainfully rejected aid in transporting all non-military materials overland to Gaza.

Premises considered, it then became incumbent upon Israel to treat the flotilla as a hostile threat to Israel’s security and well-being. This threat was magnified exponentially because Hamas-controlled Gaza continues to unequivocally and
unapologetically deny Israel’s right to exist. There is not a nation on earth that would –in light of the foregoing scenario – forfeit its absolute right to protect itself and its national duty to safeguard its citizens.

In retrospect, Israel is responsible and accountable for its inexplicable decision to use commandoes instead of employing other alternatives to stop the flotilla. But Turkey is inescapably culpable for the tragic, but foreseeable civilian casualties. In its current bid to become the big kid on the Mideast block, Turkey –with Machiavellian premeditation- willfully chose to malignantly aid, abet and callously toy with the lives of the flotilla’s activists. For the Turkish powers that be, the activists’ lives were seemingly expendable!

So, boo to the Israelis who should certainly know better and must behave better. But shame on the Turks who also know better, thought about what they know and then wantonly decided they did not give a diddly damn about placing their activists in harm’s way.

And speaking about wanton disregard of life, let’s briefly talk about those 46 deaths attributable to the North Korean torpedo. Now that is a matter which deserved widespread outrage and international condemnation. However, more than two months after the torpedo exploded, there have still been no sanctions by the U.N., there has not been a word of protest from Russia, there is abject silence from China, and there is massive indifference and apathy from the Arab and Moslem world. That torpedo incident screams for outrage; it cries out for angry demonstrations; it begs for retribution. But international impunity, passivity and diplomatic circumlocution reign supreme when dealing with No. Korea. Even the So. Koreans have been all but mute. And all that is truly outrageous.

Imagine, if you will, that Israel had wantonly torpedoed even one ship in the Turkish flotilla. Consider, if you will, the resulting worldwide clamor seeking sanctions, retribution and revenge against Israel. Contemplate, if you will, the virulent condemnation, fanatic furor and vile opprobrium that would have engulfed Israel had one its submarines lain in wait to blast a Turkish ship into oblivion. Perhaps this scenario gives a broader perspective, a wider context and clearer illumination to the disparate standards applied to Israeli conduct in contradistinction to the behavior of No. Korea and to that other axle of evil, Iran.

In sum, perhaps Machiavelli understood the above manner of geopolitical gamesmanship best. He might well have opined: “Never have less scruple in condemning an evil nation than in excoriating a nation which deems itself upright.”

P.S. Geopolitical affairs are unusually complex and often convoluted. The highly sophisticated No. Korean super-cavitation torpedo is a case in point. This unique weapon was originally dreamed up and engineered in Russia where it is known as the Shkval torpedo. The Russians sold the torpedo to Iran. Iran then reverse-engineered the torpedo and allegedly improved it. Arguably, Iran then transferred the torpedo to North Korea in exchange for No. Korea’s nuclear technology. Boom!