The Foreign Service Journal, March 2003

public opinion. Most Turks believe that a war would not be a solution, but would instead aggravate prob- lems in the Middle East. According to opinion polls, nearly 80 percent of the Turkish people oppose mili- tary action. Despite this negative public assessment, however, the Turkish government was aware that it also had responsi- bilities to the United States, Ankara’s closest Western ally. Saying “no” to Washington would inevitably have an adverse impact on the “strategic partnership” in place between the two countries for decades. In short, Turkey’s civilian and military leadership has been con- fronted with a dilemma: Ankara has serious concerns over a war in Iraq, but failure to cooperate with Washington could weaken ties with a critical ally. A Patient Approach The U.S. understands that Turkey will face serious losses in case of war with Iraq, so at this writing, painstaking negotiations are continuing. As a professional soldier, Secretary Powell knows the mechanism and consequences of using military force very well, and that is why he insists that only actions that are the outcome of consensus will succeed in the inter- national arena, and that only such moves prevent prob- lematic consequences. Powell began to emphasize a mil- itary solution toward the end of January, not because he realized his earlier stance was wrong, but because he saw that the U.N. arms inspection scheme was not working in the desired way. He came to the point of declaring that a war might be inevitable only after he had pushed diplomatic efforts to their limits. Maybe I would go too far by saying this, but I tend to see Secretary Powell as “the conscience” of the current U.S. administration in dealing with many international matters, especially Iraq. I believe his inter- nationalist and patient approach is the right one, because after all — no matter what happens in Iraq — we all will continue to live in the same world and work with each other. F O C U S M A R C H 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 43 Spend your time the way you want . Do the same with your per diem . • Free Breakfast Buffet • Fitness Center • Laundry • Sundowner socials Your per diem goes much farther. So the next time you travel, spend some time here at Staybridge Suites . And Make It Your Place. Tysons-McLean 6845 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22101 Phone: 703.448.5400 Fax: 703.506.0001 Owned by McLean Hotel LLC and Operated by Grand Duke Hotel, LLC Visit Staybridge Suites Northfield MT Herman