.Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basin Özeti
soldats. que les générauX améri-
.cains espèrent envc;lyer dans la
région. .
Si le front terrestre du nord
venait à disparaître, ces moyens
militaires devraient être re-routés
vers le Koweït, où les États-
. Unis ont déjà massé 180 000
. hommes. Mais ce changement
de dernière minute risque de
contrecarrer les plans militaires
américains. Outre qu'elle affaiblirait
les capacités de ravitaillement
en munitions, nourriture
et fueL des troupes américaines,
la perte du territoire turc permettra
aux forces irakiennes de
concentrer leur défense au sud
et à l'ouest de l'Irak. et d'offrir
ainsLune plus granàe,résistarrœ .
awe soldats américains. Selon
ies experts militaires, une attaque
par le seul front sud
risque d'augmenter la durée de
la guerre et les risques 'en
pertes humaines pour les États-
Unis.
Pour Washington, le temps
presse, Selon les spécialistes, les
troupes l!Jlléricaines ont besoin
de quinze jours pour se déployer
en Turquie. Or, la date
butoir d'une attaque contre
l'Irak est généralement fixée à
la mi-mars, date au-delà de laquelle
les températures, dans le
Golfe, deviennent trop chaudes,
pour pouvoir combattre. Ari
Fleischer, le porte-parole de la
Maison-Blanche, l'a affirmé
hier : « Il ne reste plus beaucoup
de temps: .. ArriVé un moment
d(l'des 'pr9!ti:~mes doivent
êtrê étdbiiS,'dèsfilécisions .
prises, et~.ceLanepeu{(iurer indéfiniment.'»'
, .
A WasflingtQn,';~~':,iluestioll
'd'abandonnerTidée du front
.nord e.$,4~soiTi1als'envisagée.
« Les~Îii1l' de 'la Turqui!üst
souhaii{iblé d'un poi'!1 :de uue
stratégique: .. maiiflis forces .
armées des Étati;:tJnis sont assez
soupi,e$ -jiour (lssurer un
succès ,1Tjilitaire.quelle 'lue soit
La décisio6»: affirtne Fleischer,
Les États:Uriis espèrent c€;-
pendant encore pouvoir infléchir
Ankara. Ne serait-ce parce
que les troupes américaines, si
elles sont autorisées à se déployer,
pourraient également
protéger les frontières turques
en cas de chaos'dans la région:
Impasse with Turkey over funds
throws D.S.plans into doubt
Dexter Filkins
The New Yon TImes
broken by a string of high levels meet- tion would not budge on the $6 billion
ings and conversations Wednesday. part of the proposal, which is consider~d
Secretary of State Colin Powell called the most important element.
ISTANBUL: The Bush administra- the 'I\1rkiSh prime minister, Abdullah "We put our offer on the table, and we
tion's plans for a northern front against Gul And Robert Pearson, the American think it's a good offer," a Western diplo-
Iraq were thrown into doubt Wednes- ambassador to 'I\1rkey, visited officials mat said in Ankara.
day as negotiations with 'I\1rkish lead- at the 'I\1rkish Foreign Ministry. The Turks, who had expected that the
ers failed to break a deadlock over how Following Pearson's visit, the 'I\1rkish counteroffer would spur the United
much economic aid; their country cabinet met and announced afterwards States to at least keep talking, were apshould
receive if war comes. that there was no deal parently stunned at the clipped U.S. re-
With time running out, 'Thyyip Er- "A framework for the agreement we sponse. A senior Thrkish official said his
dogan, the leader of'I\1rkey's governing are looking for has not been estab- government was surprised at how inparty,
said that the Turkish Parliament lished, " Abdulatif Sener, the deputy flexible the United States had been.
would not vote this week on whether to prime minister, said after the meeting. Despite the apparent impasse, there
allow the deployment of American "No direction regarding the request has were indications that the Turks were
combat troops to the country. . been made. " preparing to make a decision on the U.S.
If it remains in force, Erdogan's de- At the heart of the impasse is the deployments, one way or another. Senior'
cision would seem to all but doom plans amount of fmancial assistance the Turkish officiais continued to meet
to base thousands of American combat. Americans are willing to give. to the Wednesday evening - a sign, the Turktroops
in Turkey fora possible invasion Turks to persuade them to open their ish official said. that the government
of Iraq. American officials said earlier bases to U.S. troops. American officials, might be moving toward a resolution.
this week that ships full of troops and who believe that a northern front would Another sign came late in the day,
equipment{w~re approaching 'I\1rkey's shorten a war ,with Iraq, said the $6 bil- . whE!nGui visited the 'I\1rkish president,
coast and that they could not wait off- lion in grants offered to the 'I\1rks AIiinet Necdet Sezer, at his residence
shore indefinitely. The officials said would most likely cover any shocks to . for about 4Sminutes. Those sorts ohisthey'would
send thos.e ships to the Gulf the 'I\1rkish economy that a war on its' its, 'I\1rkish officials say, are usually reif
they did not have a decision from the border might deliver. served for extraordiuary events.
'I\1rks by the end ofweek. 'I\1rkish leaders disagree. The coun- "There is going to be some sort of de-
"There is not a lot of time left," Ari try's economy sustained huge losses in cision, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow
Fleischer, the White House spokesman,' the aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991, morning," the Turkish official said. "But
told reporters. "There comesa moment and 'I\1rkish officials saythey are deter- I don't know how it'sgoing to end up."
when plans must be made, decisions mined to make sure that this will not'
must me made, and it cannot stretch on happ~n again. .•
indefinitely." In meetings between Pres~dent
NATO approves Turkish aid
As negotiations with the Americans George W. Bush and 'I\1rkish' officials Days after breaking an impasse over
appeared to go nowhere, 'I\1rkish offi- over the weekend. the Americansd~-' planning in case of war with Iraq,
cials spoke with bitterness over what livered what they said was their .final NATO on Wednesday approved the dethey
said was the American refusal to offer: the $6 billion in grants and as ployment of AWACS aircraft, Patriot
offermore economic aid..A senior much as $20 billion in loans. . missile systems and chemical-biologi-
'I\1rkish official said Wednesday night 'I\1rkish leaders said the offer was Dot cal response units to Thrkey, The Asso- .
that he had grown pessimistic that a' enough, and on Monday they told .the. , ciated Press reported from Brussels.
successful deal could be reached. Americans they wanted $10 billion in' The decision was made by the same
"Things are not goingwell," he said. grants and about$22 billion in loans. . Defense Planning Committeè, which
"Nothing has happened in the past few On Wednesday morning, according to excludes France, that convened last
hours to change my mind." American and 'I\1rkish officials, Pearson Sunday to approve the start of military
The deadlock was apparently,. un~ told the 'I\1rJc3that the BU$hadmin~tra; planning.
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