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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsU.S. military keeps 50 nuclear weapons on Turkish airbase, and now they're 'Erdogan's hostages'
The chaos resulting from Donald Trump's seemingly out-of-the-blue decision to withdraw U.S. troops from their positions in Kurdish-held Syria, greenlighting an all-out Turkish invasion, continues to grow. Trump's move was so precipitous that U.S. forces in the region were caught completely unaware. That includes U.S. nuclear forces.
As reported by The New York Times: "[O]ver the weekend, State and Energy Department officials were quietly reviewing plans for evacuating roughly 50 tactical nuclear weapons that the United States had long stored, under American control, at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey."
They didn't move them, the Times reports. "Those weapons, one senior official said, were now essentially Erdogan's hostages."
What happens to those 50 nuclear weapons now is a bit dicey. Turkish forces have been firing at U.S. troops in Syriaor were, until Trump responded by ordering a full retreat, fleeing the Turkish advance. There is word that Turkish-allied forces have been releasing ISIS prisoners as they advance, as well. U.S. military officials now have to decide whether to leave the nuclear weapons in Turkey, under the assumption that U.S.-Turkish relations will not collapse completely in coming days, or hastily fly them out.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/14/1892405/-U-S-military-keeps-50-nuclear-weapons-on-Turkish-airbase-Now-they-re-Erdogan-s-hostages
ExciteBike66
(2,370 posts)I just can't see Turkey taking any actions in regard to these nukes; it would start a hot war with the most powerful nation on earth (and her allies in Europe).
sunonmars
(8,656 posts)5X
(3,972 posts)If they are doing that, they are likely joining the Turkish ranks.
If the Turks than get their hands on that base, than so does ISIS.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)However, Erdoğan is a despot, Putin a thug, and Trump an idiot.
As difficult to apply rational thought to irrational idiots as it is to apply discipline and organization to toddlers.
underpants
(182,863 posts)Anon-C
(3,430 posts)ret5hd
(20,509 posts)dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)I don't know if they just put that out there, as not to cause a panic. It's hard to tell what is truth anymore.
sunonmars
(8,656 posts)dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)MineralMan
(146,324 posts)by anyone other than our military.
The Turks will not attack Incirlik. Not a chance. They are still part of NATO, after all.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)Even if they cannot be detonated, they still have fissile material and have design attributes that non-nuclear nations would greatly desire.
Load them up and ship them out. Shoot any Turks that would try to stop it.