Cengiz Candar: Why is Cheney coming and what is he bringing?

Cheney's being the visitor is all alone a topic of another article, as he is the “most hawkish” name of the Bush administration if the “Iran dossier,” in particular, is at issue. And the office of the U.S. vice president is frequently visited by the staunch advocates of Israel, primarily David Wurmser, demanding a “military strike against Iran.” These are the most hawkish figures among the “neo-cons.”

The Fallon affair:

The timing of Cheney's visit is as important as the guest himself. His expedition coincides with the resignation of Adm. William Fallon, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stretching from the Middle East to Afghanistan. Adm. Fallon had described U.S. State Secretary Robert Gates as “one of the best strategic thinkers in uniform today." He was a panelist at the "U.S.-Islam World Forum” held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. And I had a chance to listen to the admiral. Mithat Bereket of CNN-Türk had also interviewed him and directed the panel Fallon attended.

“He must have been the world's most civil-minded military officer,” I thought by looking at his posture and words he chose. Fallon's resignation just a year after his appointment in place of Gen. John Abizaid came as a surprise. The reason for his resignation was announced to be differences of opinion with the President of the U.S. George W. Bush over the “Iran policy.” It was also argued that an article by Thomas P. M. Barnett published in Esquire magazine caused Fallon's resignation.

I am familiar with the name “Thomas P.M. Barnett.” He is a senior military-strategist and professor at the U.S. Naval War College. The Esquire magazine had selected him as "the Best and the Brightest" in a special edition headlined "The Strategist." That is to say, Barnett is the description of the word “strategist” in a dictionary and is regarded as one of Pentagon's most striking strategists of the century.

Barnett's books, "The Pentagon's New Map-War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century" and "The Pentagon's New Map-Blueprint for Action-A Future Worth Creating" became "best-sellers" in 2004 and 2005 in U.S.

And how ironic that in Turkey, leftist-nationalist pro-Ergenekon (crime gang) authors, most of whom are not fluent in English, writing books on the U.S. military strategies make it to the “best-sellers” list!

In his Esquire article, Barnett termed Fallon as an obstacle before a U.S. military strike against Iran and wrote: "If, in the dying light of the Bush administration, we go to war with Iran, it will all come down to one man. If we do not go to war with Iran, it will come down to the same man. He is that rarest of creatures in the Bush universe: The good cop on Iran and a man of strategic brilliance.”  �

A war against Iran?:

In this case, Fallon should be removed from office, Barnett pointed out. His article became the admiral's death decree. Fallon resigned. Although Gates said “nonsense” for his resignation being linked to Barnett's article, Fallon resigned due to the differences with Bush over U.S. approach to Iran and this is the accepted opinion.

Under these circumstances, could we think that Cheney is planning an “attack against Iran” this year? And could we see his visit to Turkey within this framework? Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker magazine, whom I see every time I pay a visit to Washington for the last three years, believes so. And I directly heard from Hersh about his conviction.

He thinks the Bush administration would hit Iran just before he leaves office in the “twilight zone” of the U.S. and world politics, around the fall of 2008. Hersh's article titled “The Iran Plans," in which he revealed the Iranian war plans, dropped like a bomb on the agenda in 2006. A week later in Istanbul, I helped Hersh to meet a renowned Iranian intellectual to give the details about his news sources. He was pronouncing Cheney's name with some hatred in his voice.

In advance of his expedition, Cheney addressed the Heritage Foundation, one of the fortresses of the conservatives in Washington. "In 1972, nine countries had ballistic missiles. Today, it is at least 27 — and that includes hostile regimes that oppress their own people, seek to intimidate and dominate their neighbors, and actively support terrorist groups,” he said.

The vice president talked about potential North Korean missile threat in addition to another one gradually increasing from Iran and Syria. He then continued:

"Tehran continues to develop technologies that could lead to its building an ICBM capable of striking the U.S. — perhaps as soon as late — in the next decade. Given all we know about the Iranian regime's hatred of America, its vow to destroy Israel, and its ongoing efforts to develop the technology that could be used for a nuclear weapon, that is a danger every one of us must take seriously.”  �

A role for Turkey?:

In the meantime, a public opinion poll by the BBC indicates Turkey tops the list in the countries supporting aggressive international measures to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, such as military strikes or sanctions.

As this support declines among countries participating in the poll, it jumps up from 61 percent to 72 in Israel and from 21 percent to 33 in Turkey. This has something to do with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-linked “laicism-headscarf debates” and “Islamophobia.” There is very slight doubt about that.

Cheney is coming to Turkey to meet with an AKP government that seems close to Iran and Syria and with a General Staff that is likely to “understand” him. The nature and consequences of this visit are without doubt, the most interesting and crucial than that of the issues keeping the agenda busy in Turkey.