And After A War, What Then?

TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes about the aftermath of a possible war in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
As I write these words, US President George W. Bush’s annual State of the Union Address still lies in the future, but it’s not too difficult to guess what’ll say. He will once again try to convince the world that Saddam Hussein is a horrible horrible man and a desperate liar. However, I doubt Bush’s speech will serve him any better in his attempts to justify his cause against Iraq.
But at this point there’s no stopping the US from carrying out its designs. Its basic goal is to establish a firm and unassailable foothold in the countries ringing the Persian Gulf and then re-draw the map of the region. An Iraq offensive is the first step of this overall project. The borders the Ottoman Empire set for the Middle East lasted for some 400 years, and now it seems very likely that the current British-defined borders are about to dramatically change.
I’m deeply concerned that Ankara lacks a comprehensive grasp into the US designs and furthermore has no proper assessment of the situation awaiting our country after a possible war, and therefore is inadequately prepared. We will once again be shocked by developments there, just as we were taken aback by the dissolution of the Soviet Union. We don’t like trying to foresee the future. Instead we only try to save the day. We hate any change in the status quo. We have lost our reformist spirit and we get goosebumps at the mere mention of the word ‘change.’
President Bush will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday. Britain and even Israel are aware of the US designs, and both are quite familiar with the principles of ‘Pax Americana.’ But are we? I think we lack even the curiosity to wonder what they really are. For instance, has Turkey discussed and reached an agreement with the US on the postwar situation in Turkey and Iraq?
In an unmistakable reference to Turkey and Kuwait, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said yesterday that Iraq would strike back against any country which allows US soldiers to use their soil to launch an attack against Iraq. He may be bluffing. Yet one thing is quite clear: war is now closer than ever.
The US cannot delay a possible Iraq war for two more months. Turkey must get prepared for the aftermath of a quick and dirty US military campaign against Saddam.”

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION