Stephen Lendman

Were US dirty hands involved in Friday’s failed attempt to oust Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power?

Relations with Obama are strained. During Erdogan’s March 31 - April 1 Nuclear Security Summit participation in Washington, no meeting between both leaders was scheduled, no White House invitation afforded.

He’s more tolerated than welcome. Establishment organization Brookings invited him to speak. Mayhem followed, his security guards making Washington look like Ankara, assaulting journalists covering his address, clashing with peaceful demonstrators outside the venue, protesting his crackdown on press freedom, other human rights abuses, war on Turkish Kurds and support for ISIS in Syria.

It’s likely Washington prefers dealing with someone else in Ankara - whether enough to want Erdogan forcefully toppled isn’t clear.

America’s deplorable history suggests possibly, ousting dozens of governments, assassinating leaders, crushing popular movements, slaughtering millions, imposing its will on other nations ruthlessly.

Imperialism works this way. William Blum’s books and other writings documented it, saying US policies are “worse than you imagine.”

“If you flip over the rock of American foreign policy (throughout) the past century, (here’s) what crawls out:”

“invasions, bombings, (subversion), overthrowing governments, suppressing movements for social change, assassinating political leaders, perverting elections, manipulating labor unions, manufacturing ‘news,’ death squads, torture, (chemical), biological (and nuclear) warfare, (radiological contamination), drug trafficking, mercenaries,” police state repression, and permanent war on humanity at home and abroad.

“It’s not a pretty picture,” said Blum - “enough to give imperialism a bad name.”

Hegemons make more enemies than friends. Longstanding US policy is consistent - bullying, intimidating, threatening or otherwise pressuring other nations to serve its interests or face its wrath.

US intelligence likely knew about plans to oust Erdogan, yet didn’t warn him - perhaps because of direct or indirect involvement.

How the plot affects US/Turkish relations ahead remains to be seen. Will new leadership in Washington next year change current policies?

For now, things remain unsettled.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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