Greenpeace protests U.S. military buildup in southern Turkish port

AP | 3/14/03

[kattracks]

ISKENDERUN, Turkey, Mar 14, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Some two dozen Greenpeace activists chained themselves Friday to the wheels of a truck blocking an entrance to an eastern Turkish port, where U.S. forces are unloading equipment ahead of a possible Iraq war.

Police dragged away the demonstrators while dozens of Turkish soldiers holding assault rifles reinforced the entrance. U.S. tank carriers were seen behind the soldiers at a distance.

The protesters tied banners to both sides of the truck reading "No war, U.S. go home." Police could not immediately move the truck as the demonstrators had broken the hand brake.

"If the U.S. is so intent on disarmament, it should start at home," said Greenpeace activist Banu Dokmecibasi, in a written statement. "It is the United States that possesses the world's most sophisticated weaponry and it is the United States that holds the world's largest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction."

Police detained the demonstrators, including activists from Turkey, Britain, Australia, Belgium and Lebanon.

The military immediately secured all entrances to the port. At another entrance, a second group of protesters dispersed after reading an antiwar statement, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The Greenpeace action was the second large antiwar protest to be held in Iskenderun this week.

On Wednesday, soldiers fired warning shots in the air and police clashed with protesters as they tried to push their way past a security cordon to enter the port. Police detained at least four people during that protest.

In the past weeks, U.S. support equipment - including Humvees, fuel trucks and flatbed trucks - have been unloaded at Iskenderun, Turkey's easternmost port, and then been transported to waiting stations near the Turkish-Iraqi border.

On Friday, U.S. soldiers loaded scores of jeeps and trucks onto a train, an indication of a new shipment headed toward the Iraqi border.

The equipment is intended for the renovation of Turkish bases and ports, which Washington hopes to use in case of war in Iraq.

Washington has been pressing Turkey to authorize the deployment of about 62,000 U.S. combat troops in Turkey to open a northern front against Iraq in case of war.

Parliament rejected a government-backed resolution authorizing the deployment earlier this month, but Turkish leaders are considering resubmitting the resolution for another vote. The United States cannot unload attack equipment, such as tanks and weapons, without the authorization.

Several U.S. ships have been waiting off Iskenderun's coast to unload equipment for the 4th Infantry Division.

Turks are overwhelmingly opposed to any war in Iraq, but the government says Turkey cannot risk alienating the United States, its closest ally. Ankara also fears losing a say in the future of a postwar Iraq.

[at bay]

Used to think these guys were kinda cool. No more. They may be having a whale of a good time giving aid and comfort to Sodidhisownson. As Cousteau himself might say "Look what we see here, it is our old friend the moray eel."

[Feckless]

Sounds like a great oppurtunity to test fire crew served weapons prior to battle........ :->

[ErnBatavia]

[ChadGore]

Gee, it's a good thing greenpeace is only interestind in saving mother earth, and would never impead the movments of our fighting forces. < / eyeroll >

[Sacajaweau]

Anybody remember Greenpeace protesting Saddam when he set the wells on fire during the Gulf War??