An offer you can refuse

Here are two people who embody the concept of the Chicken Hawk - Ariel Cohen, Middle East specialist at the Heritage Foundation and Gal Luft, director of the Institute for Analysis and Global Security in Washington who want Turkey to lead the international force in Lebanon. Why? They suggested to the Turkish Daily News:

"Unlike the last international force deployed in 1983 in Lebanon, which dissolved after 241 U.S. marines were killed in a Hezbollah bombing, a determined Turkish-led force is not likely to flinch. ... If Turkey succeeds in calming Lebanon, it should be granted points towards its European Union accession and a seat at the table of the great powers."

Too chicken to send American or Israelis soldiers to die fighting Hezbollah they now want Turkey to ruin itself on their behalf. In return they will throw Turkey a few peanuts. And peanuts that they have no right to offer. Difficult decision, American peanuts or Iranian petrodollars... So I asked a Turkish restaurant owner what he thought. And he gave me a look which can only be translated as "these chicken-hawks are babbling idiots."