EDITORIAL
Anti-Iraq coalition seems less than stalwart

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz appears to have been successful in his mission to Turkey to persuade its leaders to back America's proposed war on Iraq.

But it wasn't easy. Turkey's economic and political wheels are coming off; ministers are resigning, and the government is near default on its loans.

So, while Turkey makes no secret of its distaste for this coming war, it has a price — forgiveness of $5 billion in debt and a guarantee that Kurds would not be given an independent state.

The hapless Kurds, who live in the area surrounding the Turkey-Iraq border, have been abysmally treated by both governments. Although the Kurds currently are in disarray, they are often mentioned as a vital component of any domestic opposition to the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Turkey, however, fears that Iraqi Kurds might be given autonomy if they help topple Saddam, and their land would then serve as a base for Turkish Kurds in their own fight for independence.

As reluctant an opponent to Iraq as Turkey appears to be, it is one of the strongest supporters of such a war to date. One of the primary difficulties for President Bush in amassing support for the coming campaign is that, while he justifies it under the rubric of his war on terrorism, he has yet to show that Iraq is connected in any way with the tragic events of Sept. 11.

So far, his coalition appears woefully thin.