Armenia/Turkey: Now, Soccer?

Back from the three day weekend: a couple of quick observations, then I've got Journal work ahead of me, but more perhaps by afternoon.

The Armenian President is due to travel to Turkey for a soccer game tomorrow if all goes well (which, given the fact that the signing of the protocols between Turkey and Armenia went rather less well than expected — a delay in which Secretary of State Clinton had to return to her hotel, tyhen no signing statements or joint communique — suggests we should not hold our breath. Still, the two countries are actually being almost civil to each other.

My E-mail inbox is full of Armenian-American groups explaining how Turkey has bullied poor little Armenia into this deal, and how Armenian Americans reject it . . .

And if I've learned anything in a career in this field, it's that you can express yourself pretty freely on Israeli-Palestinian issues, and still enjoy some respect from both sides, but you can't touch Turkish/Armenian issues without being promptly blown to shreds by both sides, so I merely note the events that have occurred.

More later.