Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Don't cut and run on the Kurds

Iraq may splinter after all. Something I and others mooted at the time of invasion.

Despite the general anarchy and civil war there, one significant group have been grateful for the fact that Saddam was removed. No significant paramilitary groups have sprung out of them to mount homicidal attacks on passing US soldiers. They are a long suffering people; the Kurds.

If Iraq looks seriously like splintering or regressing into oppression, we may not be able to prevent it. But we could seal off and protect an autonomous Kurdish homeland. We could try and do a deal on behalf of the smaller minorities (if there are any Christians or Jews left) where they can seek refuge in Kurdistan in exchange for our protection and recognition of that nascent state.

We owe it to the Kurds, we should not feed them to the wolves. Message to Turkey- cope.

5 comments:

Legal Eagle said...

You raise a very interesting point. I do hope that the Kurds can form their own homeland.

Boysenberry said...

Would the US risk it's relationship with Turkey? Another player that isn't so obvious is the EU. How would they feel about an independent Kurdistan, and how would that be balanced against Turkish aspirations to join?

Daniel said...

What happens to the Kurds will depend on how they fit into Israel and America's plans for the region.

They will be sacrificed without a qualm if they offer no advantage.

Daniel said...

David is really Daniel. Sorry!

Anonymous said...

Just another thing that didn't crop up in the plans made in 2003. For some reason the fanasty land of post invasion Iraq didn't come true.