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 Springtime for KurdistanPosted on Aug 29, 2006
By Parag Khanna The semiautonomous northern region of Iraq is an island of relative stability in an ocean of turmoil. If America does not support Kurdistan’s independence, we may well lose our best shot of having a desperately needed secular ally in the region. New America Foundation fellow Parag Khanna, just back from the area, reports.
In the Balkans alone, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire enabled the creation of ethnic-national territories, but it was close to a century later that the Yugoslav federation violently dissolved and Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia finally emerged as modern nation-states. As for the Ottoman’s eastern realm, it is said that if Arabs had drawn the maps after World War I, Iraq would never have existed anyway. But undoing British cartographic ineptitude had to wait decades for the Iraqi murder-suicide that began with Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and now is culminating in the current civil war precipitated by the ineptitude of Britain’s imperial successor, America. Slowly and methodically, new lines are being hardened on the region’s map, and a nation only amorphously labeled in Ottoman times is being born: Kurdistan.
Peter Galbraith, veteran ambassador and advisor to the Kurds, writes in his new book “The End of Iraq” that all Kurds he has dealt with want an independent state. There are two ways to see Kurdistan today: through the eyes of the older or younger generation. By necessity, the latter’s vision will prevail. So let us come to terms with one simple causal truth regarding Iraq’s future: Because 100% of Kurdistan’s youths (and 95% of citizens voting in a referendum last year) want independence, it will eventually happen. The task of the older generation is to make sure that independence is acceptable to Kurdistan’s neighbors and America without taking any longer than it has to.
The Kurds, one prominent local told me, live by the saying, “If you don’t plan it, it can’t go wrong.” Without making any sudden moves, Kurdistan is emerging as a series of micro-decisions which favor the autonomy of the Kurdistan region of Iraq over deference to the central government in Baghdad. This is State-Building 101. Somewhat like Quebec or Taiwan, the Kurdistan Regional Government now has its own ministries for agriculture, development, education and investment. Only Kurdish is spoken, and only the Kurdish flag flies in Kurdistan; the Iraqi flag—which continues to symbolize the unity of Arab tribes—is unofficially forbidden. Politically incorrect lapel pins uniting the Kurdistan and British (and American) flags are distributed at events. The region’s top chief, Masoud Barzani, carries the title of president of the Kurdistan region. The peshmerga guerrillas have evolved into a united 100,000-man force with new military and police academies to train this voluntary Kurdish national army, yet another foundation of sovereignty creeping under the radar. These are not merely trappings of autonomy. They are habits of statehood being codified on a daily basis. Micro-sovereignty is complete; remaining for the future are Kurdistan passports, United Nations membership and a new currency (or rather to get one back, as the Kurds used their own currency for 11 years until the “Bremer dinar” and then the Iraqi dinar were reintroduced). The closer that Iraq’s Sunni-Shia rivalry edges toward state collapse, the more one is forced to wonder why the Kurds, long deserving of statehood, aren’t granted it to preserve their island of stability. Trapped between Turkish, Arab and Persian civilizations, Kurds have been abused for centuries by their neighbors. Little remains of the 3,000-year-old citadel in Erbil where Alexander the Great clashed with the Persians. The Kurdish national movement gained strength after the Ottoman partition, during which Sulaymaniah became a Kurdish administrative center, but in the inter-war period Kurds were not even recognized as a people in neighboring states (in Turkey they were considered “mountain Turks”). Today, the Middle East’s largest minority spans Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, with more ethnic Kurds in Turkey (15 million to 20 million) than in all the other states combined. With Syria and Iran under international scrutiny, Turkey restrained by its EU aspirations, and Iraq crumbling by the minute, the only thing restraining the Kurds is America and the Kurds’ leverage in Iraq’s federal structure, in which they presently control the presidency and other key posts in the foreign ministry, army and other agencies. Kurdistan is able to retain the legitimacy of being part of Iraq rather than being an unrecognized Kurdish rump state and thus receive large volumes of donor assistance through Baghdad, all the while using its share of federal revenues to build self-sustaining, independent institutions.
Prominent calls have risen for a Bosnia-style Iraqi federation of three semiautonomous regions, most recently by U.S. Sen. Joe Biden. If a stable, federal Iraq pulls through over the next two years, national unity will have prevailed but Kurds will have achieved maximal constitutional protections, even an advantageous position together with the Shia parties. “If….” Mention the scenario of Iraq’s self-destruction providing a fait accompli for Kurdistan’s independence, however, and watch smiles creep across Kurdish faces. After Saddam razed their villages, gassed their people and stole their livelihoods, the Kurds’ present schadenfreude and condescension toward Iraq’s plight seem natural. Baghdad is a four-letter word here.
The history and culture of Kurdistan, situated along the eastern Taurus and central Zagros mountain ranges, date back to the Seljuk era. Kurds are an Indo-European people speaking an Indo-Iranian language. The only thing Kurds have in common with their Arab neighbors is the Sunni faith, but even here they represent the opposite extreme from the Sunnis to their south. Kurds are viscerally afraid of extremism. Within hours of my arrival in Erbil, a Kurdish government representative politely suggested I shave my week-old beard, fearing my appearance would arouse suspicion. With the exception of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which waged a guerrilla war in and against Turkey through the 1980s and 1990s, Kurdish fundamentalism has been so restrained by the authorities as to become an oxymoron. Particularly since the assassination of their deputy prime minister (and many others) in 2004 by a Yemeni extremist, Kurds are on high alert. One of the first targets for the Kurdish peshmerga upon Saddam’s ouster was the radical Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, which is now cornered and near strangulation near the Iranian border. Along the frontier with Iraq, peshmerga troops steadfastly guard against any undesired infiltration. Arabs and Arabic speakers are subjected to immediate racial profiling. Kurds are so (rightly) insecure about their national security that loyalty to the state supersedes even the family. “They are not my relatives until they are cleared at the border,” a well-educated Erbil resident told me.
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By zainab, August 14, 2007 at 7:02 am # It is not a question of Kurds or not, it is innocent people that got killed and for what because kurds want the independence and freedom let them have it and they do.I think kurds are lovely people and have great culture and language. I am married to one so I know what kind of people they are.Whatever happened to them was in the past but was an absolute tradegy that no human deserves. But the kurdish youths need to understand what they elders have been through and that calling each other names doesn’t get you anywhere. We have to remember that god made us equal to eachother and whatever happens whatever culture, religion we are all one and all need to live in peace and unity.
By Kregg, August 7, 2007 at 1:34 pm # Wow those Kurdish women are seriously HOT! They blow away any of the other mideast/turkish and westernized women by far. At least they have women to fight for unlike the rest of the world fighting for arrogant fat pigs.
By Online Peshmerga, July 10, 2007 at 7:15 pm # “bahadir” You Are Double BrainWASHED! One By turkish Media’s And By turkish Government. The Media’s Shows You What Wanna See, Of Course Anything Bad About Kurds Will Be Most Welcome. And What They DO Is Simple Basicly Just Kill Kurdish Children Women, Tape It, And Air It, And Say “These Are turkish Children PKK Or Kurds Killed Them” And Of Course You Believe That Because You Are Such A BrainWashed Moron. And Same Goes For The Dictator Government. And The ONLY Thing turks Good At Is Making Up Bullshit! Cuz You Have No Shame So It Doesn’t Matter What You Say. “Selling Their Daughters"?!"Raping 2 Year Old”?! What Kinda Sick Mind You Have?! What Do You Think We Are As Sick As You turks Are? I Don’t Think So. And PKK Are Those Who Their Family Got Killed By turkish Police And Soldiers, So Its Their Turn To Shoot Your Ass Off! I Already Said Much And Answered Alot, So I’m Not Gonna Make This Long, I Only Say: To AnyOne Who Read This, If You Believe All That Crap Or Not, Come To KURDISTAN See It For Yourself. And Here, See What turks Do To KURDs For Yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdnXOKnk17g P.S Forgot To WriteSome Words So I RE-Writ It.
By Online Peshmerga, July 9, 2007 at 12:17 pm # “bahadir” You Are Double Brain! One By turkish Media’s And By turkish Government. The Media’s Shows You What Wanna See, Of Course Anything Bad About Kurds Will Be Most Welcome. And What They Is Simple Basicly Just Kill Kurdish Children Women, Tape It, And Air It, And Say “These Are turkish Children PKK Or Kurds Killed Them” And Of Course You Believe That Because You Are Such A BrainWashed Moron. And Same Goes For The Dictator Government. And The ONLY Thing turks Good At Is Making Up Bullshit! Cuz You Have No Shame So It Doesn’t Matter What You Say. “Selling Their Daughters"?!"Raping 2 Year Old”?! What Kinda Sick Mind You Have?! What Do You Think We Are As Sick As You turks Are? I Don’t Think So. And PKK Are Those Who Their Family Got Killed By turkish Police And Soldiers, So Its Their Turn To Shoot Your Ass Off! I Already Said Much And Answered Alot, So I’m Not Gonna Make This Long, I Only Say: To AnyOne Who Read This, If You Believe All That Crap Or Not, Come To KURDISTAN See It For Yourself. And Here, See What turks Do To KURDs For Yourself
By bahadir, July 1, 2007 at 11:24 am # I am glad to be able to writea comment on this page, since internet makes it available to let people see the facts. Let me tell you about the true facts about kurds. I swear in the name of every virtue you believe that, there is nothing to be said about “kurdish civilization”. They are just insects which suck the blood of those who work, who produce, who earn. The kurds now are the toy of great powers (such as USA and Israel), but one day the petroleum in the region will run out, and all those powers will stop playing with that toy, and that day we are gonna make them pay for every treason they made.
By azzi, April 3, 2007 at 12:43 am # you gunkor. i tell you something. how powerfull turkey is and how pwerfull turkey gets. turkey cant make any decition with out the americans involved in it. if us stops its financial support for turkey turkey will become like one of those aferican country.And your countries millitary. even if tis nember passes a million it can not get rid of PKK like it hasnot for 3 decades think about it. our kurdish movements have been crashed one by one and they never end they instead get stronger like now the iraqi kurdistan for example what possiply can stop the kurds in iraq from being anything they want. one last thing if i were you i would never call my self a turk cman what kinda country doensot recognise 40 million people it just doesnot make any sence if you wana stop them from setting up thier own country its ok but this just doesnot make sence 12 million kurds living in turkey cant say we are kurds. its a shame.
By Fazil Shawro, January 21, 2007 at 6:58 am # we, as kurdish people, have been dreaming for thousands of years. An Independent State is our New-Old dream. Noone can deny that we offered hunderds of thouthands of our souls as sucrifies for that Dream. But , I think that there is a historical Mistake in all our revolutions and struggles, ( each part of Kurdistan tries to get its freedom alone far from all the other parts) If we want to make our bream come true we have only one way : All Kurdistan take part in a universal Uprising from North to South and from East to west in one day and together , without paying any attention to Turkish, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian governments. One uprising though all Kurdistan is our only Solution.
By hiwaomer, October 14, 2006 at 11:31 am # really this is a dream
By Online Peshmerga, September 29, 2006 at 11:14 am # “Why did Saddam hated Kurds? the ANSWER is all because we are KURDISH. “and then decided to kill 37000 people for no reason” <----- this is a BIG LIE! HOW DARE YOU?! have you NO shame?! “Just Imagine 250 thousand Turks marching down into Northern Iraq!” “There are over 250 thousand Turkish troops on the border already waiting and watching Kurds to make their stupid move” Ahahahaahahahaahah.... dumass gungorkaya , looks like you have never heard of PESHMERGA! well, i tell you what, 1000 PESHMERGA is enough for your stupid 250.000 army! looks like you have never heard of MAME RISHE! * when Saddam soldiers hearing the name of MAME RISHE they were running 100 miles away! they were calling him “regul al-hadidy” = (the iron man)! we are son of MAME RISHE , and thousand heros like him. and if anyone try to sneak in to our land , even our 10 year old sons and daughters will be a PESHMERGAs and fight for their land. you better get busy with something else than threatening us! we are NOT afraid of DUMASS turks or ANY other force in the whole world. its been a dcade we are getting killed , just because we are KURDISH. Saddam took 200,000 kurdish people including women and five year old children in 1988 (they have NO destiny and nobody knows where they are). Saddam Killed 5.000 kurdish people in 5 minute with chemical weapon. Saddam destroyed 5.000 kurdish villages. after all this we are still standing, and a dumass TURK like you trying to threaten us?!!! THATS SO FUNNY! AND YOU (ALL) HAVE KNOW THIS: 1. Kirkuk will return to KURDISTAN in 2007. 2. we will get our independency SOON (with OR without americans). 3. the OTHER parts of KURDISTAN will return to GREAT KURDISTAN. 4. you guys (all of you who hate kurd) can go and F-CK yourselves. ( We are like a toxic snake, don’t step on our tail we don’t bite you, if you do, JUST GOD HELP YOU )
By gungorkaya, September 14, 2006 at 3:40 pm # Dr Sirwah H. Quaradaghi There are so many questions you have to answer before you make a sound judgement. Any one who has some logic behind their statements will understand that your dreamy history lesson does not have grounds and people like you is the cause of this bloody mess in the middle east and anywhere else.
By Dr Sirwan H. Quaradaghi, September 14, 2006 at 2:08 am # This is a real talk on facts which were masked before during the cold war time. Now as the time is not like before,whewn a crazy man like Saddam
By gungorkaya, September 13, 2006 at 9:09 pm # DR. Kawa Ibrahiem,
By DR. Kawa Ibrahiem, September 12, 2006 at 7:25 am # My response to Gunkor kaya is you need help. I suggest to you to read a ( prisoner of hate ) by DR. Aron Beck, and if your country have a mid- care you might ask for counselling. Good Luck, and remember we ( Kurd ) have no hatered against any specific nation and for years we lived peacefully with the Turks, Iranian and Arabs.
By gungorkaya, September 7, 2006 at 9:00 pm # Kurdish history is full of tragedy and heroism, all those countries know that!!! And full of Ignorance! When was the last time Kurds had a state?…
By Not Fooled For One Minute, September 6, 2006 at 5:53 pm # OK, people: it’s clear that the neocons are embarked on a major p.r. blitz, trying to seduce us liberals with idealistic fairy stories that will impel us to urge our government to aid in the creation of Greater Kurdistan — sure to be a benign and glorious enterprise. If you want to know why the neocons are suddenly in love with Kurdish ethnic nationalism, here’s a good essay that puts together the pieces of the puzzle: “Pawns of the War Party”
By aso, September 6, 2006 at 10:54 am # kurdstan indepedency is like a sunflower shinning in a dark pool, lighting, opening closed old ancient mind.
By DR. Kawa Ibrahiem, September 6, 2006 at 5:09 am # History tells us that a fate of a nation is in the hand of their sons and daughters. Kurds institutes and progress undeniably are the most obvious light in the history of democracy in middle east.
By Nature, September 6, 2006 at 2:29 am # Kurds have the right to live the way they want ,but firs they have to unite and get rid of internal conflicts and ignorance . doctor2003
By William Timberman, September 5, 2006 at 2:39 am # An interesting article. Even more interesting, for an American reader, are the comments from people who actually have a stake in the future of Kurdistan. To the Kurds, Turks, Persians and Indians who have added their experiences and opinions here, may I say how glad I am to hear your voices? We Americans, despite our government’s involvement—for better of worse—in distant regions of the world, rarely have a chance to hear the thoughts of people whose interests should be paramount. Whatever happens in the future, these thoughts are much appreciated. I hope my government is also listening, and takes what you’ve said here into account in its future actions.
By gungorkaya, September 4, 2006 at 11:48 pm # Kurds should know that Turkey, Iran, and Syria will not let Kurds go all crazy and seperate from Iraq. Just Imagine 250 thousand Turks marching down into Northern Iraq! That would be the end of what’s know as possible piece in Middle east. Iran, Syria supports Turks, America rejects it but cannot do anything about it.Next thing you know, you got yourself a big mess. A mess bigger then any one has seen since the WWII. Turkey will not tolarate any seperation of any sort. They already said that would be a declaration of war. I hope every one knows that
By TOC, September 4, 2006 at 5:37 pm # Whether there is a eventually a Kurdistan or not has nothing to do with the US, nor should it. The price of involvement in the Middle East is the same as it has always been, a willingness to kill human beings on a massive scale. If the US is unwilling to do this(as of now they seem to have no problem with it)they should stay out. The existence or non-existence of Kurdistan has nothing to do with the US. To argue that a “weak” landlocked state surrounded by Hostile neighbors as an island of stability to be perserved is idiotic. Look at the Map of Kurdistan, It seems to me that the reaction in the area to this sort of state would make the reaction to Israel seem like a class picnic. I have nothing against the Kurds and their aspirations. I have a lot against hare-brained ideas like the ones offered here. If the Kurds are to get a state they should do so without the support of the U.S. unless we want to get involved in a fight that goes back to the days of Xenophon and the 10,000 Spartans.
By Spinoza, September 4, 2006 at 12:10 pm # THE SEVEN RULES OF NATIONALISM 1. If an area was ours for 500 years and yours for 50 years, it should belong to us - you are merely occupiers. 2. If an area was yours for 500 years and ours for 50 years, it should belong to us - borders must not be changed. 3. If an area belonged to us 500 years ago but never since then, it should belong to us - it is the Cradle of our Nation. 4. If a majority of our people live there, it must belong to us - they must enjoy the right of self-determination. 5. If a minority of our people live there, it must belong to us - they must be protected against your oppression. 6. All the above rules apply to us but not to you. 7. Our dream of greatness is Historical Necessity, yours is Fascism. (unknown author)
By No such right, September 4, 2006 at 4:30 am # “No one can stop Kurdish dreaming of independency because it is the simplest right for any human being.” There is no right of ethnically similar people to have their own ethnicity-based state. The idea is in fact dangerous when there are many people living in the area who do not belong to the ethnic group in question. This is a recipe for another war for Greater Serbia or Greater Israel. The United States of America should stay out of this. Go do your dirty work by yourselves.
By Sirwan Hassan, September 3, 2006 at 9:39 pm # Hi guys, It is my pleasure to add my comment to this page about the holly subject Kurdistan Independency. No one can stop Kurdish dreaming of independency because it is the simplest right for any human being. USA and his alliances should care more about Kurdish people and their case especiallly at this sensetive situations in Iraq and M.East. they are in need of each other to creat strongest unit and alliance to fight against the terrorists. Iraqi new government is acting just like Saddam H. in standing against the Kurds’ rights and demands so that Kurds do need better support and care from the US and other guys. We have to decide our destiny and future of ruling ourselves without depending on the central gov. and to try to unify all the other parts of dettached Kurdistan regions and creat new big Kurdistan and to decide to have relations with Israel or other countries that we see them in the same interest of Kurds.The Kurdish leaders are demanded to be stronger in their steps and decisions and not afraid of Maliki or other Iraqi and Arabic leaders. I hope Big Kurdistan will come true very soon. Thanks, Sirwan Hassan,
By WarningAgainstEthnicNationalism, September 3, 2006 at 8:40 pm # Regarding Comment #21590 by gungorkaya, reminding us that there are non-Kurdish ethnic minorities in northern Iraq, such as the Turkomans, whom the Kurds may want to “cleanse”: This is what I mean. This Kurdistan ethnic nationalist stuff is a recipe for trouble, and the US should have no part of it. It’s more neocon garbage, and we liberals must not let ourselves be fooled by this romanticizing propaganda.
By gungorkaya, September 3, 2006 at 3:22 pm # Faculty members of the University of Sulaimani and all your students!
By ahmad, September 2, 2006 at 10:36 pm # Dear Mr. Parag Khanna, Greeting from Sulaimani, Kurdistan. On behalf of 8000 undergraduate students, 550 PhD and MSc graduate students, and 700 faculty members of the University of Sulaimani we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciations for your excellent article titled “springtime for Kurdistan”. We have devoted our vote for the INDEPENDENT KURDISTAN. We are working on that 100%. We are pleased to inform you that we have not seen a strong article like this before supporting Kurdish case. Once more we really do appreciate your efforts. Kurdish Academic Association , A. N. M. Amin, Professor,
By EthnicStatesAreCrap, September 2, 2006 at 1:32 pm # “With the exception of America—and more recently Israel, which prefers that Iraq remain weak—Kurds still realize that they have, as their saying goes, ‘no friends but the mountains.’ “ And there you have it: the real reason the neocons are pushing this propaganda about the happy prospect of a Kurdish ethnic state: it’s all about Israel keeping all the other countries in the region small, weak, and divided — and using America to pay for it all, in more ways than one. “See?” they say: “All we have to do is fund and arm the Kurds so they can drive out the ethnic minorities and grab the oil-rich parts of northern Iraq for themselves! Then they’ll owe everything to us! This will be fun!” America should not TOUCH this.
By No, we shouldn't go there, September 2, 2006 at 1:17 pm # I think you paint an unrealistically rosy picture of the Kurds. If the Kurds were to go for separate statehood, they would probably have to embark on an endless war to ethnically cleanse the less purely Kurdish parts of northern Iraq that they would want to incorporate, such as the oil-rich areas and the major cities. Then they would certainly be looking to incorporate parts of Turkey and Iran, which they regard as being part of Greater Kurdistan. The US should not sign on to this. We’d have another Israel on our hands: an ethnocentric semi-democracy, armed to the teeth by US aid, and thriving on a ceaselessly invoked victimhood as it bullies its neighbors and minorities.
By Zana Kurda, September 1, 2006 at 1:25 am # Gungor Kaya, Another important factor which also Parag has mentioned, is the huge investment of Turkish busnissmen in Kurdistan. The growing economical interests of turkey in Kurdistan, will make help Turkey accept a Independent Kurdistan. Independent Kurdistan is shaping.
By Gungor Kaya, August 31, 2006 at 3:21 pm # toc!
By Gungor Kaya, August 31, 2006 at 3:06 pm # I can see that every one is living in a dream world. Stop smoking pot and get a reality check.
By toc, August 31, 2006 at 3:05 pm # Mehmet, I think a root cause of the perception of the Turks as opressors goes back to the Armenian genocide and the refusal of the Turks to own up to a horrible part of their history. I do not like this misperception of the Turkish people, but is a reality.
By toc, August 31, 2006 at 12:31 pm # Someone other outsider’s plan number 73,892 to for the partition of the Middle East. This one is as good as any other outsiders and should ensure that the 6,000 year old bloodbath in the region continues unabated..
By Mehmet, August 31, 2006 at 3:54 am # Why does Turkey get a bad rep as oppressors all the time. Fact is after Gulf War I, when Saddam started attacking Kurds, they all ran to Turkey. More than 500,000 crossed the border and were given food and shelter, already straining a fragile economy. After that, for 12 years till the Iraqi invasion, the Kurds of Northern Iraq were protected by the No-Fly zone. The American & British planes enforcing the zone were based in Turkey, with the consent of the government. Yes there was a bloody war in Turkey, yes the some officials tried to impose some stupid ideas like “mountain Turks” or bans, but today Turkey is healing and moving forwards. Appereantly PKK is not, you can see that they just bombed 6 places with 3 dead and +40 injured. Turkey’s fight is with PKK, NOT Kurds. But as Bush said, either you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists. So before dreaming of independent Kurdistans and new borders, Kurds should think about this: When the Americans leave, which they will certainly do, and the Arabs start butchering them by the thousands, which they will definitely do, who will they run to for help? They will seek Turkey’s hand once again. As they say, don’t bite the hand that’s going to feed you…
By Karim, August 30, 2006 at 11:13 pm # As an Iranian let me say that extremism in the region is due to Islam, and not due to racial profiles or ethnicity. Persians are in general quite tolerant people, except for when they fell for the Islamism of Khomeini and who then started to kill the democrats in the name of Islamic revolution. Funny thing is that today, western post-colonial leftists are supporting Ahmadinejad and its anti-semetic program, even though these very same Islamist radicals are responsible for killing and torturing 100,000 Iranian leftists and dissidents in 1980 and 1988. Have you seen a western leftist decry the construction of multiple atomic warheads by Ahmadinejad? I have not. Have you seen western leftists decry religious fascism in Iran? I have not. Kurds are naturally pagans at heart and once the standard of living improves in Kurdistan, they will be making sure that mollas and sheikhs and Mohammedan assassins are all rounded up and deported to Jaziratol Arab, and Kurdish schools stop brainwashing children with gutter Islam. Nobody can stop the Kurds from gaining their secular sovereignty against dictatorial Islamism, which is pushed by Arabs and Islamicized Persians and Turks alike.
By ThinkAgainAboutKurdistanFantasy, August 30, 2006 at 9:36 pm # Um, gee ... if we support Kurdistan going independent, exactly how much violent ethnic cleansing of non-Kurds, from how much of what is now Iraq — all done with our aid and blessing — will that entail?
By jb, August 30, 2006 at 10:46 am # A thought-provoking article, Parag. It has always seemed to me that the future of Iraq is spelled ‘Kirkuk’. We shall see. Thanks for bringing to notice that Turkish commercial interests are pressuring their government not to get paranoid about an independent Kurdistan. Interesting that there are such significant projects being built by Turks. I wish the world would turn its attention to the main game: Pakistan.
By Herb F, August 30, 2006 at 6:01 am # Well Written and informative. I did not know of some of the religious freeedoms that the Kurds have allowed to resume. I hope that they keep on pressing for their independance. Hf
By Lee driver, August 30, 2006 at 5:41 am # It is very heartening to read of something hopeful growing in this part of the world.
By Lt Gen (retd)K.M.Seth,Governor,Chhattisgarh,India, August 30, 2006 at 4:27 am # Dear Parag,
By David Zohar, August 30, 2006 at 1:11 am # I think this is an excellent idea. Add Your Comment |
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