The reality that Kurds are aligned with Sunnis in Baghdad to form a salvation unity government without Maliki, is not my reality. It is reality unless you can prove that they aren’t.
Apologies if this has been asked earlier in the thread (I checked but may have missed it):
Might Israel supply at least some of the Kurds military needs? Looks to me like a potential for a win-win (Kurds get Israeli support and Israel gets what may well turn out to be a sane and stable presence in the area).
It’s been going on almost completely under the radar, but Israeli advisers have been operating in Kurdish territories for years. Mostly training and intelligence, but I’m sure they’ve provided some weapons, too.
Just caught the very tail end of the piece, but PBS’s New Hour did an interview with, I think, the Kurdish Prime Minister, on this very subject. Maybe it wasn’t the PM, but someone representing the Kurdish government. And although I only caught the tail end, it was clear they are going to push for independence and hold a referendum.
Is keeping territorial integrity as conducive to world peace a longstanding principle that will not be in play here? There was much talk of the importance of that when Crimea chose to break away when the President of Ukraine was removed by violence and chaos in Kiev? Will the anti-changing of borders crowd decry this move?
Others could well wonder about your own opinion. After all, eastern Ukrainians have a heck of a lot less claim to independence compared to the Kurds. You seem embrace the former but act oblivious to the latter.
I’ve not embraced either of those two. The Kurds have not separated from the Central Government as of this point. I won’t embrace what has not happened. But I have no issue with it if they can do it peacefully and by the sheer reality that the givernment won’t be able to militarily try to force the Kurds back to status quo.
But I see the development of a weak federal Iraq with threes elf governing and self defending states as a real possibilty;
In part because of this kind of news:
And no I dont agree with everything Juan Cole has to say politicslly but he translates news reports pretty well.
At this point, I think it would be wise for Baghdad’s government to let the Kurds have whatever they want, even if they want complete independence. But Iraq canonly hope they’ll accept something just short of that.
Baghdad/Iraq being where it is (in the middle of it!), they need dependable allies other than Iran and Assad, or else they’re just going to become the western Afghanistan, where everybody in the region comes to fight their wars instead of trashing their own territory. And that result would suit just about all of them just fine, including Iran and Assad.
The moderate Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq would all be so much better off if they could figure out a way where they all get just enough to hold it together. The odds are against them, but there’s really no way a broken up Iraq is going to end well for any of them… this century, at least.
At this point, I think it would be wise for Baghdad’s government to let the Kurds have whatever they want, even if they want complete independence. But Iraq canonly hope they’ll accept something just short of that.
Baghdad/Iraq being where it is (in the middle of it!), they need dependable allies other than Iran and Assad, or else they’re just going to become the western Afghanistan, where everybody in the region comes to fight their wars instead of trashing their own territory. And that result would suit just about all of them just fine, including Iran and Assad.
The moderate Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in Iraq would all be so much better off if they could figure out a way where they all get just enough to hold it together. The odds are probably against them getting it done, but there’s really no way a broken up Iraq is going to end well for any of them… this century, at least.
Not really. He is a professior at the University of Michigan who bases his commentary on untranslated news and commentary in the Arabic and Persian world. If he screws up there are many foes to some of his views that wouid point it out.
OK. But I don’t really see what about his article makes you think a weak-federalist state is likely. Your quote was of one fairly minor military victory. Meanwhile the Kurds are saying loud and clear “Iraq has failed”.
The point is that the Sunnis prefer Baghdad to ISIL. Of course, the thing some people seem to forget is that once Baghdad helps the Sunnis get rid of ISIL, they no longer need to make that choice.