Please don't forget the Kurds

en.wikipedia.org...

Kurdistan (/ˌkɜːrdɪˈstæn/ or /ˌkɜːrdɪˈstɑːn/) (Kurdish: کوردستان‎; [ˌkurdɪˈstan] (About this sound listen); lit. "homeland of the Kurds")[4] or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural region wherein the Kurdish people form a prominent majority population[5] and Kurdish culture, languages and national identity have historically been based.[6] Kurdistan roughly encompasses the northwestern Zagros and the eastern Taurus mountain ranges.[7] Contemporary use of the term refers to the following areas: southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Eastern Kurdistan) and northern Syria (Rojava or Western Kurdistan).[8][9] Some Kurdish nationalist organizations seek to create an independent nation state consisting of some or all of these areas with a Kurdish majority, while others campaign for greater autonomy within the existing national boundaries.[10][11]

I am getting worried about this now. The Kurds are in a very dangerous situation. They have allied themselves with Israel, stuck between Iraq, Syria and Turkey (none of whom want them to have any kind of homeland). The Kurds have been very pro West and have been our allies since the Middle East became a hot bed. I have worked with Kurdish people and they are by far the the most liberal, freedom loving, non extremist, non radicalized of the Arab people. I am really starting to fear for them.

Iraq are beginning to target them militarily. Obviously, Erdogan is most hostile about them, too. Iran are Shi'ite and they don't want the Kurds in the picture and we all know what the gas man Assad would do if he could get away with it.

Since last week Iraqi forces, including Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias, have been fighting with Peshmerga in an attempt by Baghdad to push Kurdish forces out of disputed areas and take oil fields and strategic border areas from the Kurds. Although a cease-fire took effect on Friday, tensions remain high.

www.washingtonpost.com... -cause-them-grief/?utm_term=.f4c97a1861da

Kurds say they have no friends but the mountains. Now they have Israel, and that could cause them grief.

www.timesofisrael.com...

Is a free Kurdistan, and a new Israeli ally, upon us? As Syria's Kurds carve out an autonomous region, their brethren in Iraq continue to wait for the right moment

Reading only today about this:

www.jpost.com...

The tomb of the Prophet Nahum, which overlooks the Nineveh plains in northern Iraq, is now near the forefront of tensions between the Iraqi federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government. Since last week Iraqi forces, including Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias, have been fighting with Peshmerga in an attempt by Baghdad to push Kurdish forces out of disputed areas and take oil fields and strategic border areas from the Kurds. Although a cease-fire took effect on Friday, tensions remain high.

Nahum was a scary Prophet indeed. Seriously, they do not want to be disturbing bones like that. That would be a portent of hell coming to town. I hope diplomacy wins the day; please let it. Iraq must work with the West militarily as we are now official allies and we must remember the Kurds have been our greatest friends. We must not forsake them. The problem is how do you tell nations like Iraq, Iraq, Turkey and Syria that you want to bite a little chunk out of them all to establish yet another bordered area and make it a nation in a minefield of factional hostility and clash of interests? That is like asking a famished male lion tucking into an antelope would he like to share a morsel of his meal.

Both Nahum and I will be very very angry indeed if the Kurds are a sacrifice to any "greater" political causes. It would be a Judas kiss to abandon them in their hour of need.

Western governments and Israel, please don't let them down. The homeland might be still too much of an unreachable ideal and the blood shed it would require to pursue that ideal would make the Syrian civil war look like a bar fight, but we must look after them and protect them diplomatically and militarily.

Nahum 1:15;

Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.[c]

On a theme of "Old Bones" and Hallowe'en:



EDIT: Darn it, just like the "good old days", lol. Nothing new under the Sun like Solomon said. We could have been discussing a situation like this in the ol' BCs. Israel is well and truly back on the scene.

Flora and fauna Kurdistan is one of the most mountainous regions in the world with a cold climate receiving annual precipitation adequate to sustain temperate forests and shrubs. Mountain chains harbor pastures and forested valleys, totaling approximately 16 million hectares (160,000 km²), including firs and countryside is mostly oaks, conifers, platanus, willow, poplar and, to the west of Kurdistan, olive trees.[74] The region north of the mountainous region on the border with Iran and Turkey features meadow grasses and such wild trees as poplar, willow and oak, hawthorn, cherry plum, rose hips, mountain apple, pear, mountain ash, and olive. The steppe and desert in the south, by contrast, have such species as palm trees and date palm.

Animals found in the region include the Syrian brown bear, wild boar, gray wolf, the golden jackal, Indian crested porcupine, the red fox, goitered gazelle, Eurasian otter, striped hyena, Persian fallow deer, long-eared hedgehog, onager, mangar and the Euphrates softshell turtle.[77] Birds include, the hooded crow, common starling, Eurasian magpie, European robin, water pipit, spotted flycatcher, namaqua dove, saker falcon, griffon vulture, little crake and collared pratincole, among others.[78] Mountains

wiki
Mountains rivers lakes it sounds a beautiful place . Hopefully all these Kurds above are still intact too . When bbc Top Gear sped through Northern Iraq they were highly impressed by the region as a whole .

Petroleum and mineral resources KRG-controlled parts of Iraqi Kurdistan are estimated to contain around 45 billion barrels (7.2×109 m3) of oil, making it the sixth largest reserve in the world. Extraction of these reserves began in 2007.

Its no wonder if everyone wants their piece of the plateau , but with sayings such as "Kurds have no friends but the Mountains" I 'd hope they were all guaranteed to survive

a reply to: Revolution9

we all know what the gas man Assad would do if he could get away with it.

Gas man...really.... , is that you Donald ?

a reply to: Revolution9

Just reading the your post I see a narrative that wants to be sold to unsuspecting minds . "Kurds say they have no friends but the mountains." yet you say "The Kurds have been very pro West and have been our allies since the Middle East became a hot bed. " Didn't the Americans supply the gas used on the Kurds by Sadam ? and if the Kurds are such good friends with the west then why didn't anyone stand in support with them when they had their little referendum ?

"Since last week Iraqi forces, including Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias, have been fighting with Peshmerga in an attempt by Baghdad to push Kurdish forces out of disputed areas and take oil fields and strategic border areas from the Kurds." Who's borders we talking about seeing there is no Kurdish state ? If you mean wishful area then if the Kurds took it and it wasn't theirs ,that might explain the dispute . There are courts and laws to argue the points or there is force .

If Israel is such good friends with the Kurds then why don't they have troops up there helping them fight ISIS ? Actually I think they do but because Israel knows it would be political seaside to say so they keep it on the down . Israel asking for a air corridor was a joke .Even Qatar knew better then to ask when SA sanctioned them .

If anyone want to know why there wont be a Kurdish state then I suggest this piece " Syria, Iraq - Why The Kurdish Independence Project Failed" www.moonofalabama.org... I would say that the Indians of North America have a better chance of getting their land back then the Kurds do of getting their own State

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Didn't the Americans supply the gas used on the Kurds by Sadam ?

The Turks (under NATO) brutalized them too. And then NATO elicited their help fighting some ISIS. Now they are being marginalized again. When will they learn not to trust the West?

a reply to: intrptr

When will they learn not to trust the West?

After learning about the US Liberty I would think its the Zionist they really need to watch out for ...Oh wait they are running the west too .

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: the2ofusr1

Didn't the Americans supply the gas used on the Kurds by Sadam ?

The Turks (under NATO) brutalized them too. And then NATO elicited their help fighting some ISIS. Now they are being marginalized again. When will they learn not to trust the West?

It is not the West that is oppressing them, it is their fellow Muslims. In addition to the oil fields of Northern Iraq being a bone of contention, the Kurds are ethnically distinct from both the Sunni Arabs and Turks, and the Shiite Persians. This makes for a high probability for ethnic cleansing and genocide.

a reply to: DJW001

It is not the West that is oppressing them, it is their fellow Muslims.

I expect that from you. Millions dead and displaced, cities in ruin, gubments destroyed, an entire region of the world destabilized, Europe reeling from floods of refugees by the Hand of NATO and you just dismissed it all as muslim on muslim, as usual.

Bullies always blame their victims.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: DJW001

It is not the West that is oppressing them, it is their fellow Muslims.

I expect that from you. Millions dead and displaced, cities in ruin, gubments destroyed, an entire region of the world destabilized, Europe reeling from floods of refugees by the Hand of NATO and you just dismissed it all as muslim on muslim, as usual.

Bullies always blame their victims.

So you agree that the bullies of Islam are blaming Israel and the West unjustly? Or were you just making a childish point? Turkey is not doing America's bidding. Assad is not doing America's bidding. The Kurds are not doing America's bidding. Iran is not doing America's bidding. Russia is not doing America's bidding. If America disappear in a puff of smoke, they would all still be at each others' throat.

a reply to: DJW001

Turkey is not doing America's bidding.

Turkey is a member of NATO. Turkey is NATO.

Are you going to lie again, as usual?

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: DJW001

Turkey is not doing America's bidding.

Turkey is a member of NATO. Turkey is NATO.

Are you going to lie again, as usual?

Turkey is on its way out of NATO and already in entente with Russia. Or haven't you noticed?

originally posted by: intrptr
The Turks (under NATO) brutalized them too.

The Turks have been brutalising the Kurds for some time. NATO is not involved in internal Turkish politics, so you are in error making that connection with NATO.

To the OP. The Kurds have a foot in Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Only in Iraq have the Kurds had some form of protection with the no fly zones and Western supported protection. They are an oppressed minority. The human rights abuses against the Kurds is long in Syria and Iran. In Iraq there have been some protections. In Turkey the conflict is complicated by human rights abuses on both sides.

With there ever be a Kurdistan? Probably not unless Iraq beaks up and the North becomes a sovereign state.

As to Israeli / Kurdish relations. I think there is more to it than "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" because the Kurds are actually moderate compared to he spiteful bile that spills forth from other parts of the Islamic world.

a reply to: Revolution9


Since the Gulf Wars, the media-and my opinion- has placed the Kurds as 'good guys', or at least, not so bad guys. I have and do buy into that.

What worries me more than Kurd survival as an ethnicity or a potential nation is the very strong possibility of this being used for further intervention by the U.S. even if ISIS is fully defeated.

That worry is more important than the OP's concerns, as cruel as that sounds.

Enough. I say. Demand Trump keeps his word. None of our business.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Seems that ISIS was in a safe zone as far as the Kurds were concerned

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: nwtrucker

Seems that ISIS was in a safe zone as far as the Kurds were concerned

Sigh. So what? The whole damn ME is a 'Gordian knot' on steroids. Isis is our 'current' and arguably valid target.

Use the sword to cut Isis out of the equation then sheath that damn sword. JMO.

a reply to: nwtrucker

I was only pointing it out because of the OP had brought into his narrative disputed area that Iraq was going after as if it was under Kurdish control .

a reply to: DJW001

Turkey is on its way out of NATO

Still a member.

a reply to: paraphi

NATO is not involved in internal Turkish politics, so you are in error making that connection with NATO.

Who said anything about Turkish internal affairs?

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: nwtrucker

I was only pointing it out because of the OP had brought into his narrative disputed area that Iraq was going after as if it was under Kurdish control .

Oh. OK. Got it.

originally posted by: intrptr
Who said anything about Turkish internal affairs?

Er, you implied that NATO was supporting Turkey. I was just correcting you.

originally posted by: paraphi

originally posted by: intrptr
Who said anything about Turkish internal affairs?

Er, you implied that NATO was supporting Turkey. I was just correcting you.

You were deflecting.