.MOVING TOWARD DIVISION?
"It seems like everything blogged about South Kurdistan/Iraq in the last week or so has focused on two subjects. The first is the dawning reality of the possibility that Iraq is fracturing, and the second is Michael Totten's reports from South Kurdistan about South Kurdistan.I hope they don't think everyone calling for a "Unitary Iraqi State" is to be branded a kurd-haters.
The bombing of the Askeriye mosque in Samarra was the event that knocked Humpty Dumpty off the wall and the aftermath is that all the rest of the world is now figuring out that Humpty Dumpty can't be put together again so easily. Thomas Friedman of the NYTimes tries to mumble his way to reality by asking "The Big Question," via Voxefx. What is "The Big Question?" It is this: "Was Iraq the way Iraq was because Saddam was the way Saddam was, or was Saddam the way Saddam was because Iraq was the way Iraq was - a country congenitally divided among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds that can be held together only by an iron fist."...
...If there had been any serious discussion of the Three-State Solution since its first proposal, the Kurd-haters of the world would not be falsely accusing the Southern Kurds of planning to "invade" Kerkuk. This subject has not been discussed in an open manner at all, thanks to American-inspired machinations aimed at bolstering the bad idea of a unitary Iraqi state. "
Rasti
posted by madtom at 12:58 PM
5 Comments:
What about Mosul? Mosul is a historically Kurd city, you don't think the Kurds are planing to leave it behind, do you?
Kurds are progressive enough to open South Kurdistan as a refuge to fleeing Christians, but this has been de facto since late 2003. When I visited last year, there were already many Christian refugees in and around Hewlêr receiving financial assistance from the KRG. "Official" news of this came out in December, 2005:
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Religion&loid=8.0.237664158&par=0
I have not heard discussions on Mûsil, however the neighboring Mexmur area has been restored to its pre-arabization demography as of June, 2004. Of course, Mexmur also has a large number of Kurdish refugees who have fled Turkish atrocities. The pêshmerge in Mûsil are there at the request of the US.
Mizgin,
Thanks for the information and welcome to the blog!
Now a days, I have my fingers crossed and holding my breath hoping for a good outcome, but I fear all out open civil war will no benefit anyone, specially;y the Kurds. They are likely to become a bargaining chip as in the past and in the end get the short end of the stick.
When civil war breaks out Turkey will be eternally grateful for the secure border that a peaceful South Kurdistan will provide them. After all, they have their own serious internal problems with Islamist nutcases, founded and sponsored for a number of years by the Turkish government itself.
If those Turkish Islamist nutcases want to engage in any unity with their "brothers" in Iraq, Turkey will again have to focus its attention on Syria, because that will be the route they will have to take. Islamist nutcases don't dare to come through South Kurdistan. Pêshmerge just LOVE catching those guys.
Funny thing is, once pêshmerge catch them, no one ever hears from them again. Too bad.
Mizgin,
I think you know better than me just how much Turkey loves Kurds and their culture. Even your usage of "south Kurdistan", which I assume you mean Iraqi Kurdistan, must drive them crazy. I for one support the Kurds but I also fear all out regional war should the north try to secede from Turkey and join with the south, and lets not forget the east, Irani Kurdistan, and I'm no even sure what to call the Syrian Kurds. Now I understand that the Kurds in all those places are abused, mistreated, and marginalized. But I fear that the US would never break with it's allie Turkey and the status quo. It's kind of hard to think about redrawing all the maps in the ME all at once and somehow get a good outcome.
There has to be a way to bring peace and prosperity to the Kurds where they are.
Now all that said I still support the Kurds and their search for dignity. I just don't know how or when that will actually come to be. Maybe you will be able to explain it all to me.
Post a Comment
<< Home