dagblog - Comments for "Turkey executing bombing campaign in Northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels"

I know I should probably read

EmmaZahn — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:05:53 +0000

In reply to Turkey executing bombing campaign in Northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels

I know I should probably read up on all this but a quick scan of the links turned up no background on the continuing disputes over water that keeps tensions high and clashes frequent.

I think I will just channel Brad DeLong now: "Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corps?"

Perhaps I should have said

Beetlejuice — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:14:19 +0000

In reply to Hmmm. Now we've gone from

Perhaps I should have said proxy instead.

Either way, the US's only interest was to use the plight of the Kurds as a a thorn to stick in Saddam's ass and give the US a justifiable reason for being in the area and harassing him at every turn.

Saddam is gone now and so too will the US, and the Kurds are right back were they were before. If anything, they've made manners worst for themselves because their arab neighbors know the US isn't up for a fight.

The Kurds should have used the past 20 years to mend fences with the arabs so when the time came for the US to pull out, their standing with the arabs would have been on acceptable terms. Instead, all the pent-up hostilities that have been on hold because of the US presence in the area are starting to strike out.

Hmmm. Now we've gone from

Elusive Trope — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:32:46 +0000

In reply to The Kurds were always fair

Hmmm. Now we've gone from this to them being asses.

The Kurds were always fair

Beetlejuice — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 14:13:34 +0000

In reply to Turkey executing bombing campaign in Northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels

The Kurds were always fair game in the arab world. It was the intervention by the US against Saddam where the Kurds had a big bully on the sidelines to protect them. Only thing now is the US isn't so inclined to protect there asses anymore. In fact, they're leaving a void and the rest of the arab world knows it and are starting to react. That area of northern Iraq where the Kurds are holed up will become a battle ground with Turkey, Iran, the Shiites in southern Iraq, what's left of Syria and Jordan all taking their frustrations out against the Kurds.