Discern Report is the fastest growing America First news aggregator in the nation.
For the first time since the Iraq wars, the Kurdish people are making headlines. The problem is that simply calling them “the Kurds” is practically fake news. It’s like saying “the Arabs” are cutting oil production. Which Arabs? There’s a big difference between Saudis and Iraqis, not to mention the Arabs in Qatar probably don’t want to be confused with the Arabs in Saudi Arabia right about now.
Generally, U.S. media refers to the semi-autonomous region of Iraq fighting for an independent Kurdistan as “the Kurds,” but there are Kurds in Syria, Turkey, and Iran as well. All are diverse from one another. Some of them are directly opposed to each other while others are aligned. All are opposed to the Islamic State and most are trying to defend what they consider to be their homelands. The problem is they don’t all agree on where their homeland is and as of today they’re the largest ethnic group that does not have it’s own independent nation.
Streiff over at RedState used resources to put together a nice breakdown of the various factions and organizations:
Is a War Brewing Between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran?
The Iraqi Kurds were not supposed to seek independence as Baghdad and Tehran thought there was a deal for regional autonomy. In retaliation, Baghdad cut off air travel to Kurdistan. But the Kurds have not moved decisively towards independence and many observers think the referendum was a bargaining chip to wring concessions out of a hard-pressed Iraqi government.
It’s important to understand the current state of affairs pertaining to “the Kurds” because Americas allies and enemies in the Middle East are squarely divided on the issue of the Kurdish people. To properly understand America’s interests in the region, we have to know where we stand in regards to these people. For example, Turkey is an ally (loosely speaking) as a member of NATO and have been battling the PKK for over three decades. These Kurds are very different from the Iraqi Kurds whose Peshmerga were our biggest allies during the Gulf wars. They were instrumental in our march to Baghdad.
Perhaps most importantly is what happens now that the Islamic State is weakened and on the verge of becoming the JV team President Obama thought they were. With Iran basically controlling the Iraqi military and based upon strong opposition to an independent Kurdistan by allies and enemies alike, we have to determine how to deescalate the situation quickly before a new oil crisis begins:
U.S. Raises Alarm as Iraq Army Seizes Oil-Rich Kirkuk From Kurds – Bloomberg
“We’re not taking sides, but we don’t like the fact that they’re clashing,” Trump told reporters at the White House Monday. “We’ve had, for many years, a very good relationship with the Kurds, as you know. And we’ve also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been in there in the first place. But we’re not taking sides in that battle.”
The Kurdish people are diverse. We need to understand these diversities in allegiances and worldviews in order to have a better grasp of the complexities of the Middle East. Hopefully the White House understands the situation better than U.S. media.
From my boss:
Here's a good write-up by @streiffredstate that uses resources to differentiate between the various factions. https://t.co/vxWG6KJFfQ
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) October 16, 2017
Perspectives
Iraqis seize military base, oil field from Kurdish forces near contested Kirkuk – The Washington Post
Iraqi forces advanced into the disputed province with the goal of returning to positions they held before 2014, when they fled in the face of an Islamic State push. They recaptured military bases, an oil field and other infrastructure had since been taken over by Kurdish troops. But by the end on the day, they had gone further, taking control of the heart of Kirkuk which had been under Kurdish security control before Islamic State’s rise.
Turkey, Iran, Iraq may meet to discuss Kurdish Iraqi referendum: Turkey PM | Reuters
Yildirim also said he agreed with his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi to coordinate economic and trade relations with the central government in Baghdad, after Abadi’s government took control of border crossings with Turkey.
Who are the Kurds? – BBC News
The Kurds are one of the indigenous people of the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands in what are now south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia.
Today, they form a distinctive community, united through race, culture and language, even though they have no standard dialect. They also adhere to a number of different religions and creeds, although the majority are Sunni Muslims.
Covid variant BA.5 is spreading. It appears milder but much more contagious and evades natural immunity. Best to boost your immune system with new Z-Dtox and Z-Stack nutraceuticals from our dear friend, the late Dr. Vladimir Zelenko.