Is anybody up on the developments in Kurdish controlled territory in northern Iraq? The Kurds are assembling significant military forces — they hate Hussein, but they hate Turkey and the USA almost as much. They want a Kurdish state (Kurds are the biggest ethnic group in the world without a country to call their own). That along with Iranian backed Iraqi militants already inside the Iraqi border at other points, and the Turkish army ready to occupy northern Iraq — seems to spell a rather ugly “regime change.” Also, the Shiite minority in the south hates Hussein and America with an equal vengance, and for good reason. If I were Bush, I would be scared of what’s going to happen. There’s only so much that can be accomplished with bombs (though they are big enough to explode a whole everglade), and America’s record in the last 40 years isn’t good when it comes to “nation building.” I predict a new precarious America-friendly Iraqi government that controls Baghdad and controls not much else (kind of like the government in Kabul right now). This all assumes an invasion, which I kinda hope doesn’t happen.
dan
Mar 13 2003
10:31 am
Is anybody up on the developments in Kurdish controlled territory in northern Iraq? The Kurds are assembling significant military forces — they hate Hussein, but they hate Turkey and the USA almost as much. They want a Kurdish state (Kurds are the biggest ethnic group in the world without a country to call their own). That along with Iranian backed Iraqi militants already inside the Iraqi border at other points, and the Turkish army ready to occupy northern Iraq — seems to spell a rather ugly “regime change.” Also, the Shiite minority in the south hates Hussein and America with an equal vengance, and for good reason. If I were Bush, I would be scared of what’s going to happen. There’s only so much that can be accomplished with bombs (though they are big enough to explode a whole everglade), and America’s record in the last 40 years isn’t good when it comes to “nation building.” I predict a new precarious America-friendly Iraqi government that controls Baghdad and controls not much else (kind of like the government in Kabul right now). This all assumes an invasion, which I kinda hope doesn’t happen.