Why no Kurdistan?

Submitted by Mark Hotz (United States), Apr 2, 2006 at 09:36

In your comments to the Pittsburgh newspaper, you indicated that a partition of Iraq is not wanted "by the neighborhood," and that "Iraqis are fearful of it." I can't imagine that the "neighborhood" was in favor of the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, either, but it happened.

The Kurds make up a large part of Iraqis and they certainly are in favor of an independent Kurdistan. Yes, Turkey would be upset, but I do not see how inevitable events of history should be held up because Turkey would be upset. It is rather hypocritical that the Kurds are prevented from having their homeland (and a more disserving people I can not imagine) because Turkey is against it, and the Palestinians (a less deserving people I can not imagine) are required to have a homeland despite Israel's objections and Jordan's unwillingness to take on its responsibilities.

I do not believe democracy as we know it will ever take hold in Iraq unless we are there to prop it up, and I believe it is (and should be) only a matter of time before Kurdistan declares independence. The Kurds love the Americans and would gladly offer us bases in their territory. Perhaps we should encourage them to seize Kirkuk and its oil, and make official the de-facto state that already is Kurdistan.

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