Reply #18: Here's a clue for you: I care about the damage to US interests that would [View All]

occur if the Kurds were to press for independence now, as a result of our meddling in the region. We would be in the stupid position of having caused a war between two allies, all because we got lied into a war that we should never have undertaken in the first place. My position has nothing to do with the Kurds desire for independence per se. (Not that will stop certain posters, I realize, from portraying my position as anti-Kurd, or anti-self-determination-for-ethnic-peoples, or whatever nonsense will be invented, I realize.)

I am concerned about the effect of this on AMERICAN interests, and by that I mean what I would define as our real interests, namely, being able to recover from the effects of this stupid war without any more damage being done. I would further define our interests as avoiding being percieved (in reality or otherwise) as the ones who were responsible for what would certainly be a multi-nation conflagration, as Kurds in all the neighboring countries also rise up. Want another war, do you? Well, I don't.

I feel a great deal of personal empathy for the Kurdish aspirations and dilemma. Their plight is a result of a previous adventure in meddling by the West, and I sincerely hope that it can be resolved at some point peacefully. I had a good friend who was Kurdish when I was at the university (so you need not lecture me about the Kurds). I just do not want the US to be the cause of the huge war that would happen if the Kurds made their move now. It would only further damage our reputation and standing in the world, if such a thing is possible, given what has happened since GWB took office.