Posted on 10/28/2017 9:11:11 PM PDT by Rabin
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses world leaders to protect the Kurds as they lose ground in Iraq, some feel that the U.S. has sided with Iran.
Kurdistan, in is in disarray (following) a command stand down, to Iraqi / Iranian occupation of Yazidi and Kurdish cities and villages.. Without significant American backing, the Kurds will lose territory including the oil hub @ Kirkuk.
(Excerpt) Read more at ekurd.net ...
Raben
I don’t understand why this is being allowed to happen.
Tillerson is very much down on the Kurds.
3rd time’s a charm.
The Kurds are moving in the direction
of Moscow and who could blame them?
Tillerson had done business with the Kurds when he was with Exxon. It didn't turn out well for the company.
Google the headlines:
2014 Special Report: How Exxon helped make Iraqi Kurdistan - Reuters
2016 Exxon pulls out of three exploration blocks in Kurdistan: Iraq Oil Report
Here's the WaPo spin: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-exxon-under-rex-tillerson-won-iraqi-oil-fields-and-nearly-lost-iraq/2017/01/09/5f6efa28-d40c-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html
Basically, it appears that they can play with the Iraqi government and have access to the developed fields in the south, or they can play ball with the Kurds and prospect in Kurdistan, but possibly not both. That probably oversimplifies things, but it may well be a factor.
Your explanation helps me quite a bit. I have a slightly better grasp of what’s at stake in that area.
I haven’t dug into it, but the French also play in that ballpark (not just in oil), but they have managed to keep a really low profile, so I’m not sure which team they are backing. Everyone looks at Iran-Saudi, Russia-US, Syria-Israel, but the French are out there behind the scenes.
The other thing to keep in mind is that there really aren’t any good guys (dispensationalists would disagree as to one player)in the middle east. Saddam was about the only local who would protect Christians, and you see how he was stabbed in the back (and by whom).
The Kurds were told by the US and other friends not to try for independence but did so anyway. They are now suffering the consequences.
exactly - all these tribes over there have been throwing rocks at each other for 5,000 years. the moment one is on top, they split and fight each each. it’s been a consistent pattern.
I am sick and tired of hearing about the latest favorite tribe. It seems everyone who has any connection with the MidEast gets infected with the „my favorite tribe“ syndrome.
Nothing We do will ever change this. The best solution is to simply stop the fantasy of believing we can ‘solve’ anything over there.
Stay out of it entirely. Stop squandering blood & treasure needlessly.
Trump was correct when he said we squandered $6 trillion over there and things only got worse.
“I don’t understand why this is being allowed to happen.
Tillerson is very much down on the Kurds.”
Agree. There’s nothing sacrosanct about Iraq borders. Afterall, they were drawn by a alcoholic Brit solder...
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