"[Villagers] told the Guardian yesterday that at least six villages had been abandoned and one person had died following a sustained artillery barrage by Iranian forces that appeared designed to flush out guerrillas linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who have hideouts in Iraq."
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of states and organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU.
I'll be damned if I want U.S. forces to fight to defend Marxist PKK terrorists!
The area along the northern border is PKK territory. The Kurd regional government does not have control there -- maybe they don't even want control there. It's their call.
The “PKK” in Iran (and Iran bordering areas) is PJAK. They are ideologically different from the PKK in and near Turkey.
PJAK has moved from their leftist past towards an more centrist, pro-federalist, liberal (in the classical sense, not in the US sense) position. They shouldn’t be thrown into the same bowl as the “Turkey” PKK.
Their alleged “socialist” background shouldn’t be much of an issue, since even the two great Kurdish parties (PUK, KDP) in the Authonomy were originally leftist, socialist and social-democratic. However since the cooperation with the USA they have moved towards capitalism.
Anyway since the stated goal of PJAK is the overthrow of the Islamic Regime in Iran, we SHOULD consider them a valuable ally. We have few others.
It is a dilemma. How about if we just use air power to destroy the invading Iranians just because they're where they aren't supposed to be rather than consider it defending the Communist PKK?
It's the job of Iraq to be going up there and whacking the PKK in their country not that of Iranians.
When they're both enemies both should be destroyed. Iran is our job, the Commies are the job of our allies Iraq.
You have put your finger on what I think is going to become an ever-increasing problem, perhaps to the degree of the “palestinian”/Palestine” problem. From the git, the Kurds and their nation were divided by the arbitrary border-drawing whims of the same folks who at the same time also drew the “palestine” borders. The overall Kurd matter is redux of those borders. Plus, of course, the oilfields that were found to be within the former borders of what was the Kurd nation. Although the “iraqi” Kurds have been our ally in this so far, it would indeed be prudent to keep in mind the adage “enemy of my enemy”.