Should there be a Kurdish state?

[JohnLocke]

So many here believe strongly in an autonomous or semi-autonomous Palestinian state. Do you feel the same way about some sort of Kurdish state with a degree of Independence, along the northern border of Iraq with Turkey?

[billhos]

1. yes

I believe the people of Iraq and people of good will everywhere would be better off if Iraq were partitioned into three countries. However I read a poll of Iraqi's who aparently decided they just wanted more autonomy and did not want too be partitioned. If that poll was correct then the will of the people should be paramount.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Kurdistan

I think all the Kurds and their historic lands in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey should be formed into a nation. I've never heard a good explanation for their suppression. I support the same for the Basque in the Pyrenees.

[Oggy]

3. I agree

I am not sure Iran, Syria and Turkey would.

[Muddleoftheroad]

4. How do you propose to do that.

It seems that Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey might object a bit.

[TexasProgresive]

7. Who knows?

Sure Iran, Turkey and Syria would not like it. I don't have any answers to the problems left to the world by post-colonialism but that doesn't change the truth. The Turks have shown that they can not be trust to look after the well being of thier Kurdish citizens any more then Saddam. There are huge problems, if the Iraqi Kurds are allowed to form a government, the Turks will invade. It's just a mess. Georgie thought he would stick in his thumb and pull out an oil filled plum instead the pie is filled with asps, scorpions and death.

[Muddleoftheroad]

11. It's not like either side is perfect

The Kurds aren't lily white either.

Like many things in the Mideast, I see no solution.

[SCDem]

5. In theory it would be good

but you have to understand that the even though all the Kurds (in Turkey, Iraq, Iran etc) speak "Kurdish" all their dialets are so different that there is no resemblance of language. Now that doesn't mean that they could not form a nation-state but I do believe it would have it's difficulties not to mention that it would take land mass away from several other countries.

[Bridget Burke]

6. It's not up to us.

Didn't the last century have enough rooms full of old white men (in London or Versailles) drawing lines on maps? Deciding how the childlike colonials should be divided up. I thought we were rid of colonialism.

Let the people involved have the first say. Local autonomy is good but borders, in general, suck.

[Muddleoftheroad]

8. So you advocate regional war?

Because without old men and women (white or not) sitting around a room somewhere trying to sort it out, the people themselves do so. In fact, they are doing just that in Iraq today.

[xchrom]

9. no one is saying that discussions with

heads of state wouldn't be held.
but the boundaries of what would be kurdistan have been known for hundreds of years.
the west would have to broker the idea of peace -- but the rest would have to hammered out by the parties involved.

[Muddleoftheroad]

10. The parties involved don't all want a Kurdish state

In fact, most don't. Only the Kurds do.

[catmandu57]

12. I think there already is

a defacto state anyway in N. Iraq. Most of the fighting has been in the south, we've pretty much left the Kurds alone.

[theboss]

13. In theory, yes

And the last ten years in northern Iraq have shown that it would probably be a successful, democratic state.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how you do this without causing an immediate invasion by Turkey and potential genocide.