If we pull out, what about the Kurds?

[More Than A Feeling]

Suppose that we pull out of Iraq and end our occupation. Do we leave troops there to defend the Kurds in the coming civil war? After all, we did kind of, sort of leave them in the lurch when they rose against Saddam after the first Gulf War. Do we dare do that again? Would that be another nail in the coffin of America's credibility with its allies? What do you all think?

[SteppingRazor]

1. Credibility with our allies?

First, what allies?

Second, of the few allies we have, which of them give a damn about the Kurds?

[More Than A Feeling]

2. I guess I thought some might consider how we keep our word

to little groups of people whom we have promised to defend, as indicative of whether or not anyone can trust us enough to ally with us.

We may not have many allies now, but presumably we'd like some in the future.

[Euphen]

3. The Kurdish militia Peshmerga has as many as 100,000 men.

They can easily defend themselves. In fact, should the United States pull out of Iraq I would be more worried about the Kurds carrying out ethnic cleansing in places like Kirkuk.

[BillZBubb]

4. What a friggin' joke.

The Kurds will be a major CAUSE of the civil war. Jeez, I can't believe some of the stuff people post here...

[Syncronaut Seven]

5. UN oversight is the only viable option as I see it.

Our moral authority to be in the region is now less than zero.

We have no obligation as I see it beyond making full reparations (realistically impossible) and bringing the architects of this war to trial for war crimes.

Wherever we have our greedy little fingers in somebody else's pie, bad things happen. We must relinquish all control and let the UN oversee the reconstruction. America has no credibility with other nations now, none. Just the way the neocons planned it.