President Trump Can Have an Iraq Base for Free

 

True, the base would cost to build but that could be performed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The beauty of this plan is that the United States would actually get three bases for the cost of their construction and a small additional price of repair and upgrade of the Mosul Dam and power station. President Trump could place a nice United States Army Base just southwest of Mosul, a large United States Marine Base and Training Area east of Kirkuk and a wonderful Air Force Base southwest of Van bordering Lake Van allowing for swimming and other recreational activities. These could all come true just for the building and then the United States would have the power and reach desired in the Middle East. The only catch is that the United States would have to back the Kurdish independence movement for all the Kurdish people. Those Kurds residing outside the area and desiring to relocate could be assisted by the Kurdish State and any sympathetic nations and people; and by this, we are not claiming it need be the United States. What additionally the United States could do would be to move to protect any Kurds who might face persecution resulting from the establishing of Kurdistan. Currently the only Kurds to have actually signaled a desire for independence have been the Kurds of Iraq. Still, the Kurds in Syria might be considered to be included along with the areas they control including Raqqa and Kobane, two of the cities that the Kurds bled deeply to take from the Islamic State just as their brothers and sisters bled for Mosul and Kirkuk in Iraq. Their sacrifices to push the Islamic State from these places should be recognized and used for a reward for their efforts. Unfortunately, all the world is simply happy to walk away and ignore the Kurdish desires for their own state knowing full well that once the world turns their backs on the Kurds, the result will be exactly the same as after World War I when they were denied their own free lands as promised by the British, they were persecuted by the very nations their lands were divided between. The world turning their backs on the Kurds this time will be double the crime as they have fought for their independence and then fought to vanquish the Islamic State and now they will be left to fight against the combined forces of Iraq, Turkey and Iran. This time the result will be nothing short of a genocidal effort just as was unsuccessfully attempted against Israel in 1948-9 immediately after Israel declared their independence.

 

Kurdish Regions and Proposed Greater Kurdistan

 

The world has a habit of using people, often with promises of independence and other pie-in-the-sky promises only to be left hanging in the wind subject often to oppression and even genocidal efforts. There are other peoples around the world who have been ignored or abandoned. The Berber Tribes of northwestern Africa come to mind. Another is the entire nation of Tibet which was swallowed whole by China in October of 1950 without even a meeting at the United Nations. Sure, the United States claims they stand with Taiwan. We are willing to bet that should China move on Taiwan, other than a few naval maneuvers attempting to rattle China into a withdrawal and demands made in Washington, unless a very unique and strong individual was in the White House, nothing more would result and Taiwan would simply be the next Tibet. The problem with this is that would only serve to embolden China and Russia and who can even imagine whom else, possibly Iran or Turkey. The Philippines would become very nervous and try to make agreements with China to avoid becoming their next victim, which may or may nor work. Russia would likely swallow up the Ukraine while Washington was fast asleep and not defending their friends. The world will not pass up opportunities should a weak leader sit in the Oval Office. South Korea might face an all on assault from North Korea. In such a world, Japan would nuclear up really fast and probably be willing to face sanction just to openly test a nuclear weapon, likely a thermonuclear weapon, just to place fear in the hearts of any who might be viewing their Islands as their next victims. Iran would definitely complete their desired Shiite Crescent across the Middle East and may even move on the Saudi Arabian oil fields which they have eyed for years. This has been part of the reason for their moves in Iraq and Yemen and even interests in Djibouti. Our world is potentially an extremely volatile place. There are fuses all over the world and some of them are already smoldering just requiring somebody to blow on them to light them. That brings us back to the Kurds and the present situation.

 

The Kurds are the next step in repairing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The world after World War I, or we should say the Allied Powers, decided that it would be best if the MENA lands were divided along arbitrary lines with no regard as to tribal regions or any other logical or reasoned boundaries. Instead, they decided that by having the region divided into nations where there were tribes traditionally at war with one another and where the larger tribes were broken up between several nations preventing any form of unity. The Kurds were divided between four nations, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. Turkey and Iraq have both attempted ethnic cleansing of their Kurds or, at the very least, thinning the population and suppression of rights or political power. In Syria since the dissolution of the government and the Civil War, the Kurds were the sole people to take control of their own area, protect their people, and enforce laws. They repulsed attacks by al-Qaeda and ISIS and eventually assisted in the Raqqa push which finished the Islamic State in Syria. In Iraq it were the Kurdish forces which drove the Islamic State out of Kirkuk and opened the door to Mosul and were instrumental in the final push to cleanse Islamic State from Mosul and were placed under demands by the United States to permit Iraqi forces to take part in that effort. Guess who got stuck with the final door-to-door fighting to rid the city of the remnants and remove the traps and explosives left behind. That is right, the Kurdish Peshmerga Militias. What has happened in Iraq after these efforts by the Kurds? The United States pulled their air support and with Iranian air support and IRGC troops supporting and armor they have pushed the Kurds out of Kirkuk and Mosul and will continue to push the Kurds and probably then start their ethnic cleansing, the start of a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish People in Iraq and then on to the Kurdish in Syria and then Turkey will erase their Kurdish presence and a proud people will be torn from the world because nobody cared. Well, the Kurds assisted all the efforts requested of them in Syria and in Iraq, now it is time for the world to honor Kurdish independence. After all, if the Kurdish People are going to have to fight the combined Arab armies, at least make it a fight for their independence. President Trump, recognize Kurdistan now and even assist their efforts with at least minimal air support if not more. They deserve the opportunity and the support of those whom they fought instead of the United States committing tens of thousands of American soldiers and saved another war for the United States in the Middle East.

 

Beyond the Cusp