Syrian conflict threatens to fracture Iraq
As regional and Western diplomats point fingers at Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for aiding embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – a charge which Baghdad vehemently denies – Iraqi Kurds are increasingly involved with the opposition, lured by the possibility that in a post-Assad Syria, Kurds there might achieve some degree of autonomy. That would allow the KRG to expand its foothold.
The KRG has hosted leaders of the Syrian opposition in its regional capital, Erbil, much to Baghdad’s dismay. It has also lent support to Kurds in northeastern Syria – Barzani publicly admitted in July that his government is providing them with military training. And now some of the Kurdish factions there are holding talks with the mostly Arab Syrian opposition to decide whether and how to join them in the fight against President Bashar al-Assad, even though the relationship between the two camps has been strained by several bouts of fighting.
“The Syria crisis is forcing everyone around Syria to choose sides,” says Joost Hiltermann, who follows Iraq for the International Crisis Group (ICG). “Maliki is worried about the emergence of a post-Assad Sunni Islamist order in Syria… he finds that he has to support Assad by default. This puts him de facto in the Iranian camp and in conflict with Turkey.”
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Smart Power!
OldEnglish on December 28, 2012 at 8:37 AM
It’s going to get uglier. I have a lot of Kurdish friends from Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and a smaller area called Suri Rash. They were the throngs of civilians welcoming Coalition forces as liberators that the media wouldn’t show you on the news. You could walk their streets without weapons. But after the years of Sadam, they’ll probably do anything they can for more autonomy as in the article.
I wish for the sake of their own country and footing in Iraq, they’d let this play out by the Syrians themselves. I do believe before it’s all over though, it’s going to get much worse regionally.
hawkdriver on December 28, 2012 at 8:40 AM
*drinks coffee*
BigGator5 on December 28, 2012 at 8:44 AM
A troll schooled me yesterday. Everything that turns out good in The Middle East, we give them credit for. Everything that turns to crap, they claim the obama administration has no part of. Or blames George Bush for.
They really do have smart power by controlling the media though. It’s what allows them to get away with a consulate being overrun, doing nothing about it and not testifying in hearings because, “you bumped your head.”
hawkdriver on December 28, 2012 at 8:45 AM
Chicago street smarts – yeah, I’ll grant that. What a way to run a country!
OldEnglish on December 28, 2012 at 8:52 AM
But I don’t give up. We don’t give up.
hawkdriver on December 28, 2012 at 9:01 AM
Indeed!
OldEnglish on December 28, 2012 at 9:02 AM
Well, given that the borders as they currently are in the Middle East are not organic, but drawn by the British and French, sooner or later there was bound to be a fracturing. As long as Israel is safe, let the rest of them kill each other. Though it would be nice if the Kurds finally get their own state.
rbj on December 28, 2012 at 9:52 AM
rbj on December 28, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Colonialism, yes, but not only British/French Colonialism…a lot of the boundaries are based on the Ottoman Empire’s boundaries, imposed.
JFKY on December 28, 2012 at 9:57 AM
After the way Iraq has been behaving after our departure (too buddy buddy with Iran), I say we support the Kurds in partition. Or rather, tell Iraq that if they don’t get in line they lose the Northern half of their country along with all that oil revenue. We will prove our point by planting a few American bases there.
Personally the Kurds have always struck me as much better friends, I say let’s show them what happens to America’s friends…give them the Kurdistan they’ve always wanted (without pissing off the Turks).
Blacksoda on December 28, 2012 at 10:49 AM