Kurdish Referendum on Independence

[MountainRaven]

Iraq's Kurdish Region Votes In Controversial Independence Referendum : The Two-Way : NPR

The Kurds are voting on a non-binding referendum on independence today. Turnout is high, but Turks and Arabs are boycotting the election.

Erdogan has said that he reserves the right to cross into Iraq to address any "threats" to Turkey's national security.

The Iraqi Parliament has reportedly shut down the borders with Iraqi Kurdistan and ordered the seizure of the oil pipelines flowing through the region. And RUMINT has it that Shi'ite militias have begun attacking Peshmerga in and around Kirkuk.

The US, Turkey, and Iran, have all voiced strong opposition to the vote. The Israelis support it and the French are neutral.

So this should be exciting... I wish the US would support the Kurds on this.

[Dienekes]

Wanting actual freedom sure smokes out the posers, doesn't it?

[Voodoochild]

I know this is just the vote to determine whether or not they should go forward with Independence. I surely hope they do go forward with this and hope they get what they deserve.

[SteyrAUG]

So this should be exciting... I wish the US would support the Kurds on this.

Currently we are on the same side as ISIS while fighting ISIS at the same time. I was praying Trump would win and get on the same page as Russia and get down to the business of destroying ISIS, Assad is definitely a bad guy but who gives a shit in a region dominated by bad guys. And in a world of bad guys, Assad in an amateur when compared to ISIS, Iran and Saudi. But I guess if we did that everyone would have "proof" Russia hacked the election.

The Kurds aren't perfect, but if you are looking for a "good guy" in that region, they are about as close as it gets. The idea that we are supporting Syrian "rebels" who are often the same people as ISIS to rescue Syria from Assad but won't support the Kurds borders on the bizarre.

And if Trump isn't going to back the good guys, then we need to just unass 100% and let the chips fall.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Yeah but if they are sitting on top of Earth that someone desires a pipeline to go through, then they are going to get the **** liberated out of them.

[Turnkey11]

I hope they wipe their asses with every country that opposes their independence, just like Israel did 70 years ago.

[SteyrAUG]

I hope they wipe their asses with every country that opposes their independence, just like Israel did 70 years ago.

Israel wasn't fighting Nato "allies" like Turkey. I respect the Kurds but the deck is stacked hard against them. And once again, we find ourselves on the same side as ISIS when it comes to opposing Kurdish independence.

You think it would be a simple algorithm, If ISIS supports X, do not support X, but I guess that is complicated for folks in the US government.

I pray for the day when a viable alternative exists for fossil fuel and when can tell everyone in that region to FO and swim in their oil reserves. Hopefully whatever the next fuel source is comes from places like Greenland.