Reading this essay by Professor Talabany (a he) one would not be aware that:

- Kirkuk is closer to Iran than it is to Turkey. Turkish misgivings about a Kurdish state (strengthened with the addition of Kirkuk) can to a significant extent be allayed by more US aid to Turkey and the US easing the way to Turkey joining the EC. Iran would receive no offsetting benefits.

- Kurds have been fighting a sporadic guerilla war in Iran for decades.

- More recently Kurdish guerillas (and others “embedded” with them) have conducted more disciplined intelligence and harassment missions inside Iran.

- Kurd nationalists enjoy a large amount of semi-open political, military and financial support from the US.

- Kurdish guerilla groups have enjoyed some training from Israeli trainers (ex or current special forces) working under contractor cover. This has allowed the US (Israel's ally) to deny that it is directing Kurdish guerillas.

While Iran opposes a Kurdish state due to cross border guerilla raid an additional reason it is against a state is that Iran has a significant Kurdish minority. Syria also has many Kurds. A growing Kurd state might effectively absorb parts of Iran and Syria. The good professor doesn't mention these widely felt concerns.

If Turkey undertakes more shelling or cross border raids against the Iraqi Kurds it would receive a diplomatic rebuke from the US and Israel. However if Iran or Syria did the same thing this would be written up as naked aggression, thus (perhaps) triggering the massive US/Israeli bombing campaign of those countries that we've been waiting for.

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/2006/07/predicting-israeli-us-strategy-for.html

Does any one else have a sneeking suspicion that the whole world is going to end up in flames from conflict in the middle east?

A cross border incursion into northern Iraq by Turkey, coupled with a bombing campaign of Syria and Iran by allied countries has the potential to drag a powerful nuclear armed dragon armed to the hilt into a conflict that could cure global warming in 5 years and bring all those end of days fantasies to an unholy climax.

Scotty

If America continues its occupations of, or support of occupation of Arab countries, well it's not exactly going to lead to peace is it?

Am I right to believe Kurds are not Arabs? I know Turkey has I think seventeen million Kurds living inside its borders, of the kurd population in Iran I no nothing.
Kurdistan, is there such a place? I understand Kurds are stateless I then understand why they hang in N Iraq where the USA gave them protection and barred flights from flying in the airspace.
Did, Does the USA hope to take advantage of their protection to gain from their friends the Kurds, access to the oil which I understand to be Iraq oil?
Any way I don't think they help their cause by killing Turkish soldiers, striking across boarders will get them little sympathy. The ancient hate and revenge they harbor against what seems to be all the ajoining countries will hardly help any cause, right or wrong, they may have.

fluff4

fluff4

Most of your questions are answered here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds

Kurds are not Arabs and though most are notionally Sunni Muslims their spirituality owes more to a combination of monotheistic beliefs.

They see themselves as Kurds first rather than nationals of particular countries. This irritates all the countries they live in. Kurds in Iraq live in a high value oil zone.

When all these traits are combined the the Kurds and the American are unsurprisingly close. But much of the relationship is covert as the closeness embarrasses both parties.

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/2007/10/turkish-attack-on-neutered-iraq.html