Foxy,

My blinkers are off. Actually they were never on. I know exactly what I'm dealing with.

This is quite interesting. We have a supposedly secular Jew leaping to the defence of a Zionist sympathising military nutter who has introduced himself to OLO by defending the indefensible.

Steven, your "rules" are once again shown to be rubbish. This clown has been all over the OLO Forum advocating for Israeli bastardry, and this nonsense about the Kurds has to be read in that light.

He apparently thinks that starting World War 3 would be a good idea.

Need I say more?

Custard: << The lack of respect for the State is the cause, not the outcome of our approach to Aboriginal Communities. Unless we give the majority of inhabitants thereof some reason to respect and/or trust the State, we cannot expect anything to change. >>

While I disagree vehemently with Custard on other issues, I think that this is a very perspicacious comment.

Given the experience that most Indigenous people have with the State via its various agencies, why on earth would they want to identify with it?

Bugger, wrong thread.

My apologies.

I'm not a military nutter (or I don't think so anyway - is everyone who's been in the military a nutter to you CJ?)...

But I am a realist.

What is real? Let's see some facts shall we?

1. Turkey was told not to bother trying for EU Membership

2. Turkey has since begun aligning itself with Syria & Iran

3. The US Government 'would' not supply the Kurds in Northern Iraq (their only REAL ally in Iraq) in order not to 'offend' their erstwhile ally, Turkey (who threatened to invade Kurdistan if they did, or if they allowed the Kurds to declare independence).

4. The US Government maintains a VERY good relationship with the Kurdish Government in Kurdistan Province.

5. The US Government has built at least two military airfields in Kurdistan Province, part of the reason underlying which was the refusal of Turkey to allow the US to use Incirlik Airbase (the only remaining reason for the alliance).

6. Turkey has been assisted with military hardware and training, etc. by the US & Israel in the past.

7. Turkey has now, as a result of its actions, deserted its allies, who will now seek to work with another regional ally.

8. Turkey has engaged in many crimes against humanity that have, maybe, not been fully disclosed by the USA and/or Israel to date...

9. Arming an Independent Kurdistan would seriously offset the tilt caused by Turkey's realignment, as they would provide a SERIOUS problem to Syria, Iran, Iraq & Turkey.

It's called Geopolitical Realism, it ain't pretty, but how could it be?

As to starting WW3, unlikely, the Nuclear Arms race between Saudi Arabia & Iran is more likely to do that.

PS I am an Islamophobe too according to some, how's that fit with the Kurds being predominantly Sunni?

Dear Steven,

I don't think you know as much
as you think you do.

You're governed by your emotions
as anyone would be when it concerns
their roots.

I suggest that you broaden your
outlook and read the works of
historian Benny Morris, Prof. Ilan Pappe,
Abraham Leon Sachar, and even the Israeli
newspaper, "Haaretz." As well as Antony
Loewenstein's, "My Israel Question."