The answer is Kurdistan

[Recursion]

If there's one missing link here, one magic key, that's it: Kurdistan.

The Peshmerga are the only militias that have consistently handed ISIS's asses to them, over and over again, when they try to attack.

The Kurds are our only consistent ally in Iraq or Syria. Or even Turkey, despite Turkey being our ally.

Kurdistan is going to happen, one way or another, and it would be to the US's interest to be part of that. We really need to face up to this.

This will take re-drawing the borders of Syria and Iraq, and possibly of Turkey and Iran (I'm going to say those last too will take a while). But it's going to happen with us or without us.

[uawchild]

1. Please elaborate..

A Kurdistan state is the answer to what?

The Kurds are fairly secular sunni Moslem's, but not ethnic Arabs -- hence Kurds are suspect in the eyes of Shiite factions and Arab Wahhabist islamist alike. What would a Kurdistan state achieve besides providing a degree of stability for, well, some Kurds?

The formation of a Kurdistan state is anathema to NATO ally Turkey and is one reason Turkey has supported/turned a blind eye to ISIS since ISIS was fighting Kurds along Syria's border with Turkey. Seems like Kurdistan is just another can of worms in a region already filled with the same. The peaceful coexistence of a Kurdistan state with its neighbors Turkey and Iran -- which together have large Kurdish populations in border provinces that also desire to be in a Kurdish state -- seems a recipe for prolonged ethnic conflict.

[Marrah_G]

3. Kurdish fighters are very good

They have been successful against Isis where the Iraqi army has proved almost useless for a variety of reasons. The Kurds know they are fighting for their lives. If they lose to Isis they die and their female population is raped, enslaved and then killed. Kurdish female fighters are a force to be reckoned with.

[tabasco]

2. I believe the Kurds could secure their own nation in the worst part of the world,

helping to stabilize the region. I hope they get a country.

[Bucky]

4. Sure, if the question is "How do we disrupt our linchpin relationship with Turkey?"

Asking a valuable ally like Turkey to give up territory on its second most violent border is not exactly smart politics.

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. Turkey has been a bad actor in all this more than a "valuable ally."

It has been supporting the civil war in Syria from the beginning.

It has largely ignored ISIS, allowing it free transit of fighters and weapons through Turkey. Until very recently, and even now, I doubt the Turks' good intentions.

Poor Erdogan. He tried to overthrow his neighbor and what did he get? A couple million Syrian refugees, an invigorated Syrian Kurdish PKK affiliate, and renewed war with the PKK. Oh, and suicide bombers attacking peace demonstrators. Fuck him.

[jeff47]

5. Kurdistan can't happen.

At least, not via US support.

A large chunk of Turkey is Kurdish. If Kurdistan is founded, Turkey faces civil war as that chunk attempts to secede to join Kurdistan.

That's why Turkey has bombed the Kurds fighting ISIS. And Turkey is why the US can't support the founding of Kurdistan.

This is multiple centuries of overt and covert warfare between multiple tribes, exacerbated by Europeans disregarding those tribes while drawing borders. There is no simple answer.

It's going to be very ugly for a very long time.

[The2ndWheel]

6. All it would take is the re-drawing of borders?

And the US should be part of it? We got it made in the shade then.

[annabanana]

14. AH hahahahahahahahahahahahah

good one

[Codeine]

7. One doubts we'll be so eager to throw a NATO

ally under the bus that easily.

[Ex Lurker]

9. If Turkey continues the trend away from secularism toward a theocratic state

it won't be too difficult to throw them under the bus. They aren't that great an ally, even now.

[KamaAina]

13. And they're no fun anymore, either

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141258022

Turkish authorities have cancelled a festival celebrating the national drink, raki, because of complaints by Islamic groups, causing anger among secular Turks.

The annual World raki festival had been scheduled to take place on 12-13 December in the city of Adana. But the provincial governor axed the event after Islamic associations denounced it as a disgrace.

“It’s not possible for us to allow something like this,” Mustafa Büyük told the Hürriyet newspaper on Thursday. “We don’t want people to drink alcohol and we can not tolerate its promotion.”

The raki street festival is popular with tourists and attracts about 20,000 fans of the aniseed-flavoured liquor.

[whatthehey]

10. Theoretically and in microcosm, it may be a good idea

Long term and in realpolitik, when did a sectarian homeland in the ME carved out by western powers make things more peaceful?

[KamaAina]

11. Where would its capital be?

[TransitJohn]

12. Seizing territory from a NATO ally to give to a non-state?

Don't see that as very realistic.

[McCamy Taylor]

15. I love Kurdistan and the Kurds. Sadly, our friend Turkey does not.

This is causing some major trouble for us in the region. Note that mountain people across the world have more in common with each other (due to certain character and cultural traits required to live successfully on mountains such as rugged independence and love of innovation) than mountain people do with their own lowland neighbors. Meaning that mountain people from the US (and lots of our ancestors were from Scotland regardless of where they live now) will feel a greater affinity for Kurds---and Tibetans---than they will for low landers.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. Turkey and Iran?

Which of these do you believe?

:- That Turkey and/or Iran will turn over parts of their territory to the Kurds without a fight?
:- That winning a fight against Turkey and/or Iran is possible and worthwhile?

I think that both of those are almost certainly false, and without one or the other, that's obviously not going to happen.

Also, both states will do everything in their power to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state even outside their borders, because they'll see it as a threat.