Iraqi Kurds plan independence referendum despite Baghdad warning it will do 'anything' to prevent it
17 replies, posted
[quote]Iraq's parliament has rejected Kurdish plans to hold an independence referendum aimed at creating a Kurdish state in Iraq's northern territory, a legislator announced on Tuesday.
[B]The resolution, which labelled the ballot due to take place on September 25 a "threat to … the civil peace and regional security", authorises Haider al-Abadi, Iraq's prime minister, to take any measures necessary to preserve Iraq's existing borders.[/B]
A breakdown of the vote was not immediately available.
[B]"Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session, but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority,"[/B] Mohammed al-Karbouli, an Iraqi MP, said.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other top officials have repeatedly said the referendum would violate Iraq's constitution.
On Tuesday Abadi reiterated his position, adding "imposing a fait accompli will not work. We will not allow the partition of Iraq".
[img]http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2017/8/29/bd7ef2881e2f45419ee47cd4913939fd_18.jpg[/img][/quote]
[url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/iraq-parliament-rejects-kurdish-independence-referendum-170912132652290.html[/url]
What regions [I]aren't[/I] holding legally grey independence referendums in the next few weeks? Fucking loser regions, that's who
To be honest, now isn't exactly the time for this. Also I hear there's some major resistance towards this amongst non-iraqi kurds, since they see a successful Iraqi Kurdistan as giving up the hope of a Greater Kurdistan including for example parts of at least Syria, and ideally also Turkey and Iran (like that'd ever happen)
[QUOTE=Riller;52680813]To be honest, now isn't exactly the time for this. Also I hear there's some major resistance towards this amongst non-iraqi kurds, since they see a successful Iraqi Kurdistan as giving up the hope of a Greater Kurdistan including for example parts of at least Syria, and ideally also Turkey and Iran (like that'd ever happen)[/QUOTE]
They have been prevented from having their own nation for ages, when [I]is[/I] the time for it, then?
[QUOTE=Riller;52680813]To be honest, now isn't exactly the time for this. Also I hear there's some major resistance towards this amongst non-iraqi kurds, since they see a successful Iraqi Kurdistan as giving up the hope of a Greater Kurdistan including for example parts of at least Syria, and ideally also Turkey and Iran (like that'd ever happen)[/QUOTE]
It needs to be now while the area is still under their control and there is a military grey area.
They've fought hard to protect their people, especially in the early days when Isis was expanding rapidly and the Iraqi army proved inept at protecting its own people. The Kurds were one of the few holding their own, and it could be argued that Isis would be a much bigger threat today if it wasn't for the Kurds stopping some of their momentum.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52680849]They have been prevented from having their own nation for ages, when [I]is[/I] the time for it, then?[/QUOTE]
While the dust is settling, not while everything's already massively fucked up.
Also like 40% chance of any independent Kurdistan being invaded by Turkey on day-one of existing. If Iraq proper refuses to recognize it in the first place, there's nothing to stop said invasion.
[QUOTE=Riller;52680971]While the dust is settling, not while everything's already massively fucked up.
Also like 40% chance of any independent Kurdistan being invaded by Turkey on day-one of existing. If Iraq proper refuses to recognize it in the first place, there's nothing to stop said invasion.[/QUOTE]
By what grounds could Turkey invade? And certainly in doing so they should recognise they'll put a target on their foreheads.
[QUOTE=GordonZombie;52681018]By what grounds could Turkey invade? And certainly in doing so they should recognise they'll put a target on their foreheads.[/QUOTE]
On the grounds of "fuck the kurds", a common ground shared by Iraq. And the only target they would put on themselves is angry letters from Nato.
This has happened so many times before, and it will happen again just as long as the Kurds don't have the full support of a first world country. It's sad, but that's the way it is now.
[QUOTE=GordonZombie;52681018]By what grounds could Turkey invade? And certainly in doing so they should recognise they'll put a target on their foreheads.[/QUOTE]
Kurdistan contains Kurds. All Kurds belong to PKK. PKK are terrorists occupying Northern Iraq against Iraq's government's wishes, no different in any way from ISIS. There, Erdogan's justification for a war if he wants it.
[QUOTE=Riller;52680971]While the dust is settling, not while everything's already massively fucked up.
Also like 40% chance of any independent Kurdistan being invaded by Turkey on day-one of existing. If Iraq proper refuses to recognize it in the first place, there's nothing to stop said invasion.[/QUOTE]
If Iraq refuses to recognize the independence, then Turkey would as a result be "invading Iraq", not Kurdistan.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52681130]If Iraq refuses to recognize the independence, then Turkey would as a result be "invading Iraq", not Kurdistan.[/QUOTE]
Which A: They've done several times since 1992, most recently in 2008; and B: Would probably be welcomed by Iraq in this case.
[QUOTE=Trebgarta;52681074]Later, with cooperation with Iraq. Otherwise this referendum is just escalating tensions, as demonstrated above in the OP, and not achieving anything.[/quote]
And if Iraq never agrees? Then what? Let Baghdad strengthen its military to the point where it's capable of suppressing any Kurdish independence movement?
[QUOTE=Trebgarta;52681074]There is a myriad of minorities without their own nation-states around the world. When is the time for them to draw new lines and create new states? Not a particular time, of course, if ever. There is no guarantees for any minority, because perfect ethnic states aren't a universal standard principle and never have been.
[/QUOTE]
Kurds are the [I]largest[/I] ethnicity without a nation state, I think it's exceptional for them, of all without a country of their own, to push for this. They are a huge population across a huge swath of land that has been their home for ages. They are capable, in both military and political matters, to govern themselves.
And so what if perfect ethnic states have never been a benchmark? We're not looking for a cook-cutter solution to all ethnicities having their own country, we're looking at Kurds in Kurdish lands. "what about other ethnic groups" is irrelevant.
a landlocked nation surrounded by hostile states, not exactly a recipe for success. even if they form some kind of pact with iraq, there's always the chance of a conflict
is this surprising? Saddam did gas and use his army against Kurds years before the coalition invasion.
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