A group of torch-wielding men. Mmm... always a good sign of good things to come. It will definitely turn out well.
There is no group than deserves more the chance to govern themselves, be sovereign and find their own destiny, than the Kurds. Forget the thugs 'a la Erdogan' who is fighting them to justify their own legitimacy while abusing their power.
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Anyone expecting the same rational from Turkey should not hold their breath. Our ally will only cause more havoc in the region.
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Yet another data point in a trend of tension between Arab states and states that others (including Arabs) prefer to live in. Despite significant headwinds and conflicts with neighboring states, the Kurds have managed to deliver some modicum of progress and stability. Not only has Kurdistan helped defeat ISIS, it's even been a refuge for the many Arab and Syrian Arabs.
Many of these refugees may have supported ISIS and later found that they didn't have the fortitude to live under the religious tyranny they advocated. Or they may have just lacked the wisdom and courage to stand up for a governance option in their countries other than secular vs. religious tyranny.
Whatever the case, it would be nice if Arab states started to realize that when their people are trying so hard to get out, and others aren't trying hard to come in, they might want to start learning from those civilizations instead of feuding with them.
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I'm hoping this agreement is based not only on 'mutual benefit', but on a 'common good'. (Remember that quaint concept?) The bitter irony is that as the world has become ever more interconnected & interdependent, the affirming of shared purposes & visions has diminished. It's just too long-term & without immediate payoff. So the carnage continues.
The profit-driven, bottom-line & zero-sum 'mentality' of much of corporate & political "leadership" (the us-them competitive model that sells products & wars) has invaded our imaginations, undermined our expectations & leaves us at each other's throats.
Sadly, it may take a global crisis to change this. Or, more optimistically, the younger generation may say "Enough!" and doggedly finds a way. We must support these young, everywhere and in every way, in their dreams and their efforts, to affirm "the common good" again. The stakes could not be higher.
For all of us.
May the Kurds and Iraqis truly find a way.
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The pen proves to be mightier than the sword once again.
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This agreement between the Kurds and the Iraqi government is an excellent example of what can be accomplished by hard bargaining and the resistance to take up arms. Most disagreements throughout the world could be similarly resolved and perhaps we are headed in that direction. Certainly the talks between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim are a step in the right direction, and hopefully, the Israelis and their neighbors will move along that path. The world is more peaceful than it has been in a long long while, and the Kurd Iraq settlement is the beacon for further gains.
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