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The most
frequent and difficult question asked of me since
returning from Iraq has been: "What positive or
helpful news can you tell us about the mess in
Iraq?"
The answer that the 2/278th, the "Tennessee
Peacemakers," is doing a marvelous job preparing
their area for transfer to Iraqis' responsibility
for security does not seem to satisfy the
questioners. One reason that makes it hard to speak
positively about progress in Iraq is the absence of
stated long-term American policies for the Middle
East and western Asia.
The Kurds may offer a partial answer of hope. United
for the first time, the Kurds have enjoyed nearly 15
years of semi-autonomy. They owe that respite from
oppression to the U.S. and acknowledge it
gratefully. Most Kurds would like a long-term
partnership with the U.S.
One possible positive outcome of America's invasion
and occupation of Iraq could be a secure, long-term
air base in Kurdistan. Turkey could terminate our
high-rent bases at any time, especially if fanatic
religious parties gain the few more votes they need
to control the Turkish parliament. In any case, U.S.
airbases in Turkey are positioned against Russia,
not for controlling the petroleum Middle East or
Western Asia.
If you listen carefully to U.S. government claims
about the importance of Iraq, you hear "central"
emphasized. Iraq is not central to the Arab world.
Iraq is the Arabs' border with Farsi (Indo-European)
speaking Iran and Turkish (Turko-Ugaritic) speaking
Asia Minor (Turkey). Egypt's population is four
times Iraq's.
For the past seven centuries, Egypt and Syria have
been culturally and politically more central to the
Arabs than Iraq. Economically, Arabia and the Gulf
eclipse the rest of the Arab world. The only way
Iraq could be considered central would be
strategically if the U.S. plans to be a new
imperialist power in western Asia and the Middle
East.
An air base in Kurdistan (northern Iraq today) could
dominate as far east as Pakistan and Afghanistan and
as far north as Uzbekistan where the U.S. has a
temporary base. It would put Turkmenistan well
within range. It was Turkmenistan's natural gas and
oil that took the USSR into Afghanistan and the U.S.
and our mercenary Muslims - the Mujahidiin - there
to get the Communists out. Turkmenistan may be a
more pressing reason for the U.S. return to
Afghanistan than Osama bin Laden.
While the west dickers with Iraq, China may pre-empt
access to Turkmenistan's gas and oil, a key to 21st
century power.
An air base in Kurdistan could dominate Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Armenia and our present Turkish allies as
well as everywhere in the Arab world from the Nile
eastward. It would be especially protective for
America's clients: Israel and the Sauds. If the
United States aspires to be a new imperialist power,
then northern Iraq, Kurdistan, is central.
- Graham Leonard, of Johnson City, went to Iraq as
an embedded journalist with the 2/278th.
www.themountainpress.com
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