For the umpteenth time in decades we have once again abandoned the Kurds (after using them as the main assault against ISIS). The Iraqi army did fuck-all against ISIS. They fled or defected into their ranks while the Kurds held fast and carried the weight in the fight.

Seriously, fuck our government and its foreign policy. We just abandoned the Kurds to Iranian backed militias

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41631697

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Sickening. But I'm sure it goes over well with the Values Voters' crowd

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

The Kurds are a huge issue for several Middle East countries. If you believe Iraq should be one country, then the U.S. did the right thing. If you want it to fracture into three pieces- Kurdish, Sunni, and Shia, then we should just get out now.

I still blame the French and British for this mess.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

1: we absolutely should get out now (although I would still supply material support to the Kurds)
2: Iraq really should be at least 2, probably 3 countries.

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

This is fucked up letting them hang in the wind once again. The thing that stops us from really getting behind the Kurds is Turkey. We should finally stop backing those fucks and get behind the Kurds ,who really are good guys in that part of the world.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

You know better than most around here. The artificial boundaries in the Middle East continue to cause significant problems, most notably oppression. Besides, the Kurds have significant problems among themselves. My understanding is that there are two distinct Kurdish factions inside Iraq and six total factions among the entire Kurdish region, which spans, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. But again, you know all that better than me.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Turkey is a NATO member and presumed Allie. It is very complicated.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Turkey is to use the word Ally in the loosest of possible terms. Thy are without a doubt the biggest bunch of cocksuckers in NATO. They are using their membership protection to do some fucked up shit.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

The current regime is the problem as Erdogan (sp?) is an autocrat. Generally, Turkey has been a good Ally and a moderate democratic state. Their actions against reporters of late is a bad sign.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

The Sykes-Picot agreement was a complete disaster. We're seeing the end result of it in Syria right now and are going to see similar events in Iraq soon.

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Turkey as envisioned by Ataturk was a great ally and an asset to the Middle East. However, Erdogan has destroyed Ataturk's vision and is slowly morphing Turkey into a theocracy with the territorial ambitions of the Ottomans. I know a lot of Turkish Jews who lived in Turkey, loved it, embraced it... and have now fled to Israel in the last few years as Erdogan destroyed the country they loved. They were people who identified as Turkish first and Jews second. They embraced secularism, but simply no longer felt safe in their own birth country.

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Always appropriate

http://www.theonion.com/article/norther ... in-wes-305

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As usual Ogie, you are a wealth of Mideast knowledge. I read up on the fall of the Ottomans. They aren’t getting that stuff back. The world is going the other way and breaking up.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

That Sykes agreement was one of the causes of Desert Storm as well.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

oh no we betrayed muslim trash people. fuck em. the only reservation I have about muslims killing muslims is that I know they enjoy doing it more than I enjoy hearing about it.

My BIL works for the State Department, used to report about Turkey, Syria and Greece. dennis' quote seems an understatement.

You seem like a reasonable person.

Please go into certain neighborhoods of Paris and say that. We'll all get a chuckle over the results.

You realize that these people we betrayed were the people who were fighting ISIS you god damn ignorant cocksucker

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“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Oh I was just in Marseille which is 30% Muslim. Soldiers everywhere. Not cops either, soldiers. French army occupying a city that has existed in metropolitan France for an eternity.

I left by train. The TGV station has a very nice memorial for a couple girls from Lyon who had their throats slashed by a Muslim fella. Happened about two weeks ago. I don't know, you go see what they've done to that city and I think it would be pretty difficult to have any sympathy left in your heart for Muslims. That includes the ones who pretend to like us so we keeping providing them weapons.