Obama, It's Time to Recognize an Independent Kurdistan

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There are some 30 million Kurds living in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, whose identity and rights were not accounted for when Britain and France carved out new Middle East nations with artificial borders after World War I. The Kurds were subsequently oppressed in all of these countries; however, they were able to achieve autonomy in Iraq following the Gulf Wars, and more recently, they have gained some measure of independence in Syria as a consequence of the chaos enveloping most of this country.

As reported by Ben Hubbard in an excellent New York Times article entitled "New U.S.-Backed Alliance to Counter ISIS in Syria Falters":

"While world attention since the Syria conflict began has focused on fighting between the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, Sunni rebels and the Islamic State, the Kurds have taken advantage of the chaos to carve out an autonomous zone.

Much of that has been done over the last year, as the Y.P.G. — the Kurdish abbreviation for the People’s Protection Units, the dominant Kurdish force in Syria — has closely coordinated with the United States and its allies to seize land from the Islamic State in a long strip along the Turkish border.

Evidence of the Kurdish group’s dominance is obvious. The militia runs ubiquitous checkpoints; photos of its 'martyrs' adorn billboards; and its fighters hold most of the more than 280-mile-long front line with the Islamic State."

Or stated otherwise, the Kurds are keeping the Islamic State in check. Iranian forces recently introduced into Syria were mauled by the Islamic State and al-Nusra while attempting to recapture Aleppo on behalf of the Assad regime.

Friendly to the US, the Kurds deserve American backing for statehood, notwithstanding Turkey's opposition. It is remarkable how the Obama administration can persistently press Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians, notwithstanding the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize Israel's right to exist, yet ignore the Kurds for fear of offending Obama's best friend Erdogan. This is a simple matter of right and wrong, and it's high time that Obama recognize the right of the Kurds to live in dignity and freedom.