is this a real thing that is actually happening?

[Bereta_Eder]

Btw iraqi kurdistan has some of the most modern cinema complexes in the world (a bit irrelevant but i read it in a reportage)

[Fake Boris]

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with Winston Churchill."

[Uncle Sparky]

"The best argument against a five-minute conversation with Winston Churchill is, 'He's dead, Jim.'."

[Bereta_Eder]

I find it amazing that israel would go so far and say these things.
Turkey will not be happy, it's unfathomable that a free kurdistan would not try to "liberate breathen". It's what new found countries usually try to do.
Turkey-Israel relationship must have hit rock bottom.
Erdogan did splendidly with the economy few years back, but now he's becoming more and more islamic (always was, but that didn't slip into political decisions). I guess that also has something to do with it.
(hm.. on the same time, who's to say that kurdish separatism would not spread to Syria so I guess it makes sense. But still quite ballsy move for former best friends)

BTW the russian sukoi planes have been delivered to the iraqi gov. so I'm assuming this will tip the scales (and produce even more human drama)

[Elok]

I assume that, except for Kurdistan, the entire region will be awash with blood for the next five or ten years no matter what we do. Maybe even Kurdistan won't hold up. But, based on my sadly limited knowledge, I favor a "support Kurdistan as an island of sanity" policy. Probably that's wrong too, idunno.

[Bereta_Eder]

I don't know a lot either but from a "moral" point of view they deserve their own country, seeing as they are numerous (many millions) and haven't been treated particulalry well by the countries that host them.
I'm sure though that iraqi kurdistan is swarming with western advisors now. If they play it smart they might make it...

[Sava]

Churchill was scum. He's lucky Hitler was worse.

[Ben Kenobi]

He was a proud American too. So nice to see such patriotism.

[Sava]

Churchill was also more American than you.

[Ben Kenobi]

Churchill was also more American than you.

Which explains why you, as a patriotic American consider him to be scum.

[Sava]

If your goal is to be so nonsensical that I can't even insult your response, you've succeeded.

[molly bloom]

Meanwhile in Egypt :

Hundreds of journalists have gathered in London to protest against the seven-year jail terms given to three al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt.

A court in Cairo found Australia's Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed guilty of spreading false news.

The trio had denied the charges and are expected to appeal.

Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday he would not "interfere" with the judiciary which he described as independent.

Earlier, Australian FM Julie Bishop told the BBC Canberra would work with the Egyptian government to try to secure Mr Greste's release "as soon as possible".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27988754

[GePap]

Ah, it feels like good ol' 2003 again.....

Re: the Turks and an independent Kurdistan, some of what I have been reading recently would seem to indicate that the Turks are less opposed to this that previously, especially as their economic interests in the Kurdish region of Iraq have grown. As such, a declaration of Kurdish independence might not in fact invite Turkish retaliation. I am unsure how the Iranians would take it, but it seems to me they have less issues with their Kurds than Turkey.

[Bereta_Eder]

I've just read an article and it says that hussein chelik (spokesman of gov. islamic party) said turkey will recognize an independent kurdistan, if it declares an idndependence. lately there have been many commercial signings and deplomatic relations between the two. something that has pissed off baghdat. that's funny. turks can't even step foot on diyarbakir but they are welcome in iraqi kurdistan.
time will show i guess

[C0ckney]

the kurdish government has announced plans to hold a referendum on statehood.

link

The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region has told the BBC he intends to hold a referendum on independence within months.

Massoud Barzani said that Iraq was already "effectively partitioned".

While the Kurds would play a part in a political solution to the crisis caused by jihadist-led Sunni Arab rebellion, independence was their right, he added.