The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

The problem many of the Kurds have had with those proposals in the past is that the oil is in the southern half of the country. While they want to be left alone, they also want a bite at the apple.

Back when our corporations were about to steal their oil, er, I mean normalize market distribution, here was a map of reserves. Not sure how that actually maps onto a tri-state solution. Looks like whoever gets the west gets the shaft.

[joecct]

The problem many of the Kurds have had with those proposals in the past is that the oil is in the southern half of the country. While they want to be left alone, they also want a bite at the apple.

Send the Texas and Maryland legislatures over to Iraq to gerrymander a solution.

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

The problem many of the Kurds have had with those proposals in the past is that the oil is in the southern half of the country. While they want to be left alone, they also want a bite at the apple.

There is some oil in the north. The Kurds' recent move into Kirkuk was at least to some extent for the purpose of strengthening their claims over oil in the north. The Kurds are in a tiff with Baghdad right now over oil the Kurds shipped through Turkey and Baghdad has been pressuring countries to not buy the oil the Kurds sent directly through Turkey.

[walrus]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Split Iraq into 3 countries. 1 Shia, 1 Kurd, and 1 Sunni. Thus eliminating the holy war fighting and giving each religion\group their own nation.

Hatred runs deeper than your logic

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Hatred runs deeper than your logic

Hatred might work to their advantage, just this once. This doesn't seem to be one side wanting to dominate the other, it seems to be everybody saying "get your hands off my desert." If this was political gamesmanship the aggressor would have the incentive to keep the country together so they could lord it over the whole thing, but since it's sectarian and local, everybody might be willing to go to neutral corners.

The longer the violence lasts, the more it becomes a vendetta cycle and that's no longer a solution. Like the Israelis and Palestinians, once enough people are thinking "you killed my sister," peace becomes impossible.

[joecct]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Meanwhile El Presidente is sending Kerry and (eventually) advisors to Iraq.

Is there a Gulf of Tonkin nearby?

[walrus]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Hatred might work to their advantage, just this once. This doesn't seem to be one side wanting to dominate the other, it seems to be everybody saying "get your hands off my desert." If this was political gamesmanship the aggressor would have the incentive to keep the country together so they could lord it over the whole thing, but since it's sectarian and local, everybody might be willing to go to neutral corners.

The longer the violence lasts, the more it becomes a vendetta cycle and that's no longer a solution. Like the Israelis and Palestinians, once enough people are thinking "you killed my sister," peace becomes impossible.

Who would broker this deal? I can't believe you think John Kerry could do it.

[Priceless]

Who would broker this deal? I can't believe you think John Kerry could do it.

Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton. George Mitchell. Bush 41 would be an option but he is too old. How is James Baker these days?

[bronconick]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton. George Mitchell. Bush 41 would be an option but he is too old. How is James Baker these days?

84. He was old in 2000 when he was running the Bush recount thing.

[walrus]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton. George Mitchell. Bush 41 would be an option but he is too old. How is James Baker these days?

Clinton, Mitchell, maybe.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Who would broker this deal? I can't believe you think John Kerry could do it.

No American can broker that deal, we're poison in that region. Diplomatically we are compromised by our connections to Israel and the Saudis and all the regional blood on our hands (for good or ill). Gotta be somebody else -- preferably not somebody with colonialist baggage.

Beijing should give it a shot. Our first baby step to world police was TR brokering the Russo-Japanese Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. Also we can totally screw China over by handing off the fossil fuel wars right before the water wars start.

[joecct]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

No American can broker that deal, we're poison in that region. Diplomatically we are compromised by our connections to Israel and the Saudis and all the regional blood on our hands (for good or ill). Gotta be somebody else -- preferably not somebody with colonialist baggage.

Beijing should give it a shot. Our first baby step to world police was TR brokering the Russo-Japanese Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. Also we can totally screw China over by handing off the fossil fuel wars right before the water wars start.

Let England do it. They created the mess in the first place.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Who would broker this deal? I can't believe you think John Kerry could do it.

I suppose sending Drew Rosenhaus would send the wrong message.

[joecct]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Apparently ISIS has seized an Iraqi chemical weapons plant.

Do we / anyone vaporize the place to make sure that ISIS does not produce/have/use WMD's?

[Bob Gray]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Apparently ISIS has seized an Iraqi chemical weapons plant.

Do we / anyone vaporize the place to make sure that ISIS does not produce/have/use WMD's?

Chemical weapons plant? Where'd that come from?

Maybe a leftover from Sadaam?