<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Are Kurds Iraqis ???? No really I mean where did they come from?? The Iraqi Kurds come from Turkey thats their original homeland, they were forced out because they were not allowed to speak thier language and express thier culture freely amongst the Turks. If anything they are Turkish refugees.<p><hr></blockquote><p> The Kurds have been subjugated by neighboring peoples for most of their history. In modern times, Kurds have tried to set up independent states in Iran, Iraq and Turkey, but their efforts have been crushed every time.<br><br>The Kurdish People<br><br> * 15 million to 20 million Kurds live in a mountainous area straddling the borders of Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. About 8 million live in southeastern Turkey.<br><br> * The Kurds are a non-Arabic people who speak a language related to Persian. Most adhere to the Sunni Muslim faith.<br> <br> <br> During the early 20th century, Kurds began to consider the concept of nationalism, a notion introduced by the British amid the division of traditional Kurdistan among neighboring countries. The 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which created the modern states of Iraq, Syria and Kuwait, was to have included the possibility of a Kurdish state in the region. However, it was never implemented. After the overthrow of the Turkish monarchy by Kemal Ataturk, Turkey, Iran and Iraq each agreed not to recognize an independent Kurdish state.<br><br> The Kurds received especially harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish government, which tried to deprive them of Kurdish identity by designating them "Mountain Turks," outlawing their language and forbidding them to wear traditional Kurdish costumes in the cities. The government also encouraged the migration of Kurds to the cities to dilute the population in the uplands. Turkey continues its policy of not recognizing the Kurds as a minority group.<br><br> In Iraq, Kurds have faced similar repression. After the Kurds supported Iran in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Saddam Hussein retaliated, razing villages and attacking peasants with chemical weapons. The Kurds rebelled again after the Persian Gulf War only to be crushed again by Iraqi troops. About 2 million fled to Iran; 5 million currently live in Iraq. The United States has tried to create a safe haven for the Kurds within Iraq by imposing a "no-fly" zone north of the 36th parallel.<br><br><br><br>got to let your eyes adjust

Interesting history of the Kurds<br><br>"The Kurds received especially harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish government"<br><br>This indeed is very true. My wife is of Turkish Kurdish heritage and has told me stories of how her relative where treated like second class inferior citizens kind of like African Americans during the days of Jim Crow and through the civil right struggle something we can both relate to.<br><br>Kurdish state? This has yet to be seen because they desperately want one and are going to pursue it so it's going to be real interesting to see what the aftermath of this war is going to bring because the Turkish people are really adamant about them not having any representation.<br><br>Unfortunately I think there are going to be as what they have always been “pawns”<br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Kurdish state? This has yet to be seen because they desperately want one and are going to pursue it so it's going to be real interesting to see what the aftermath of this war is going to bring because the Turkish people are really adamant about them not having any representation.<br><br>Unfortunately I think there are going to be as what they have always been “pawns”<p><hr></blockquote><p>Not unlike Israel and Palestine:<br><br> Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President Bush laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000.<br><br><br><br>got to let your eyes adjust

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>We've seen your support for them also.<p><hr></blockquote><p>what are you talking about? where have you seen what i think about the kurds?<br><br><br>--<br>one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -Plato

Yeah but this rabid dog (Saddam) was in his cage (Iraq ), he is only going to infect someone you let him loose( The War). I think we played right into Bin Ladens hands with this one he wanted to start a war with us , lets finish it with him. Remember who attacked America on 9/11? Who used the WMD on us( yes airplanes can cause Mass Destruction?<br><br><br><br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Yeah but this rabid dog (Saddam) was in his cage (Iraq ), he is only going to infect someone you let him loose( The War).<p><hr></blockquote><p>He is certainly in a cage now.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>I think we played right into Bin Ladens hands with this one he wanted to start a war with us , lets finish it with him.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Bin Laden started this war in 1996 and we will finish it.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Remember who attacked America on 9/11? Who used the WMD on us( yes airplanes can cause Mass Destruction?<p><hr></blockquote><p>Yes, Fascist Islamic Extremist.<br><br><br>got to let your eyes adjust

Pay attention, Sean. Your ample bobble-headedness is your own distraction.<br><br>got to let your eyes adjust

Yes, Fascist Islamic Extremist<br><br>Do you really think we can defeat this. I find it very unrealistic kind of like fighting the war on drugs . You cant stop it . You can use all the bombs and man power in the world but it will just encourage and enrage the ones you are trying to free. They have to want and do this for themselves. Perhaps instead of calling this the war on terror they should call it the war on ideaologies because thats what it bascally comes down to. <br><br>"There's no substitute for the TRUTH....because the TRUTH needs no PROOF..."<br>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Do you really think we can defeat this. I find it very unrealistic kind of like fighting the war on drugs . You cant stop it . You can use all the bombs and man power in the world but it will just encourage and enrage the ones you are trying to free. They have to want and do this for themselves. Perhaps instead of calling this the war on terror they should call it the war on ideaologies because thats what it bascally comes down to.<p><hr></blockquote><p>The "TRUTH" is that we have to win. The alternative is submission and extinction.<br><br>Ideology is not "terror". The perversion of an ideology and the indoctrination,<br>coercion and acceptance of the "perverted ideology" is this "terror".<br><br><br><br>got to let your eyes adjust

I don't think anyone argues that terrorism shouldn't be stopped. But metaphorically, we're throwing water on a grease fire. We need to snuff the fire, not spread it. Offensive war, whether it's called pre-emptive or not, is still just creating and spreading more terrorists.<br><br>