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		mithridates
 
  
  Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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				 Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:54 pm    Post subject: Nice work Kurdistan | 
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				Just noticed a 12-minute CBS report on Iraqi Kurdistan. Interesting fact I didn't know: number of American troops killed in Iraqi Kurdistan since the beginning of the war: 0
 
 
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/16/60minutes/main2486679.shtml
 
 
Video's on the right.
 
 
 
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	  Asked how many American soldiers have been killed in the Kurdish-controlled area since the beginning of the war, Nechervan Barzani, the 40-year-old prime minister of what is officially called the Kurdistan Regional Government, tells Simon, "No one."
 
 
Major General Benjamin Mixon is the commanding officer for American forces in northern Iraq and Kurdistan, 20,000 in all.
 
 
Mixon tells Simon there are only 60 to 70 U.S. troops stationed in the Kurdish areas. "There�s no need for American forces up there because of the nature of the situation," he explains.
 
 
"I guess compared to being stationed in the rest of Iraq, it�s pretty good duty," Simon remarks.
 
 
"It�s good duty. I�ve been up there. I enjoy going up there," the major general tells Simon.  | 
	 
 
 
 
http://www.theotheriraq.com/index.html
 
 
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		ddeubel
 
  
  Joined: 20 Jul 2005
 
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				 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:43 am    Post subject:  | 
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				This situation begs the "chicken and the egg" question.  There are less troops in Kurdistan and therefore less attacks. Or there are less attacks, therefore less troops. 
 
 
I am sure if there were more troops in Kurdistan, more Americans would find misfortune. Especially in the larger centers near the Sunni part of Iraq, like Mosul. I do grant that there is a large amount of largess for Americans in the Kurd population, not just for the invasion but for the investments in their economy. 
 
 
Terrible thing is though, they will be abandoned to the needs of Turkey and her own problems with Kurds. Sold down the road and abandoned, mark my words. And their venom will be that much more lethal towards America. So many small nations have been nose ringed through this same scenario in the middle east, it ain't funny. I guess that is the only thing we can really say about making bed fellows with the big guys. When they roll over, they usually hurt somebody. 
 
 
DD | 
			 
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		Kuros
 
 
  Joined: 27 Apr 2004
 
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				 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:37 am    Post subject:  | 
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	  | ddeubel wrote: | 
	 
	
	  
 
Terrible thing is though, they will be abandoned to the needs of Turkey and her own problems with Kurds. Sold down the road and abandoned, mark my words. And their venom will be that much more lethal towards America. So many small nations have been nose ringed through this same scenario in the middle east, it ain't funny. I guess that is the only thing we can really say about making bed fellows with the big guys. When they roll over, they usually hurt somebody. 
 
 
DD | 
	 
 
 
 
The Kurds have made for themselves their world, the US just opened the door by coming down on Saddam.  
 
 
I can't imagine the US doing more for the Kurds without Kurdistan becoming America's new Israel.  
 
 
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. | 
			 
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		Octavius Hite
 
  
  Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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				 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:52 am    Post subject:  | 
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				So I just watched the 60 Mintues piece on Kurdistan and certainly they have gotten it right.  
 
 
However, if you want to see why the US will lose in Iraq just listen to the idiot army officer who thinks that if the Sunni's and Shiites would just look north they could "see how good things could be". Its this kind of Vietnam-type thinking that, the "if just those stupid natives could smarten up things would get better" that is going to force the US out of all of Iraq (except Kurdistan of course). | 
			 
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