Scott Sullivan, The Conservative Voice
Iraq is the war and peace issue of the 2008 presidential race. Within Iraqs turmoil, the defining issue is what to do about the Kurds, who are pushing for full Kurdish political independence and the break-up of Iraq as a state. The Kurds, in other words, want to push Iraqs civil war up to the next level.
Bill Clinton cheers on the Kurds while Hillary wants to hold them back. (Thanks to Bill Zehr and theconservativevoice.com for highlighting this intra-Clinton dispute; see Clinton Writes Kurds Out of Her Script. 4 July 07). Bill Clinton wants US forces in Iraq to actually protect the PKK as the PKK attacks Turkey from Kurdish PKK bases in northern Iraq.
[See also Bush, Pelosi and Clinton Support PKK]
As goes the US policy decision on the Kurds goes the US policy on engagement in the Middle East as a whole. To be specific, Will the US support the Kurds, as Bill Clinton desires, whose only ally is Iran, which also wants the break-up of Iraq for its own selfish reasons?
Alternatively, as Hillary Clinton desires, will the US support Turkey, a democracy, a secular Islamic state, and a member of NATO?
Bill Clinton has on his side President Bush, Secretary Rice, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,and the PKK.
Hillary Clinton has on her side Turkey, the Arab states, the overwhelming majority of Iraqis, and 130,000 US troops deployed in Iraq who do not want to defend outsized Kurdish/PKK ambitions in the Middle East.
Prediction: Hillary will prevail. The dangerous notion of a Greater Kurdistan that would collapse Iraq, Turkey, and Syria as states will be put back in its cage. A Greater Kurdistan is generally recognized as a recipe for civil war in Iraq and Iranian dominance of Iraq and the Middle East.
Now, where does this Clinton on Clinton debate leave the Republican Party on the issue of Iraq? The answer is very simple. The Republican Partys presidential candidates for 2008 have a fundamental choice before them — to support Hillary, or to support Bill. Until the Republicans take a position on the Kurds, they are not even part of the presidential contest.
