A New Israel in the Middle East?

T he Kurds have a geography problem.

Despite more than 90 percent of Iraqi Kurds voting for independence from Iraq on September 25 their would-be state borders on four other nations that would like to see it stillborn: Iran Turkey Syria Iraq.

That’s going to be a real problem moving forward since the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that sponsored the referendum sends 90 percent of its exports (in the form of oil) through a pipeline that runs through Turkey. The KRG also imports 80 to 90 percent of its goods. The Kurdish economy isn’t exactly diversified. In addition to oil it produces large quantities of cement wheat and steel. Intel isn’t coming knocking any time soon.

The Iraqi Kurds are part of a 30-million-plus Kurdish population spread over the heart of the Middle East. None of them have a state but the Iraqi Kurds have the closest approximation to one an autonomous region established by the invading Americans during the first Gulf War. The Iraqi Kurds along with the Syrian Kurds have been the fighting force credited with pushing Islamic State out of large parts of Syria and Iraq.

But their skill and bravery on the battlefield haven’t earned them much credit with their neighbors. Even the United States which has used the Kurds as a kind of proxy army to fight Islamic State still opposes Kurdish independence. In reaction to the non-binding referendum Turkey and Iran closed their borders with the KRG and the government of Iraq said it wanted the keys back to the region’s two international airports. As we went to press Iraqi government troops along with Iranian-backed Shiite militias were advancing on Kirkuk an oil-rich city that Kurds claim as their own. Although Kirkuk is outside of the KRG’s borders Kurdish forces control the city and residents there were invited to vote in the independence referendum. In fact the Kurds refer to Kirkuk as their “Jerusalem ” the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan.