09-22-2015, 02:33 PM
(09-22-2015, 02:13 PM)bfine32 Wrote: So what do you recommend as an End Game?
This answer would take up pages. First you have to come to the obvious conclusion that the problems in this region are not fixable by outsiders, at least not in ways we'd be willing to fix them. First, realize that Iraq is not a viable state and plan accordingly. The Kurds are the only US allies in the region, give them what they've wanted forever, a free Kurdistan. Of course doing this will require a lot of finessing of the Turks, who would certainly oppose this. You could get this by getting both the Turks and the Kurds on the same page with what to do with the PKK. The best solution would be to convince them that a free Kurdistan is worth giving up claims to lands currently owned by Turkey. This solution not only gives Turkey a solid, reliable neighbor on much of their southern border it also give the Kurds as a whole exactly what they want. The Kurds hate Daesh and willingly fight them, quite well I might add. So arm them, prop them up as a power in the region. The are secularists, they believe in democracy, let people in that region start being the agents of change.
Of course, the above would allow Iran to expand its influence, and possibly it's territory, further west. I think this is an unfortunate inevitability so get ahead of it. Further accordance with Iran is possible if we can get Israel serious about the two state solution that virtually everyone on Earth agrees is the only fair way to solve that issue. To get that you have to play hardball with Israel, something only Obama has even begun to do. It would require the political will to weather the predictable charges of antisemitism that would result but the bottom line is that Israel has no friends outside the US and cannot afford to lose us. We have the upper hand in that relationship, let's finally stop pretending otherwise. While a solution in this area will not, in itself, bring peace it removes one of the major rallying cries for extremists in that area and will make radicalization of future generations much more difficult.
I could absolutely go on, but that would be a nice start.
