Should we partition Iraq?

[BluffTHIS!]

We have pledged to our important ally Turkey, that we will not support the creation of an independent Kurdistan because it would exacerbate tensions in their Kurdish region. And the Sunnis and Shi'a won't go for partition either, because they both want the resources of all Iraq and the Sunnis want to impose their will on all the other factions as do some of the Shi'a.

Turkey's not that great a friend to us. The denied us transit rights to get to Iraq before the war. The population keeps electing Islamist governments, and if it weren't for the army's repeated coups, they'd be about as anti-Western as everyone else in the region.

Anyway, why do you care all of a sudden about what other countries think about us?

[BluffTHIS!]

Turkey is a much better ally than you are making out despite their not being able to help as much as we would like sometimes for domestic political reasons. And I care about what our true allies think, as opposed to false ones like France. Turkey since its modern founding has always limited religious influence in its government, and if the army is the mechanism by which that balance is achieved, then that is their business. And they are a much better Islamic ally than Saudi Arabia which has more mixed motives and hidden agendas, and which doesn't need the US as a friend as much as Turkey does. And if I had to go into combat with non-US military units, then after the British and Australians, the Turks would be my choice because they are fearless (the North Koreans/Chinese hated them during the Korean War).

[ QUOTE ]
Turkey's not that great a friend to us. The denied us transit rights to get to Iraq before the war. The population keeps electing Islamist governments, and if it weren't for the army's repeated coups, they'd be about as anti-Western as everyone else in the region.

Anyway, why do you care all of a sudden about what other countries think about us?

[/ QUOTE ]

What is interesting about Turkey is that the government and parliment wanted to let us use their land as a staging ground. The problem was that over 90 percent of turkish citizens were vehemently opposed to the idea. Letting the army use it would have been political suicide.

I like the cut of your jib, jj, stay around for awhile?