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Kerry urges Kurds to save Iraq from collapse
Reuters ^ | June 24 2014 | Lesley Wroughton

Posted on 06/24/2014 3:09:29 PM PDT by PoloSec

(Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged leaders of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Tuesday to stand with Baghdad in the face of a Sunni insurgent onslaught that threatens to dismember the country.

Security forces fought Sunni armed factions for control of the country's biggest oil refinery on Tuesday and militants launched an attack on one of its largest air bases less than 100 km (60 miles) from the capital.

More than 1,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed in less than three weeks, the United Nations said on Tuesday, calling the figure "very much a minimum".

The figure includes unarmed government troops machinegunned in mass graves by insurgents, as well as several reported incidents of prisoners killed in their cells by retreating government forces.

Kerry flew to the Kurdish region on a trip through the Middle East to rescue Iraq following a lightning advance by the Sunni fighters led by jihadis of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

U.S. officials believe that persuading the Kurds to stick with the political process in Baghdad is vital to keep Iraq from splitting apart. "If they decide to withdraw from the Baghdad political process it will accelerate a lot of the negative trends," said a senior State Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Kurdish leaders have made clear that the settlement keeping Iraq together as a state is now in jeopardy.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iraqmeltdown; kurds; secstatekerry
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On an earlier thread it was reported the Kurds offered their help to save Iraq over two months ago but the WH never responded.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3171753/posts

1 posted on 06/24/2014 3:09:29 PM PDT by PoloSec
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To: PoloSec

Why should the Kurds care about Jon Keery or Arabs of Islamist bent?


2 posted on 06/24/2014 3:12:46 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: PoloSec

Their guiding light for 50 years or something has been the creating of an independent Khurdistan.

Asking them to “save Iraq” is considerably less realistic than asking Louis Lerner for email records….


3 posted on 06/24/2014 3:14:49 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: Paladin2

“Kerry flew to the Kurdish region on a trip through the Middle East to rescue Iraq following a lightning advance by the Sunni fighters led by jihadis of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant”

That sentence should be mandatory reading for all classes on media propaganda.


4 posted on 06/24/2014 3:16:17 PM PDT by Col Frank Slade
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To: PoloSec

Its impossible to imagine a more ignorant and incompetent collection of dipshits running this country, than the current crop of libtard POS’.


5 posted on 06/24/2014 3:16:24 PM PDT by Common Sense 101 (Hey libs... If your theories fly in the face of reality, it's not reality that's wrong.)
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To: Paladin2

The Kurds should worry about the Kurds.


6 posted on 06/24/2014 3:18:52 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Col Frank Slade

Amazing!


7 posted on 06/24/2014 3:20:10 PM PDT by KSCITYBOY
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To: PoloSec

You think they will do it now? I doubt it.


8 posted on 06/24/2014 3:20:53 PM PDT by Biggirl (“Go, do not be afraid, and serve”-Pope Francis)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

It’s a tough row for the Kurds, being surrounded by Persian, Turk and Arab ‘tards.


9 posted on 06/24/2014 3:22:59 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Common Sense 101

Kerry is actually dumber than he looks.


10 posted on 06/24/2014 3:23:02 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" means something different to 0bama.)
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To: PoloSec

Well bless his heart ;)


11 posted on 06/24/2014 3:26:17 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: TigersEye

Now that the Kurds are curbing the actions of extremists attacking the Turks, Turkey and Kurds have a friendly relationship. Further, the southern boundaries of Kurdistan have been recovered by the Kurds with the collapse of Iraq. Why should the Kurds get involves. Don’t have any liking of Shia or Suni.


12 posted on 06/24/2014 3:26:27 PM PDT by rstrahan
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To: rstrahan

Turkey should wake up and smell the Turkish coffee and give the Kurds their rightful domain in the north. (Turkey’s south) The Kurds would make solid allies and good neighbors for them.


13 posted on 06/24/2014 3:29:49 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" means something different to 0bama.)
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To: Paladin2

I don’t think Turkey will give the Kurds a hard time because they are just happy to have gotten rid of all the Kurdish refugees who have gone back across the border into the new Kurd territory. I dont’ know about Iran. I think the ISIS guys will leave them alone as they have a kick azz army and ready to fight. Its going to be interesting.


14 posted on 06/24/2014 3:32:30 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Saddam gassed the Kurds and killed 5,000 of them. They might tell Johnny to stand by, and they’ll have their people get right back to him.


15 posted on 06/24/2014 3:37:04 PM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: Enterprise

I think the Kurds are probably trying to just figure out how to hang onto their little corner of Hell. :-)


16 posted on 06/24/2014 3:42:20 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: PoloSec

I hope the Kurds emerge with their own state. They deserve at least that.


17 posted on 06/24/2014 3:44:58 PM PDT by Sunsong
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To: PoloSec
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged leaders of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Tuesday to stand with Baghdad in the face of a Sunni insurgent onslaught that threatens to dismember the country.

Is Kerry nuts or just thinks the Kurds are stupid? The first thing Iran and it's Iraq stooges will do if the oust ISIS will be to attempt to wipe the Kurds out.

18 posted on 06/24/2014 3:48:19 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Do The Math)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

True. For now, neither Turkey nor Iran want to mess with them. Neither ISIS nor the Government of Iraq has the strength for now to fight them. Whoever wins control of Iraq might come back for them though. If Iraq prevails, I hope they remember that the Kurds passed on intelligence information about ISIS to the United States and the U.K. which would have helped Maliki if the information had been acted on.


19 posted on 06/24/2014 3:49:11 PM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: PoloSec

The Kurds should tell Lurch they’re making their own country, thanks.


20 posted on 06/24/2014 5:16:31 PM PDT by DesScorp
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