Here is an article that is amazing, in spite of being 3 years old.
“When are terrorists not terrorists? When, as with the PKK, national self-interest gets in the way” (Jan. 2016)
It was an early but accurate assessment of why this Kurdish group is still labeled as a terrorist group.
I don’t think it has to be a taboo subject, but it is.
The PKK personifies the problems with our entire Middle East policy and belies any strategy. No FReeper would support the PKK on their face. Marxist rebel groups generally find little sympathy here; however, as part of the Kurdish “family,” the PKK helped defeat ISIS, and their enemy , our esteemed ally, Erdogan, is an Islamic Tyrant with visions of Caliphate dancing in head.
Here we come to the essence of the issue. Whom do you choose: the evil one, the cute one, the popular one, the rich one, or the upstart rebel?
Do you see where we’ve really arrived? Our only “strategy” has resolved to the oldest one in Arabia, “enemy of my enemy.” Everyone’s favorite Senator, McCain, was a fervent supporter, as was Bush and Obama (though with different friends and enemies). In fact, everyone who plays in the sandbox eventually gets pulled into the same losing game.
We have no business deciding between factions, good or bad, except those that affect our direct national interest. Engaging in internecine alliances in the M/E will just suck one into quicksand.
We should support the Kurds, but we don’t have to fall for Turkeys games. The PKK shouldn’t be on our terrorist list, but they shouldn’t be on our dance card, either.