Kurds Vow to Retain Militia as Guardians of Autonomy

NY Times ^ | February 27, 2005 | EDWARD WONG

[neverdem]

I think they might incorporate their militias into reserve components of the Iraqi Army similar to the way the U.S. Army has the Army National Guard.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It's gonna take awhile...

[MikefromOhio]

Good luck, the Kurds don't trust anyone that is an Arab Iraqi, with good reason I might add....

[Logical me]

Already loosing control. If allowed, Iraq will be a mess and not too much better than before. Sorry, but you can't have individual armies.

[sinatorhellary]

Maybe this sort of mindset was the same as those who wrote the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Sorry, but you can't have individual armies.

Why not? For the first sixty or so years we did.

[beltfed308]

That was my exact thought!

[Logical me]

Not the same. It was not to establish a separate government within the US, but was needed until our Government to establish a viable army. The militia was to be a protection of our Constitution not to divide it.

[Logical me]

Also as I read the headline, "Kurds Vow to Retain Militia as Guardians of Autonomy" Autonomy means to me separate itself from the core.

[jolie560]

The Shias and Kurds had better keep their regional armies. That is who will protect them after the US leaves.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

We had "separate from the core" militia too.

At first the states did not trust one another and even went to war with each other. Look up the Toledo War and the New Jersey / New York Dispute.

[JerseyHighlander]

The Articles of Confederation: Article 6

No vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any State, except such number only, as shall be deemed necessary by the United States in Congress assembled, for the defense of such State, or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up by any State in time of peace, except such number only, as in the judgement of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defense of such State; but every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of filed pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition and camp equipage.

Hard to say the Kurds arn't holding very close to the compromises the US Founding Fathers agreed to.

[beltfed308]

The militia was every able bodied person. Not the National Guard as you suggest.

The 2nd amendment will always be needed for this Republic to survive. The 2nd is the continued protection of the Constitution.

I just see the Kurds as the colonists to a degree. They have always gotten the short end of the stick.

[neverdem]

Already loosing control. If allowed, Iraq will be a mess and not too much better than before. Sorry, but you can't have individual armies.

Check Exporting Switzerland. I googled Federalist+Papers+Switzerland to find this. You get other interesting results as well.

"But the main and obvious reason why I bring up Switzerland is that I am flummoxed by the fact nobody else has done so in all the talk about rebuilding Iraq. Switzerland is peaceful now, but it was formed by warring tribes of Germans, Italians, French, and Romansch, and divided along religious lines in a strategically vital region of Europe not unlike Iraq's place in the Middle East."

[Logical me]

What is "Kurdistan or death!"

[McGavin999]

That is EXACTLY what I was thinking. There are no better fighters in Iraq than the Pesh Merga, they are fantastic warriors and they have the full respect of our guys. The thing they need to understand is that it's fine to have pride in your "state" but they are also a part of greater Iraq. Actually, they could be made into various groups like the Screaming Eagles. Over the years, it won't be a matter of being Kurdish, but a matter of being the best there is to be Pesh Merga and will eventually have Shiia and Sunni as well.

[Logical me]

You are exactly right. Every able bodied person was the militia. What was the propose of a "militia"? Do you think it was to create a "Kurdish land"? I'll accept the creation of a Kurdish militia to protect from the terrorist, but as the article seems to insinuate, they wish to have their own land. What next, their own Constitution separate from the one Iraq is trying to establish. I see the Kurdish movement will eventually be another group of insurgents trying to overthrow the newly formed Iraqi's Government. Play all you want to with our Constitution, but I see nothing telling me that in our history that the militia was meant to overthrow the Constitution except for a few kooks, like we have today.

[beltfed308]

I was refering to our own constitution not the Iraqi one. The Kurds have always wanted their own country and it has caused friction with Turkey for many years. I do not see them becoming insurgents in the future. We will see.

I think we are misunderstanding each other.

[beltfed308]

I was refering to our own constitution not the Iraqi one. The Kurds have always wanted their own country and it has caused friction with Turkey for many years. I do not see them becoming insurgents in the future. We will see.

I think we are misunderstanding each other.

[neverdem]

Play all you want to with our Constitution, but I see nothing telling me that in our history that the militia was meant to overthrow the Constitution except for a few kooks, like we have today.

Our militia was also intended to protect against any tyrants who usurped power. Thomas Jefferson expeced more revolutions every 20 - 30 years. So far, we only had the Civil War.