Modern buildings are popping up all over Erbil, the de facto capital of the region called Kurdistan.
Posted on 02/19/2007 12:26:47 AM PST by ajolympian2004
Kurdistan: The Other Iraq - '60 Minutes', reported by Bob Simon
(link to video of the segment that aired below)
Modern buildings are popping up all over Erbil, the de facto capital of the region called Kurdistan.
Excerpt -
Try to imagine a peaceful and stable Iraq where business is booming and Americans are beloved. Now open your eyes because 60 Minutes is going to take you to a part of Iraq which fits that description: it's called Kurdistan.
Technically, it's inside Iraq but the Kurds who live there behave as if they already live in a separate state. As correspondent Bob Simon reports, they have their own prime minister, their own army, their own border patrol—even their own flag. And the overwhelming majority of Kurds will tell you they want nothing to do with Baghdad and the rest of Iraq.
And why would they after the brutal way Iraqis under Saddam treated them in the past? Why would they when they’re doing just fine on their own?
(At story link see bottom of page for parts 1, 2 and 3)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/16/60minutes/main2486679.shtml
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Kurdistan Strives For Autonomy (segment that aired)
The northeast tip of Iraq, known as Kurdistan, is a safe and economically growing region. Bob Simon reports on a secure area, next door to a war zone, that may or may not get its own sovereignty.
VIDEO - (12 minutes, 17 seconds)
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2491526n
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An American In Kurdistan
Only On The Web: Bob Simon asks Ahmed Gilani, a college student, why he returned to Kurdistan after growing up in Texas.
VIDEO - (2 minutes, 38 seconds)
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2491524n
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Bob Simon's Notebook
Only On The Web: "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon talks about the Iraqi region of Kurdistan and the problems it faces in seeking independence from the rest of the war-torn country.
VIDEO - (1 minute, 27 seconds)
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2482304n
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Good news from Iraq ping request.
FReeper Kristinn Taylor Reports from FREE Iraq
Move America Forward ^ | 11/06/2006 | Kristinn Taylor Reporting
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1733652/posts
Report #2 by Kristinn Taylor from FREE IRAQ!
Move America Forward ^ | 11/07/2006 | Kristinn Taylor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1734425/posts
Kristinn's Report #3 from FREE IRAQ
Move America Forward ^ | 11/09/2006 | Kristinn Taylor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1735957/posts
Iraq Survey Group Takes Washington, D.C. by Storm [FReeper Kristinn Leads the Charge!]
Move America Forward & Free Republic ^ | 11/17/2006 | Kristinn Taylor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1740390/posts?page=51,26
Back from Iraq
Posted on 11/20/2006 12:55:47 AM PST by debbieargel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1741415/posts
Photos From Gold Star Parents' Trip To Free Iraq - Nov, 2006 (HEAVY GRAPHICS)
Photos by Kristinn | November 20, 2006
Posted on 11/20/2006 6:42:50 PM PST by tgslTakoma http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1741886/posts
If we ever leave Iraq (like the Democrats want us do), we should give all our military equipment to the Kurds.
Agree. A good segment by Bob Simon.
Harry and Nancy are deeply disappointed.
Thanks for that link. The 'Dream City' that Totten has pictures of was mentioned in the '60 Minutes' segment.
GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ
Thank you for the "ping". I would have missed this.
My take on the segment -- the first 60 Minutes segment I have watched in more than twenty years -- was that CBS and Simon were intentionally drawing a stark contrast in the light of what a miserable failure our efforts in the rest of Iraq have been. In other words, just about what I expected from this group of blame America firsters.
I never watch 60 Minutes on See-BS and so I missed this one, but the rational comparison would be this: Here is a thriving, peaceful, successful Kurdistan in northern Iraq, and this is exactly what the US and Coalition forces gave ALL of Iraq every opportunity to become. If too many Sunnis and Shias are far too vicious and far too stupid to have seized upon the great opportunities available, that is not our fault.
Stop whining Iraqis, kill off the terrorists and seize the opportunities before you! There is no good reason that all of Iraq cannot be as successful as northern Iraq....
Harry and nancy are probably trying to hammer out a resolution as we speak, that forbids giving our equiptment to the Kurds if we pull out- success simply can not be achieved in Iraq, even if we leave, in their minds. If the Kurds got our equiptment, then it would be seen as too positive a thing if we had anything to do with helping Iraq succeed.
The following link is a signature link and does not relate to this thread http://sacredscoop.com
If we leave Iraq early Kurdistan will get crushed between Turkey, Iran and the rest of Iraq.
I didn't see the Simon story, but I can't help mentioning that Kurdistan is peaceful because they don't allow any Arabs across the border without special permission. If you read the entry on Iraq the Model on Ali's attempts to visit a friend in Kurdistan you really get the feeling of what it's like.
I must say though- My old heart can't take news like this- CBS doing a positive story on Iraq? Has the world reversed it's polarity or something?
You could at least acknowledge that some of the progress seen in Kurdistan existed before we went in in '03. It has been largely independent for a decade.
BTTT - it was a great segment!
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