Posted on 12/17/2014 2:08:04 PM PST by SeekAndFind
SULAYMANIYAH, Northern Iraq – The bald eagle, Old Glory and the almighty dollar are king in this portion of Iraq, where ethnic Kurds don’t hide their affection for the U.S.
Shops peddle American flags, U.S. military gear is prized and the locals speak glowingly of the nation they credit with removing Saddam Hussein, the dictator whose heavy hand so often came down on the minority clustered in Iraq’s northern regions.
"Imagine if America didn't exist,” said Kurdo Amin Agha, an accountant whose home is adorned with Israeli, American and Kurdistan flags, and who wears a U.S. Army shirt and Navy SEAL watch. “Without America, the world would be run by China or Iran.
"America represents freedom," he added. "Our dream is to be eternally allied to America."
[SNIP]
The roots of the Kurdish affection for America lie in the U.S.-led operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While the first, under President George H.W. Bush, did not topple the hated Hussein, it served notice that America was his enemy.
U.S. military forces ousted Hussein in 2003 and brought him to ultimate justice in 2006, when he was executed on orders of an Iraqi tribunal. Tens of thousands of Kurds were murdered, many with chemical weapons, on orders of the former Baath Party leader. Once Hussein was gone, the oil-rich Kurdish region began to prosper.
[SNIP]
Most Kurds show great respect for President Obama, but it’s the name Bush that generates a larger salute. Some are even preparing to get behind possible candidate Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential elections.
"The first Bush made no secret that he hated Saddam, the second Bush finished him off," Agha added. "And the third will be the one to give Kurdistan its independence."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
At least somebody like us. How do you think this would play in Berkley CA?
RE: How do you think this would play in Berkley CA?
“Bush lied, people died”
Tell that to the Kurds who were victims of Saddam’s WMD.
“They celebrate occasions together. It is something very beautiful. I have friends who pray and friends who don't, that is not my problem. That is their choice. That is how Kurdish people think about religion."
Isn't this refreshing?
From day one I was in favor of arming the Kurds and letting the Kurds have their own country, and letting the Sunnis and Shia fight it out for the rest of the territory.
Politicins have problems with a free Kurdistan beacuse so-called friendly countries like Turkey don't want that to happen, and I am sure other nearby countries to Kurdistan would oppose that. -Tom
The Kurds are Sunni Muslims, but the Kurdish culture seems to over ride that religion, and they are somewhat trustworthy.
I hope they make out OK, but people in our Govt. will unfortunately work against them. -Tom
Imagine a world where CNN would post this story, or stories like this on their website..
Nice article. Glad that some in this world still think Americans can and do change things for the better.
No wonder Omarxist hung these people out to dry.
Pray America is waking
The Kurdish girl wrapped in the American flag - warms the heart to see that.
Living in New York, I know a few Kurds who moved here over 20 years ago.
I was a customer of one of them whose business is providing windows frames....
Anyway, my impression is they are the sort of Muslims who are not overly religious. They’re not into the “Pray Five Times a Day facing towards Mecca” sort of thing.
In fact, I find them woefully ignorant of what the Koran actually says.
Which is OK in my book :)
At my age if I saw this on CNN I’d be reaching for my heart meds. I think what would be the clincher would be seeing someone like Hillary or Fauxchantas Warren become an honest-to-God-true-blue conservative. That’d be it for me.
My attempt to impress the Kurds had been stupid. And thoughtlessly cruel. It must have cost that sergeant real pain to make that brief forced-march. But he had smiled all the way.
When we said goodbye later on, the sergeant touched his heart and told me, “You are an American. You are my brother. I would die for you.”
He meant it.
http://nypost.com/2004/04/15/pride-at-the-border-kurds-watching-iraqs-north/
“Most Kurds show great respect for President Obama”
Ok.
Why?
Excuse me if I’m dubious.
No one in that region is our friend (unless they want something from us). They just want us to help them kill other Muslims
Foreigners always love us when they want something from us, usually protection. Perhaps the Kurds are different.. perhaps.
“Tell that to the Kurds who were victims of Saddam’s WMD.’’ Right? And those oh-so-oppressed Berklyites . So bloody self-righteous , so morally superior because they spend their days marching, and ‘’fighting oppression’’(in the Land Of Freedom) and staging sit-ins, die-ins, trashing a Starbucks and crapping on cop cars. They’re a busy group those self-righteous oppression fighters. Gosh! I’m in awe of them.(He said dripping sarcasm.) Truth be told they make me sick.
The Kurds converted to Islam in the seventh century AD. Most Kurds are orthodox Sunni Muslims of the Shaft school; however, in southeastern and southern Kurdistan, some tribes are Shiite. Also found in southeastern Kurdistan is the Ahl-e Haqq sect, which, although based on Ismaili Shiism, is considered heretical by other Muslims.
The Alawites (Alevis) of northwestern Kurdistan also practice an unorthodox form of Shiism. The majority of Alawites are Turks, but many are Kurds, some of whom speak the Zaza dialect. A syncretistic form of religion found only among the Kurds is the Yezidi sect. It is believed to be derived from Zorastrianism but influenced by Ismaili Shiism. Its practitioners have been referred to as devil worshipers and are subject to severe persecution. In addition to Muslims, groups of Jews and Christians (Armenians, Assyrians, and Syriacs) have lived among the Kurds.
Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Kurds-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html#ixzz3MGIrEj2o
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