Kurdistan Observer

The United States has made a mess of Iraq and is now trying to pick up the pieces with a new plan of a military surge in Baghdad. The American Congress, controlled by the Democrats, is up in arms and even some senior U.S. generals are voicing their misgivings about the "surge."

The U.S. military surge has been coupled with a demand that the Iraqis also commit troops to fight the insurgents and militia that have pushed Iraq into a spiral of violence. For the first time, two Kurdish brigades are being pushed into the battle fronts, which means now they will directly take on the Arabs of Iraq …

Until now the Kurds preferred to stay in their own northern enclave away from trouble. Their region was stable and peaceful. This also created a positive atmosphere that allowed then to boast that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was the safest place.

Of course now the Kurds are being asked to take some risks and be a part of the campaign to bring peace and stability to the rest of Iraq. This is fair and justified. In return the Kurds are to be financially rewarded for their contributions.

However, what is dangerous is not the participation of the Kurds in military actions outside their region but the rising tensions created by American assaults on Iranians in Erbil.

Until now there were claims that the Americans and the Iranians are fighting an undeclared war in Iraq. The Kurdish region was spared of war until now but we fear that latest American actions in Erbil will spread the violence into the Kurdish region.

The Kurds have always been extremely careful in their relations with Iran because they know well that the Iranians have the potential to destabilize their region like other parts of Iraq …

The Americans have been antagonizing Iran directly in the Kurdish areas. First they raided an Iranian mission in Erbil and took away Iranian officials and documents.

On Thursday night The New Anatolian learnt that American soldiers had surrounded an Iranian passenger plane arriving at Erbil Airport from Tehran and held the passengers at gunpoint for three hours. They searched all passengers and harassed the airline crew. There were unconfirmed reports that the Americans may have apprehended some Iranians.

On Friday Iran hit back by closing its border into the Kurdish region.

The Americans have to realize that the Kurds will continue living with their neighbors after they depart voluntarily or are forced out of Iraq one day. It is no use sowing the seeds of enmity and discord between the Kurds and the Iranians. This will benefit no one.

This is a dangerous game and the Iraqi Kurdish leaders have to raise this issue with the Americans. Let us hope the Kurds do not experience what it means to go to bed with a superpower …