B.Yunis

Let’s talk about how badass the Kurds are and how much we actually owe them. The Kurds are some of the toughest fighters on the planet, and anyone who has worked around them knows it. They have a deep warrior culture that goes back generations, and when they fight, they fight hard and with a ruthlessness that is often unmatched. In Iraq, Syria, and across the region, Kurdish fighters stood shoulder to shoulder with US Special Forces and did the kind of work that wins wars (if only American politics didn’t get in the way). They helped us smash ISIS when most of the region collapsed. They cleared cities street by street while we backed them with air and advisors. They held the line when it mattered. The Peshmerga and the Kurdish led SDF proved over and over again that they are disciplined, capable, and absolutely fearless in battle. What makes it even more remarkable is that they have stayed loyal to US interests even when we have not exactly returned the favor… which is tragic. It makes me angry just thinking about it. Most of you have probably never heard of them. The Kurds have been used, sidelined, and at times flat out abandoned… Syria being the most recent example, and yet they still continue to work with us because they know who their real enemies are. That kind of loyalty in the Middle East is rare. They have earned far more respect and support than they have been given. From a pure strategy standpoint, partnering with Kurdish forces to apply pressure against the Islamic regime in Iran makes a lot of sense. They know the terrain, they have motivated fighters, and they already have networks and resistance inside the region. But beyond the strategy, there is something bigger here. The Kurds bled with us in the worst fights against ISIS and stood with American troops when it counted. We owe them. They deserve their own lands, their own holdings. And if the United States wants allies who will fight and hold the line when things get ugly, there are not many better bets in the Middle East than the Kurds. God bless these warriors. I pray for their safety and swift victory. DOL, my Kurdish friends.