United States: Catalyst or Bystander in Various Kurdish Crises

Serwan Zangana | Exclusive to iKurd.net

The United States has to review its policy in the Middle East and see the risk that is facing the region because of its actions. History has proven that the region’s problems with Israel and the United States will not end under the edge of sword. That means the United States and Israel will not be able to bring the armed groups to the negotiation table by force.

Ending the Middle Eastern conflicts comes with compromises from everyone. Evidently, the United States’ power has not been able to lay a solution or bring peace to the region. However, it is always the major countries that cause catastrophes in the world. The Arab nations are in lack of influence in the ongoing conflict in the region. However, the Iranian backed militias are playing a major role in exacerbating the situation and fighting both Israel and the United States.

Regardless of the purposes and the principles of these militias, the United States must understand the impossibility of eradicating them. Also, the region’s governments are unable to end these militias actions and operations against the United States. The fierce policy of the United States has impacted the region and its allies negatively. Indeed, the United States has lost its credibility even among its closest allies in the region. However, the allies have no other option for now rather than the United States. However, to review the situation closely, obviously the United States’ troubled policy became a foundation of the crises in the regions.

The radical change in the United States foreign policy begins with changing the classical belief of the American politicians of imposing the definitions of freedom and democracy on the Middle Eastern nations. The American politicians must understand the differences in culture, religions, and the historical existence of the people in the Middle East. It is definitely not legitimate and realistic to impose a policy based on some Western political ideology.

In fact, the United States has failed to stop the Iranian-backed militias and groups. The Arab nations also have failed as mediators in a predicament that United States has stepped into. Obviously, the armed militias and groups are only tools generated by some nations in the regions. Seemingly, there are reasons that the operations of such militias and groups are continuously fueled against the United States.

The United States has lost its powerful and credible position in the world. The American system is trending downward to completely become similar to the European countries with less influence in the world. This indeed causes a crack of the foundation of a strong country, and hence, weakens the system.

Also, the United States is ignoring and avoiding some points that are the factors of issues in the region. Obviously, the foreign policy of the United States is a book with two different covers. As one is distracting and creating chaotic situations, at the same time it conducts humanitarian operations and evacuates some people to America, which causes more burden for American people. This is the drama that the United States’ foreign policy creates.

How are Kurds affected by this drama?

Kurds have alway been affected by the United States’ foreign policy. Such policy has no mercy in the event of the turning point of the United States operation. The double standards of the United States with Kurds has been observed throughout history. It is a dirty political game mainly between the United States, Turkey, and Iran that affects Kurds negatively. While the United States conducts joints operations with the Syrian Kurdish, YPG, People’s Protection Units, against Islamic States in Syria, It limits its support and mutes its voice against Turkey’s attacks on the group.

The YPG is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK, but ironically, the United States has the latter group on the terrorist list! Evidently, the Kurds in Turkey are not the human rights concern in the United States policy.
Moreover, Human rights of Kurds in Iran have not received much attention by the United States. Evidently, it has not been a concern for the United States to intervene and speak of Kurds human rights in Iran, specifically. There is no ending to the United States ambiguous foreign policy.

Furthermore, to review the Iraqi Kurds’ situation, it is a dark cloud that covers the political sky in the region. Iraqi Kurdistan is a victim of its politicians, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. Unlike the other Kurdish leaders in the region, the Iraqi Kurdish leaders have been loyal to the neighboring regimes throughout history.

While the Kurdish leaders of the other parts of Kurdistan were assassinated and thrown in prisons, the Kurdish leaders in Iraqi Kurdistan were in the survival game serving Turkey, Iran, and even the former Baathist party. Evidently, the United States has either been a reason or a spectator in many Kurds crises.

Serwan Zangana, a contributing writer for iKurd.net, lives in Virginia, U.S. He serves as a correction officer.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.