Canada and the Kurds

Re: ‘We don’t trust Americans anymore; Kurds feel betrayed by U.S., Oct. 23 The outcome in Iraq with the Kurds pushed out of their “homeland” around Irbil and the oil-rich region around Kirkuk by Iraqi government forces and Iranian militias should come as no surprise to anyone following events in the Middle East. While this article focuses on the Kurds’ sense of betrayal by the Americans, a more pertinent question is where the Canadian government stands in its abandonment of the Kurds?

When the Canadian government committed military forces to assist the Peshmerga fight against ISIL, how did it expect to reconcile this tactical and operational decision with the more enduring strategic one of peace in the region? In other words, how did Canada expect to satisfy Kurdish nationalism given that this dream was anathema to Turkey, an important NATO ally?

Further, what promises were made by senior Canadian military commanders in theatre to their Kurdish counterparts in light of clear objections by Iraqi and Iranian leaders to any idea of a Kurdish homeland in Iraq? Finally, what plans does the Canadian government have to achieve peace in the region post-ISIL? As many predicted, defeating ISIL, an extreme version of Sunni Islam, will lead to Shiabacked forces filling in the power void (ditto in Syria). The end result: the centuries-old conflict in this region, underpinned by intractable religious hatred, will reignite with marginalized Sunnis and Kurds unhappy with Shia dominance.