From bad to worse

A few days ago, I wrote about a potential nightmare scenario coming to pass in the Middle East. As mentioned, I didn't get into the Turkey aspect of things because that would require a whole new set of complications that I didn't want to get into. Turkey, however, has other plans. Those plans appear to involve invading Iraq from the north to fight the Kurdish rebels based there.

A Turkish invasion will, de facto, annex the northern portion of the country. That territory was recently part of the Ottoman Empire and regarded by most Turks as part of the Turkish homeland. Turkey doesn’t like the Kurds and has long feared the creation of Kurdish state. Not to mention that the Turks have a long history of brutally repressing ethnic groups they find objectionable. Take a look at their treatment of the Armenians and Greeks during their respective wars. Not pretty.

If Turkey decides to get into the game, the outcome for Iraq is completely unpredictable. This country will go beyond civil war; it could very well disintegrate.