The Kurds are a people who have been struggling to assert their independence and preserve their culture and identity for centuries. They are constantly let down by those they ally and support most recently by the United States which after allowing them to take on the bloody task of tackling ISIS in Syria and Iraq has abandoned them to another bitter foe the government of Erdogan of Turkey. Already as the Turks advance into Kurdish territory innocent civilians are dying.
US President Donald Trump compounds his betrayal of this much abused people by making the astounding statement that:
“They didn’t help us in the Second World War”
The US President is obviously not a student of history as volunteers from the Kurdish homelands did fight in the second war with the (British) Iraq Levies, notably in the Anglo-Iraq conflict in 1941. Later in the war (with Assyrians) they made up 25% of the Levies 1st Parachute Company which fought in Albania, Italy and Greece.
Of course after the Second War they were let down by the British in the same way as they are now betrayed by the United States.
For the record: In WW2 Donald Trump’s father Fred avoided the draft and made his money exploiting slum housing in New York City. His son – the current President – avoided the draft (five times) at the time of the Vietnam War.
I suppose the lesson to be learned by oppressed peoples is ‘have no faith in the United Kingdom or the United States’!
Images: Kurd and Assyrian dead lie in this military cemetery war cemetery in Cyprus
Bernard Moffatt
Assistant General Secretary Celtic League (10 October, 2019)
