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I think you should read the US and UK words on this referendum as "saying no but nodding yes". For geopolitical reasons (see: Bosphorous straits) the US/Western

I think you should read the US and UK words on this referendum as "saying no but nodding yes". For geopolitical reasons (see: Bosphorous straits) the US/Western Bloc can't afford to piss off Turkey. But in a vacuum I'm sure the US and Brits are perfectly fine to see a Kurdish state. The result is that the US and UK will pay lip service to being anti-secession while doing nothing to stop it on the ground.

dragonwriter 9y ago
The US (and probably UK) don't want a Kurdish state formed out of the Kurdish areas of A Iraq because because, Syria, Iran, and Iraq have been united in opposing Kurdish separatism, and even if Iraq gets okay with it, a Kurdish state encourages separatists in Iran, Syria, and Turkey, and drives Syria and, more importantly, Turkey into deeper alignment with Iran. Ideologically, the US and UK might support the Kurds goals, but geopolitically they do not. And geopolitical, especially with the US, trumps ideals in the Middle East.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  > And geopolitical, especially with the US, trumps ideals in the Middle East. Always has, everywhere, unfortunately. See our various exploits overthrowing legitimate democracies that sided with the USSR and replacing them with bloody-handed dictators that sided with us.
  - allenz 9y ago
    I think that we've made progress. There is now a consensus that those actions were wrong, and should not be repeated.
    - skrebbel 9y ago
      > and should not be repeated. Are you sure that's part of the consensus?
    - wruza 9y ago
      I like how some people are always positive and forward-looking on what they've done.