James Jennings | Exclusive to Ekurd.net

There is one word that explains why the US is a second-rate power in a third rate region dominated by Turkey and the fourth rate government of Iraq. Incirlik.

It is time the US builds in Iraqi Kurdistan military air facilities that match or beat what’s available to them in Turkey. Turkey holds all the cards because it can grant or withhold permission to land or take off, using Turkish air space and ground facilities. This means that much of American diplomatic power throughout the Middle East fights with one hand tied behind its back. Turkey is the knot.

Iran might not like the idea of Kurdistan hosting a massive US military airbase just the other side of a pomegranate grove. So what. The Iranians aren’t likely to nuke a base where thousands of their tribesmen live and work. We had that war under Saddam. If the US wanted to blow up Iranian nuclear facilities, the weapon would be fired from under a mountain in Montana.

A Kurdish Incirlik might not appeal to all Kurds until they looked at the size of the civilian payrolls that would result. Construction would cost several billion dollars and require many thousands of Kurdish workers for three or four years. As Kurdistan’s tourist business and commercial airports continue to grow, the Kurdish Incirlik would offer greatly enhanced air systems and air traffic control, thus making travel to or from Kurdistan safer than it already is.

In the end, the US is sometimes powerful, but many times useless. The bargain with Erdogan suits only Erdogan. And maybe the Russians.

Make a simple deal with Barzani: make approval of this project his last job and the airbase will be named for him. If he doesn’t, maybe Talabani would like the honor.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

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