Ep 3. The Kurds

In season 44 episode 3 of Great Decisions in Foreign Policy, titled "The Kurds," the focus is on one of the Middle East's most enduring ethnic groups, Kurdistan. The episode delves into the complex history of the Kurds, their struggle for a homeland, and their current relationship with regional and global powers.

The segment begins by tracing the origins of the Kurdish people, whose ancestors migrated to the region during the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE. The Kurds are now the largest ethnic group in the world without a state, with an estimated 30 million people spread across Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

Next, the episode examines the Kurds' quest for self-determination, which has led to numerous uprisings and rebellions over the years. One of the most significant of these was the Anfal campaign in the late 1980s, in which Saddam Hussein's regime killed an estimated 180,000 Kurds in northern Iraq.

The episode then moves on to explore the current situation facing the Kurds, who have emerged as key players in the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The Kurds have set up their own autonomous zone within Syria and established a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, known as the Kurdistan Region.

However, their aspirations for an independent state have been thwarted by opposition from neighboring countries such as Turkey and Iran, who fear that a Kurdish state would embolden their own Kurdish populations to seek separation.

The episode also looks at the Kurds' complicated relationship with the United States, which has relied on Kurdish fighters to help defeat ISIS but has also often abandoned them in the past. This dichotomy was highlighted in 2019 when the U.S. abruptly withdrew troops from Syria, leaving the Kurds vulnerable to a Turkish military offensive.

Throughout the episode, expert analysts provide context and insights into the Kurds' history and current situation. They argue that the Kurds' quest for self-determination is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, given the complex array of regional and global interests at play.

Overall, "The Kurds" is a fascinating and nuanced exploration of one of the most important and enduring ethnic groups in the Middle East. Through a combination of historical context and expert analysis, it sheds light on the challenges facing the Kurds as they seek to carve out a place for themselves in a region rife with conflict and complexity.