MESOP TODAYS KURDISH QUOTATION ON TRUMP vs: HILLARY: Diliman Abdulkader “Why Trump!”
- Diliman Abdulkader is a Masters student at the School of International Service, American University in Washington DC. He is studying Peace and Conflict Resolution, with a focus on Global Kurdish Studies. He is also a research associate at the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET).
So why Trump? He simply offers everything Clinton does not; the exact opposite. Although his policy towards the Kurds are not clear, there still lies a bit of optimism, anything is better than the status quo. In the past he’s mentioned that the Kurds “have been horribly mistreated”. He has also stated that “he’s a big fan of the Kurdish forces” who have made the most positive impact on the ground against IS. Trump is also against the Iran deal, stating that it is “one of the worst deals [he’s] ever seen”.
A Kurd would say that there is no such thing as “moderate” rebels in Iraq or Syria, today they may be terrorists, tomorrow they are considered allies. This has been the root cause of the rise of violence in the region, going in without a decisive military strategy. Donald Trump understands that the United States should distance itself from training rebels it does not know or control.
With all things placed into context, it is highly likely that the Kurds will gain little or nothing under either candidate. However, Clinton’s ill-informed strategy in the Middle East has done nothing to make the Middle East a safer place, let alone help the Kurds. Donald Trump offers a bit of hope, until then, the Kurds will continue to shuffle through candidates until they get lucky.
Diliman Abdulkader is a Masters student at the School of International Service, American University in Washington DC. He is studying Peace and Conflict Resolution, with a focus on Global Kurdish Studies. He is also a research associate at the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET).