(03-04-2026 02:50 PM)hburg Wrote: The Kurdish offensive into Iran had begun.
good ... the Iranian people need their moxie and boots to help with transitioning arms and help the fight for both their freedom...
I'm 1000% behind boots by proxy....
I basically am inclined to trust the Kurds because they have been abused by local powers of both European and Middle Eastern extract.
But I have to acknowledge that history has proven that there is a risk with proxy boots on the ground. Sometimes those boots forget to leave when their job is finished.
I'm for boots by proxy because the occupants of those boots save our boots the risk. And the Kurds who trust very few would be inclined to trust the U.S. and they would be manifestly distrustful of Islamic fundamentalists. In fact they would have the proverbial hard on for Islamic fundamentalists and that's certainly a plus.
But I am reminded of the message of the movie, "Charlie Wilson's War" which was a true and remarkable story. The U.S. has a habit of leaving when the military objective is over. And when we do that, we leave a power vacuum usually filled by more crazies. Trump is wanting the non-militant faction of the Iranian population to take charge of their own country. This population base no doubt will have some recognizable leaders but no leaders who have been in power, or know how to use power, since the Shaw was deposed in the Carter era, so 50 years ago which means if the current leaders were in their 20's in the 70's that they are now over 70 with no experience in running a country.
That means there will be a massive void into which many different neighbors will want to enter. I think the U.S. through Trump should help to set up and maintain a coalition government of the ethnicity's native to Iran (religious and otherwise) and only cede total control when a generation with leadership experience emerges. Neighboring countries should sign an agreement to stay out of Iran until that time and set up their own diplomatic relationships with the new Iranian government so that they can observe and familiarize themselves with, and help engineer, a culture more congenial to peace in the region. Strategically, Iran is too important to simply leave to the whims of neighboring nations that covet that strategic positioning.
I'm in between you two. I think Trump is not planning to do anything with filling the void, and I do care to some extent, simply b/c if we don't have a reasonable outcome, all this effort would have been wasted.
Just a little off from the subject at hand and if you can put up with Tom Hanks.
History Channel releasing 20-part series on World War II, hosted by Tom Hanks...
Starting Memorial Day weekend, in honor of America 250, the History Channel will begin releasing a new 20-part series on the Second World War. This might be the most ambitious documentary series the channel has done in years.
(03-04-2026 02:50 PM)hburg Wrote: The Kurdish offensive into Iran had begun.
good ... the Iranian people need their moxie and boots to help with transitioning arms and help the fight for both their freedom...
I'm 1000% behind boots by proxy....
I basically am inclined to trust the Kurds because they have been abused by local powers of both European and Middle Eastern extract.
But I have to acknowledge that history has proven that there is a risk with proxy boots on the ground. Sometimes those boots forget to leave when their job is finished.
I'm for boots by proxy because the occupants of those boots save our boots the risk. And the Kurds who trust very few would be inclined to trust the U.S. and they would be manifestly distrustful of Islamic fundamentalists. In fact they would have the proverbial hard on for Islamic fundamentalists and that's certainly a plus.
But I am reminded of the message of the movie, "Charlie Wilson's War" which was a true and remarkable story. The U.S. has a habit of leaving when the military objective is over. And when we do that, we leave a power vacuum usually filled by more crazies. Trump is wanting the non-militant faction of the Iranian population to take charge of their own country. This population base no doubt will have some recognizable leaders but no leaders who have been in power, or know how to use power, since the Shaw was deposed in the Carter era, so 50 years ago which means if the current leaders were in their 20's in the 70's that they are now over 70 with no experience in running a country.
That means there will be a massive void into which many different neighbors will want to enter. I think the U.S. through Trump should help to set up and maintain a coalition government of the ethnicity's native to Iran (religious and otherwise) and only cede total control when a generation with leadership experience emerges. Neighboring countries should sign an agreement to stay out of Iran until that time and set up their own diplomatic relationships with the new Iranian government so that they can observe and familiarize themselves with, and help engineer, a culture more congenial to peace in the region. Strategically, Iran is too important to simply leave to the whims of neighboring nations that covet that strategic positioning.
no question the transition not only won't be easy, but there's no guarantee this yields future fundamental long-term success ... regardless, the key to this deal is to fund others to seek and destroy their current ability to develop a functional nuke from a jihadist ruling regime ... by itself, that's a phase I must!
phase II has to provide the intel/weaponry/air support to ensure phase I is secured ... the only logical path is to arm those from surrounding nations (be it Kurds, Israelis, etc) with the weapons necessary to funnel to the unarmed faction in Iran ... only then will they be capable of working with US forces to ensure they have any option of peacefully regaining control of their nation ... to wit and your point, I would only hope there would be conditions that have already been signed/met in lieu of any ad-hoc solicitation...
IMO, if both phases are successful, phase III (restructuring) becomes sky's the limit for their people and the region ... there's too much at stake across the board for this to end up as another failed attempt to 'liberate'...
the only option left ifs = 0 is vitrification ... and nobody wants that...
Quote:EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of Kurdish fighters launch ground offensive into Iran against regime, official says
The report comes as Washington weighs support for Kurdish groups and Trump speaks with Kurdish leaders about the war with Iran
5 min read
March 04, 2026 at 03:03 PM■latest revision March 04, 2026 at 03:22 PM
In this picture taken Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, a member of the Free Life Party, or PJAK, trains on a weapon at their camp in the Qandil mountains in northern Iraq. AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed
An official from the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK) says Kurdish armed groups based in Iraq have already begun a military offensive against Iranian regime forces.
According to the official, Kurdish fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) began taking combat positions inside Iranian territory on Monday, March 2.
“The ground military movements by Kurdish forces against Iran have already started since the midnight of March 2,” the official told i24NEWS.
He said Iranian forces evacuated the border city of Mariwan on March 3 and began establishing defensive positions in and around the area.
According to the CPFIK official, PJAK fighters have moved into positions around the southern mountains of Mariwan in western Iran.
He said thousands of PJAK fighters are already deployed inside Iran’s mountainous regions, particularly deep within the Zagros Mountains.
PJAK operates two armed wings: the YRK (Protection Units of Eastern Kurdistan) and the HPJ (Women’s Protection Forces), which the official said are modeled after Kurdish formations in Syria.
The comments come amid several media reports suggesting that Washington may be considering Kurdish groups as potential partners in efforts to pressure the Iranian regime.
According to CNN, the CIA is exploring plans to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising inside Iran.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders in Iraq to discuss the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran and possible next steps.
The Wall Street Journal has also reported that the Trump administration is open to supporting armed groups inside Iran willing to challenge the government.
The CPFIK official said several Kurdish political and armed factions are prepared to cooperate with the U.S. and Israel.
“Most of the armed Eastern Kurdistan [Western Iran] parties are ready to work in unity and openly with the State of Israel and the USA,” he said.
In addition to PJAK, he named several groups active in Iranian Kurdistan: the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), Komala factions, and the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK).
While PJAK has several thousand fighters, the official said the other groups together have only a few hundred militants, many of whom fought against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
“Right now, there are a few thousand trained armed forces in Eastern Kurdistan who are ready to be armed by the State of Israel and the USA,” he said.
The CPFIK official framed Kurdish cooperation with Israel and the United States as part of a broader geopolitical vision.
He argued that Iran is a “multinational country” composed of many ethnic groups — including Kurds, Baluch, Azeris, Turkmen, and Arabs — and suggested that weakening Tehran could allow these communities greater autonomy or independence.
He also said a future Kurdish state could serve as a strategic corridor linking the Persian Gulf to Israel.
“Kurds are a powerful force to defeat the enemies of Israel,” he said, arguing that Kurds and Jews share common adversaries in the region.
“The Kurds and the Jews are natural allies in the Middle East,” he said, adding that many Kurds view Israel’s establishment as proof that independence is achievable for stateless nations.
He said Kurdish factions would welcome closer cooperation with both Washington and Jerusalem, including potential U.S. military bases in Kurdish areas of Iran and economic cooperation with Israel.
The claims about Kurdish military movements and potential U.S. support have not been independently verified.
Neither the White House nor Israeli officials have publicly confirmed plans to arm Kurdish groups inside Iran.
Like I said in another site, I don't want Iran to become another Gaza, not one building standing. I would rather arm the Iranians themselves because I'm sure they hold a grudge against the Irgc because of the way they treated their people. They would want revenge. They could operate clandestinely by eliminating the Irgc command structure first and then the minions who get their commands from them. The Kurds could operate in the suburban areas.
Now I heard that the regime has fired a missile into Turkey, I don't know how much truth there is in that though.
(03-04-2026 08:33 PM)hburg Wrote: Lebanon has declared Hezbollah outside the law and has vowed to destroy it. Israel has gained an ally against Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government hadnt done that before because it would require a nasty grueling military campaign to purge their presence. We will see if they have the stones to actually do something about it.
(This post was last modified: 03-04-2026 09:53 PM by Attackcoog.)
(03-04-2026 08:33 PM)hburg Wrote: Lebanon has declared Hezbollah outside the law and has vowed to destroy it. Israel has gained an ally against Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government hadnt done that before because it would require a nasty grueling military campaign to purge their presence. We will see if they have the stones to actually do something about it.
I wish they would. Lebanon is a beautiful country and they could get rich off of tourism if they would simply rid the goat f*ckers from their country.
(03-04-2026 08:33 PM)hburg Wrote: Lebanon has declared Hezbollah outside the law and has vowed to destroy it. Israel has gained an ally against Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government hadn't done that before because it would require a nasty grueling military campaign to purge their presence. We will see if they have the stones to actually do something about it.
That is a key question. But even if the Lebanese authorities cannot or will not do the job themselves, this latest declaration strongly implies that they will allow others to do it for them.
“Iran spent decades constructing underground bunkers to shield its vast missile arsenal from destruction. Less than a week into the war with its two most powerful adversaries, the strategy is beginning to look like a blunder.
U.S. and Israeli war planes and armed drones are circling over the dozens of cavernous bases, striking missile-carrying launchers when they emerge to fire. Meanwhile, waves of heavy bombers have dropped munitions on the sites, apparently entombing the Iranian weapons below ground in some locations.”
“With Iranian air-defense batteries largely neutralized, the U.S. and Israel are keeping slow-moving surveillance aircraft flying over known missile bases in some locations—and only attacking, using manned jet fighters or with armed drones, when they see signs of activity, analysts said.”
It is having an effect. Iran’s missile launches have dropped 86% in four days.
(03-04-2026 08:33 PM)hburg Wrote: Lebanon has declared Hezbollah outside the law and has vowed to destroy it. Israel has gained an ally against Hezbollah.
I think they're just empty words, they want to save themselves from Israeli retaliation.
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