All of the "they fought along side of us" stuff really pisses me off.

[SuprstitionAintthWay]

30. Btw I'm not Kurdish myself, and if I even know any Kurdish-Americans

I'm not aware of it.

I am a U.S. military vet, though.

Over a number of years I've just been struck by Kurds' poor situation in their part of the world -- not unlike the Armenians' before a new nation of Armenia was created. How their precarious situation so contrasts with their initiative, determination, and seemingly special capabilities, stability, and military effectiveness, esp. relative to the rest of Iraq.

And how willing and useful their regional government and its Pesh Merga forces have been to the U.S., as we've floundered about trying to undo some of the mess we made there.

Whenever you've seen pictures of uniformed Muslim women soldiers out on patrol in that part of the world? Those are Pesh Merga. I'm sort of used to it, but it still makes me do a double-take. And especially for women soldiers to be on the ground fighting the Islamic State Caliphate? I admire... I'm amazed and inspired by... their bravery.