Does Democratic Underground favor an independent Kurdistan?

[Lurks Often]

10. I am referring to a "hot" war

involving conventional military forces, not the relatively "lukewarm" civil wars going on right now. It would be more along the lines of Iran-Iraq War II, only involving one or more of the following countries Turkey, Syria, Jordan, the Gulf States and possibly Israel getting dragged into it.

Such a war would raise oil prices significantly, which would affect the US and world economy, it could very well drag in countries outside of the Middle East. Russia, for example, is unlikely to allow Syria to be overrun by the Turkish military and it is equally unlikely that the US could avoid being dragged into such a hypothetical shooting war in the region given our long standing relationships with the various Gulf states and Israel.

*Of the Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE & Oman) all spend a significant amount of money (given their GDP's) on modern military equipment from the US, England, France & Germany, however their populations are too small to support a large military. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar & Oman spend a higher % of their GDP on their military then the US and the UAE spending by GDP is nearly as much as the US.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/thematic-maps/world-military-expenditures-percent-of-gdp-map.html