Syrians, Iranians, and Kurds, Oh My!

A domino effect throughout the middle east indeed, first in Syria...

It's the worst domestic unrest in Syria in two decades. Over the weekend and into Monday, Kurds rioted in several Syrian towns adjacent to Iraq and Turkey, prompting swift intervention by Syrian troops. At least 14 Kurds died in riots which began Friday in Qamishli during a brawl between Kurdish and Arab soccer fans.

then in Iran.

In Iran, Kurds have their own province and are relatively free to participate in the country's political life, traditionally by supporting reformist politicians. But their political impact was dealt a severe setback by last month's elections, when the vast majority of opposition candidates were barred from running.

Ali Reza Nourizadeh is the director of the London-based Center for Arab-Iranian Studies. He says Iranian Kurds in the past week held public gatherings celebrating Iraq's interim constitution and the autonomy of the Iraqi Kurds. Several people were reported injured and dozens arrested when Iranian authorities broke up the gatherings.

News out of both of these societies is very dificult to get, so the scope of the unrest is unclear. Some accounts are rather sensational.

Civil war isn't the only threat; regional war is. Ready for the vortex?

A real threat here is if armed Kurds start seeking refuge in northern Iraq after causing trouble of one kind or another in Syrian, Iranian, or - god forbid - Turkish territory. If any Kurdish village grants them refuge or protects them in any way, then our number one ally in Iraq is providing safe harbor for those whom Iraq's neighbors will characterize as terrorists. The irony is almost discernable through the dreadful magnitude of the situation.

If you're interested in more horrific yet timely irony duplicity, contrast this spectacle with this exhaustive account.

UPDATE 9:45 am WED: Ha'aretz is reporting that a US team landed in Syria to help with negotiations and told Syrian authorities to (1) get the situation under control but (2) don't be too rough about it.

VOA reports that Amnesty International is demanding Syria come clean on the whereabouts of hundreds of Kurds detained over the last few days. One source said 2000 in "mass arrests" as far away as Damascus.

Al Bawaba presents the Syrian authorities as intervening by meeting with leaders on both sides, Arab and Kurdish.

Numerous accounts over the last 3 days have indicated Kurdish expatriates or exiles (what do you call them when they don't have a country?) have demonstrated at Syrian embassies in Brussels (where they actually occupied the compound), Geneva, Ankara, and Nicosia. Also lots of "where is the western press?" comments abound. Do bloggers have to take the lead on getting this story out, too? C'mon, guys; you're the ones with reporters on the ground in these places.

CSM, which leaves Time in its analytical dust on virtually every story, has a good map. I like maps.