Terror List Exposes U.S. Hypocrisy
America has declared its intent to fight terrorism across the globe by attacking extremists wherever they exist. The war on terror extends from the sands of Iraq to the cities of Europe, and in order to combat terrorism effectively, America has placed many extremist groups on its "terror list." Groups that are on this list - which counts al Qaeda, the Irish Republican Army, and Hamas among its members - are severely restricted with regards to their international financing and movements of supplies and people. The long arm of American law has reached out to help Turkey in its recent battles with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as the group is on the terror list. Other Kurdish rebels, however, don't have the same black label and that is hypocritical. The Party for Free Life in Kurdistan - also known as the PJAK - is a violent Kurdish militia that operates along the border between Iraq and Iran. Similar to the PKK, the PJAK draws Kurdish nationalists to its cause from Iraq, Iran and Turkey. It is well armed and nearly impossible to corner because of the rugged, mountainous regions it operates in. Just like the PKK, the PJAK violently demands an independent Kurdistan. However, the PJAK is not on the US terror list. Its constant attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran go unnoticed, and America has no care for the number of Iranians killed by these terrorists. Since August, the PJAK has killed hundreds of Iranian soldiers and shot down an Iranian helicopter that was patrolling the border between Iraq and Iran. The PJAK also routinely bombs targets inside Iran. Unfortunately for Iranian authorities, the group is based in Iraq - essentially an American protectorate - so any move by Iranian troops to crush the terrorists would be seen as aggression against Iraq.
Recently, Turkish and Iranian leaders have come together and vowed to ally and defeat the Kurdish terrorists. It's time for America to stop the hypocrisy and label the PJAK a terrorist group. If the U.S. is serious about fighting terrorism, it ought to fight these extremists wherever they exist, not just where it's politically convenient.
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