The state of Iraq as we once knew it is in shambles. ISIS continues to occupy vast swaths of Iraq, sectarian conflicts are on the rise, and the Maliki government cowers in Baghdad while the barbarians batter the gates. In response, the U.S. has sent a few hundred military advisors in an attempt to bolster the Iraqi military's morale, so far with little success. Elsewhere in the region, Israel and the Palestinians are in the midst of another conflict, Syria is still in a bloody civil war (with ISIS involved), and the Iranian nuclear talks have been extended with no real promise of a deal in the works. Simply put, the Middle East as a whole is extremely volatile. That is, except for Kurdistan. The Kurds of northern Iraq are sitting pretty. They have not only successfully defended themselves from the ISIS threat, but they have taken control of the key city of Kirkuk, as well as some crucial oil fields. According to Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees,...(Read Full Article)