President of the Kurdish Regional Government Massoud Barzani has an article in the Washington Post of interest:
A Kurdish Vision of Iraq
By Massoud BarzaniIn recent weeks Iraq has passed three important milestones. The constitutional referendum on Oct. 15 was a powerful demonstration of Iraqis’ desire to establish democracy and save a country still recovering from its disastrous history. Two days later the remains of 500 of my kinsmen were returned from a mass grave in southern Iraq for reburial in Iraqi Kurdistan. Another 7,500 of my kin are still missing after “disappearing” from a Baathist concentration camp in 1983 in the first phase of the genocidal Anfal campaign, which caused the death of 182,000 Kurdish civilians during the 1980s. Then, on Oct. 19, Saddam Hussein finally went on trial.
None of this would have been possible without the U.S.-led liberation of Iraq, an operation in which Kurds were proud partners. After the U.S. armed forces, our pesh merga was the second-largest member of the coalition. Today the security forces of Iraqi Kurdistan remain highly capable and reliable allies of the United States. By consistently working with the United States and reaching out to our fellow Iraqis, we have been at the heart of a political process based on equality and inclusion, on consensus and compromise.
Barzani defends the Kurds against cries of separatism and notes that although they were under no obligation to reattach themselves to Iraq, as they liberated themselves, they did and continue to try and work within a federal framework. Yet, at the same time, the subtle hints seem to be there. The Kurds came back to Iraq and are trying hard to make a federal Iraq work. Reading between the lines, one could ask two questions: Are the Kurds hinting that they really do need to be part of Iraq to make it in the Middle East or that they’ve done as much as, if not more than they can and can only be reasonably expected to keep trying for so long. Readers, what’s your take?
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COMMENTS / 4 COMMENTS
subadei added these pithy words on 22 Dec 06 at 1:33 amI think it’s, to some degree, a thumbs up to an otherwise maligned (both domestically and internationally) American administration especially in light of Talabani’s reaction to the ISG report.
In light of Maliki’s utter failure it might also serve to illustrate the obvious division between Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq (“look, we’re trying and they aren’t.”) This statement might also serve a cog in the machinery for independance as the Kurds can point to history and say “We gave it a shot, it didn’t work.”
a517dogg added these pithy words on 22 Dec 06 at 3:12 amA Kurdish Vision of Iraq
By Massoud Barzani
Wednesday, October 26, 2005; Page A19
...??? “Today’s” WaPo?
Wufiavelli added these pithy words on 22 Dec 06 at 8:45 amUnless they can gain tons of economic and cultural ties to Turkey, where they do not percieve them as a threat any more (not likely) i think they will need a strong federal Iraq as a means of protection.
For one thing Iraq being a soveriegn state keeps Turkey out to a decent extent, as soon as that is gone there is little reason for the turkish military not to engulf them into Turkey. The mountains may provide a nice area for a resistence, but Turkey would prob be more then willing it wait the situtation out with a violent occupation, especially if its EU bid goes south.
