Peace with security in Kurdistan

KurdishMedia.com ^ | 17 December 2004 | Azad Amedi

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Peace with security in Kurdistan 17 December 2004 KurdishMedia.com - By Azad Amedi It would be an understatement to say that the US plan for Iraq following the elimination of Saddam Hussein’s terror regime has proven to be flawed, if indeed such a plan ever existed. I was one of those who believed that Iraq, after decades of torture under the Ba’athist regime, would be peaceful and prosperous one year following regime change. I remember that in April 2003 a friend said to me, half-joking, that soon I would be working in Baghdad. As we all know, many parts of Iraq remain anything but peaceful, and crime as well as terrorism plague certain parts of the country as well as the roads connecting many of the major cities to one another. Carjacking and kidnapping are both common business endeavors, and those known as the heroes of the Iraqi resistance to much of the Arab world continue to attack Iraqi policemen and soldiers and kill countless Iraqi civilians in their “noble” campaign of destruction.

Indeed, there is one part of Iraq that is, for all practical purposes, free of the problems that haunt the rest of the nation. This portion includes the northern three provinces of the country, which are administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This region, which encompasses part but not all of southern, or Iraqi, Kurdistan, continues to enjoy a great degree of independence from the rest of Iraq. In those provinces administered by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), it is very difficult to find anyone flying an Iraqi flag, while Kurdistan flags are commonplace, as are those of the dominant party. In the Suleimani province administered by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Iraqi flags are displayed on occasion, but only next to Kurdistan flags. The KRG region, in which Kurdish is practically the only language to be heard on the street (unless it is time for a prayer call), has the feel of an independent Kurdish state. Those who enter the region from the north via the famous Ibrahim Khalil gate on the Turkey/Iraq border receive a visa from the Iraqi Kurdistan passport authority. Prior to receiving the visa, visitors will see a sign facing the Turkish authorities on the other side of the bridge which states (and I am paraphrasing), “Kirkuk is a city of brotherhood for all peoples and its Kurdish identity must not be forgotten. – K.D.P.”

Most are aware that the KRG region has been virtually independent since 1992 and, despite double sanctions (UN sanctions against Iraq and Saddam’s sanctions against the autonomous Kurdish region), infant mortality decreased and the region enjoyed a measure of prosperity and freedom unheard of in Saddam’s Iraq or any of the Arab League states. The KRG region has enjoyed relative peace, and, even though many Kurdish soldiers of the KDP and PUK fought alongside the coalition forces in the 2003 war against Saddam’s regime, the KRG region itself was never the site of any true battles during this campaign. Indeed, the school year at universities of the region was barely disrupted during this war. While most of Iraq was chaotic following the fall of Saddam’s regime, the KRG region continued prospering and the same Kurdish policemen and soldiers who provided security before the war continued to do so. In the new era of rapprochement between the KDP and PUK, there were a minimal number of checkpoints inside the region.

This changed with the twin terrorist attacks on headquarters of the KDP and PUK on 1 February, which murdered scores of people who were celebrating Eid al-Adha. Most residents of the KRG region lost at least one friend or family member in the attack, and the Kurdish political establishment saw many of its most dedicated servants martyred, including Akram Mentiq, Saad Abdullah, Shewket Sheikh Yezdin, Sami Abdulrahman, Mehmud Halo, Ahmed Rojbeyani, Shakhawan Abbas, Khasrow Shera, and Mehdi Khoshnaw. The Kurdish masses, outraged by a terrorist attack on a holy day against two crowds of civilians, demanded revenge. Revenge was not taken, but a period of virtual martial law followed as the KRG authorities faced the dual tasks of preventing future attacks and keeping the restive masses at ease as they demanded an all-out war against those responsible for the mass murder. The Kurdish people, survivors and sons of the Anfal generation, would not be victims once again. Cities were placed under curfew, checkpoints sprung up everywhere, and members of the Kurdish armed forces appeared on street corners throughout each city. The armed forces and many civilians tied black bands around their arms as a symbol of mourning and protest, and banners were displayed everywhere bearing the names of victims of the atrocity. Funerals were held one after another at local mosques.

Checkpoints remain throughout the KRG region, and they are manned exclusively by Kurdish armed forces wearing modern military uniform with the flag of Kurdistan sewn onto their shoulder. Anyone traveling from one major city to another will encounter queues at these checkpoints, and anyone driving at night will have the same experience. Identification is requested from all who pass through the checkpoints. It was explained to me that certain vehicles receive special attention. Any vehicle with temporary license plates or license plates indicating residence outside of the KRG region are searched. Arabs frequently receive special attention. Furthermore, any car entering the KRG region from Mosul, regardless of the origin of the car or its driver or passengers, will be searched. The masses are generally very accepting of these security measures. The Anfal remains embedded in the consciousness of every Kurd and the horrors of 1 February are far from forgotten. While some Americans grumble about the increased airport security following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, there is no comparable phenomenon in the KRG region. Not only do many Kurds support these security measures, but indeed some call for other methods to be used. Aware of the Israel’s controversial construction of its security wall, which aims to prevent terrorists from the West Bank from infiltrating Israel proper, some Kurds have even stated that such a wall should be built to separate southern Kurdistan from Arab portions of Iraq.

While there have been a handful of terrorist attacks since 1 February, the KRG region has been relatively peaceful and its authorities have been quite successful at fighting terror. It is a remarkable achievement when we consider that those who would seek to attack the KRG region include not only those diverse members of the so-called Iraqi resistance who terrorize the country from Mosul to Najaf but also other forces, including outsiders seeking to destroy any prosperity enjoyed by any members of the Kurdish nation. One major reason for the KRG success in their war against terror is the dedication and support of the masses who support the Kurdish armed forces, the sons of Kurdistan, in their battle to keep Kurdistan safe and prosperous. As the overwhelming majority of adults living in the KRG region have experienced both Saddam’s tyranny and autonomy and freedom in their lives, they are willing not only to support their protectors but also to make sacrifices for freedom and security, which may mean traveling with identification documents and allowing an extra five or ten minute of travel time at night. Indeed, the KRG region is a model for all of Iraq in its war on terror and experience at providing its citizens with freedom, security and prosperity. Despite the double sanctions of Saddam’ s era and the best efforts of Saddam and his co-conspirators, various terrorist groups and different bands of foreign agents, the KRG region continues to enjoy relative peace in the worst of neighborhoods. One can only hope that the rest of Iraq, and Iraq’s neighboring states, can strive to follow the example of the KRG region rather than spending their time trying to sabotage the KRG’s successful experiment with freedom and peace.