Iraqi Kurds vow no return to centralised rule

deepikaglobal.com ^ | 02-09-03 | deepikaglobal.com

[pkpjamestown]

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq, Feb 9 (Reuters) Iraq's Kurds would never accept a return to centralised government and anything but a federal future for post-Saddam Iraq would cause chaos and regional instability, an Iraqi Kurd leader has said.

Barham Salah, prime minister of one half of the breakaway Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq, added that any U.S. attempt to stop Kurds returning to the oil city of Kirkuk in the event of a U.S. invasion would be tantamount to endorsing ethnic cleansing.

''There is no way the Kurdish people of Iraq would accept reintegration back into a centralised dictatorship in Iraq,'' he told Reuters yesterday.

''The humpty dumpty of Iraqi centralised dictatorship cannot be put back together again. This humpty dumpty had a fall and no matter what it cannot be resurrected unless we have another tyrant that will grip Iraq and its oil revenues and become a danger again to world peace.'' The British-educated engineer made the comments in response to reports that Washington had told Kurdish leaders at a meeting in Turkey that Kurdish forces should stay out of the cities of Kirkuk and Mosul and that Turkish troops would enter north Iraq.

''The message to the Kurds is 'Don't get any ideas, don't take Kirkuk and don't do anything silly','' an Iraqi opposition source said on Friday.

Washington has demanded the use of Turkish bases as a springboard for opening a possible northern front against Baghdad. Turkey is strongly opposed to the Kurds' 12-year-old de-facto autonomy in north Iraq becoming a permanent reality and has sought U.S. assurances on the future of Mosul and Kirkuk.

Both cities lie on the edge of the autonomous zone the Kurds have been running since 1991.

Kirkuk stands at the centre of oilfields producing 900,000 barrels a day and regional states believe oil wealth could lead Kurds to turn their desire for autonomy into demands for independence which might stir up their own Kurdish populations.

''We do not believe the political situation of Kirkuk can be resolved by unilateral military action by the Kurds or for that matter any others,'' said Salah, whose Patriotic Union of Kurdistan forces lie only 40 km (25 miles) from the city.

Once a largely Kurdish city, the Kurds accuse Baghdad of forcing them to leave and replacing them with Arabs.

''We want peace, we want stability, we want democracy and freedom. But without reversing ethnic cleansing, without restitution, there can be no peace, there can be no freedom and there will be chaos,'' Salah said.

''I cannot...believe American GIs will become the guardians of ethnic cleansing,'' he said. ''The United States is about to engage in an endeavour that hopefully will help the people of Iraq liberate their country and attain freedom...'' Asked if he meant Kurdish forces should be allowed into Kirkuk, Salah said: ''I am not saying that.'' The future of the city would be a matter for its original inhabitants to decide.

But, he said, ''I believe every geographic, demographic and historical fact points to Kirkuk being an integral part of the Iraqi Kurdistan region and that has always been the case.'' As for the presence of Turkish forces in Iraq, Salah said: ''We are concerned that a regional military presence in Iraq will complicate issues and one country getting into Iraq could invite others in as well and that could make a chaotic situation.'' But Salah admitted the presence of U.S. officials in the enclave, reported to have landed aircraft in a region controlled by the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party and to have observed positions held by a group accused of al Qaeda links.

''It's an open secret, the Americans come and go,'' he said. ''We are freedom fighters, we have been fighting for our freedom for many years and we welcome international assistance to overcome tyranny.''

[Arkinsaw]

Iraq should be a Federal Republic. Ethnic cleansing should be reversed.

But without revenge massacres and not during the middle of fighting.

When the war is over Kurdish CIVILIANS should be able to go back to Kirkuk and reclaim their property. But there is no need for Kurdish military forces to enter Kirkuk.

[FreeTheHostages]

Hmm.

You know, I kinda agree with the Kurds on this one. Why are we nation-building. So many Kurds have died. They want their own land. These national boundaries in this part of the world are largely the result of British follies. We owe the Kurds so much. Why should we assume that we can, Kissinger-like, foresee the geopolitical future and know that it will cause problems with Iran necessarily? Why don't we instead to the Right thing. Give these people their freedom. After they've been gassed and all by Saddam, let them be free.

I wonder if that's not a good idea.

[blam]

"I wonder if that's not a good idea."

The Turks don't think so and we need Turkey's help. Guess what that probably means.

The borders of Iraq will not be redrawn.

[July 4th]

I think some kind of federal relationship is likely anyhow, rather than some grand coalition government like is being tried in Afghanistan.

If we were to say to the Kurds, "make a state," it would have to be done in such a way that the Kurds in Turkey would not attempt to carve off their land to join the new state. You don't want to have a victory in Iraq to save the Kurds, and then have the Turkish army go and kill a few thousand to crush their rebellion.

[Destro]

''I cannot...believe American GIs will become the guardians of ethnic cleansing,'' he said.

Yea, but the Albanians managed to do it to the Serbs and Roma under the watchful (or not so watchful) eye of GIs in Kosovo.

U.S. in Talks on Allowing Turkey to Occupy a Kurdish Area in Iraq (Screwing the Kurds)

[Imperialist]

These islamic terrorists fight for palestine, but yet there are islamic kurds in the kurdistan region of iraq that are fighting for freedom from islamist tyranny???

[RS]

"When the war is over Kurdish CIVILIANS should be able to go back to Kirkuk and reclaim their property"

gennerally I agree... what happens when civilians have been moved into these dwellings and occupided them for the last 10-15 years ?

We HAVE to let them deal with it unless you want give back Manhatten.

[Cathryn Mataga]

This Iraq thing is going to be complicated after Saddam. Could we be headed for another Yugoslavia-type situation, when then dictator leaves, all those people who hate each other start attacking? That's what this hints at to me. (And not saying we shouldn't go, but just that the peace is going to be a challenge.)

[LenS]

Still peddling that "poor persecuted Serb" garbage?

[Arkinsaw]

We HAVE to let them deal with it unless you want give back Manhatten.

There are still Kurds alive who lived in their homes in Kirkuk. There are no Indians alive who owned Manhattan (plus they were paid).

[truth_seeker]

There is no historic basis for the present borders of Iraq.

To the victors should go the spoils, say for instance an independent Kurd nation, and split the rest between Jordan, Kuwait, and maybe even Iran.

Then leave and let them sort out the mess.

(Under the stipulation of no oil industry benefits for France, Germany or Russia IF they oppose toppling Saddam's brutal terrorist dictatorship.)

[BlackVeil]

yet there are islamic kurds in the kurdistan region of iraq that are fighting for freedom from islamist tyranny? The Iraqi govt is a tyranny, but not an Islamic tyranny, it is a secular state. In fact, the Kurds resented a lot of the secularising moves of the Iraqi govt, and since they got their separate enclave they have been driving out the Christian minorities and destroying churches. Tribal norms are very strong in the Kurdish population. Lots of feuds.

[Cathryn Mataga]

There's zero chance of a Kurdish state, since likely we've promised the Turks no Kurdish state for their help. I don't see it.

I don't see the point of invading and then leaving, just to have another Saddam show up. If we invade, our only option is some kind of long term occupation, imo.

And, also, all borders are just accidents of history. Iraq isn't that much different than the rest of the world. I think we don't want to encourage shuffling around borders too much because this will mean wars all over the planet between countries wanting to expand territory.

Maybe Iran will have some influence in southern Iraq. I think Jordan will be lucky if it just survives all the trouble coming up. They're the 'Cambodia' in this situation, imo.

[timesarechangin]

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) - Suspected Islamic militants gunned down three Kurdish leaders and three civilians in northeastern Iraq, a party military commander said Sunday.
The commander blamed the Ansar al-Islam organization for the Saturday night killing of Gen. Shawkat Haji Mushir, a leader with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which controls the eastern section of the Kurdish autonomous region of northeast Iraq.

Sheik Jaffar Mustafa, the party's military commander of the nearby town of Halabja, said the three attackers also killed Hekmat Osman, party security chief of the Sirwan district, and Sardar Qafoor, military commander of Sirwan.

Mustafa also said a man, a woman and a child were killed.

Mohamad Tawfiq, security chief of Halabja, was seriously injured, he said.

Ansar al-Islam has been at war with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for two years.

Mustafa said Mushir had been expecting to receive an Ansar defector at the house at about 10:20 p.m., when the attack occurred.

Instead of defecting, the Ansar member and two other Ansar men opened fire with Kalashnikov rifles and tossed grenades.

AP-ES-02-09-03 0408EST

[Cathryn Mataga]

Interesting. Yeah, my understanding is that there are a lot of radical Islamic fundamentalists in the Kurdish areas. So, that's another reason why the US won't support a Kurdish state. I think that's what this is all about.

Still, this could be Yugoslavia all over again -- and maybe independent Kurdish state will be unstopable. That's what I wonder.

[SpookBrat]

FYI

[Archangelsk]

Well I guess what comes around, goes around. If it wasn't for the Soviets, Yugoslavia would have never existed. Now if it isn't for us, Iraq will become one big bloody mess of a civil war (and for some added fun, throw in the Turks, they have their own designs).

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

I received a book for Christmas entitled Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to read it as my lovely and beautiful assistant Vivien Valentine aka Jimmy Valentine's sister-in-law has made off with it. However, she has stated that it is a must read for those who want to understand how we got to where we are today.