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Kurdish
Questions, Kurdish Answers
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Prior to the recent wars
in Iraq, few knew who the Kurds were or indeed where they came from, even
though they number the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East
http://www.xs4all.nl/~tank/kurdish/htdocs/announce/KSF.html
Raised in tribal factions in tough mountainous terrains, their history
predates the Persian, Ottoman and British empires, but have found venturing
beyond the mountains hazardous and non rewarding.
The two Gulf Wars in the region have seen tens of thousands of Kurds fighting
for the allied coalition against Saddam Hussein's regime and armies. Since
1991, a "no fly zone" from the 36th parallel has existed in order to 'protect'
the Kurds living in the oil rich regions of Kirkuk and Mosul following
the Gulf War withdrawal of allied troops and slaughter of a further estimated
100,000 Kurds by Saddam Hussein's regime. The semi autonomy of the no
fly zone for the past 12 years gave little development or assistance to
the Kurdish minority within Iraq, or helped the Kurdish identity externally
in Iran, Syria, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan Outlines of Kurdish Chronology.
The Russians, too, have played, what Aydinli calls the "Kurdish card"
against the Turks in Chechnya with the inevitable games surrounding the
Trans Caspian pipeline Russia's "Kurdish Card"
in Turkish-Russian Rivalry (Aslan Kubanoff)
An estimated 60,000 Kurds have fought in the 2003 Gulf War, with special
US / UK forces in Northern Iraq, splitting Sadddam Hussein's army strength,
and are currently awaiting their prize. Scotsman.com:
US troops open Northern front As ever, on the stepping stones
to the Middle East from Europe, the modern day Crusaders can offer little
comfort within the geopolitical climate which exists, most notably with
Turkey. As noted by Barkey and Fuller; "Realistic solutions
are ones that satisfy Kurdish aspirations without truly threatening a
modern democratic Turkey" cited in Stephen Kinzer
Many other issues exist; not least Military, Political, Economic, Development
and Oil:
Military
Issues
The tribal ancestry of the Kurds, from Medes, Kardoukhoi, Khaldi and Guti
provides the perfect fragmented source from which the present day problems
exist. Spread loosely across Turkey, Syria and Iran, in addition to North
and South Iraq, this has guaranteed an ill-jointed coalition of various
factions who can sometimes agree, and sometimes do not agree with each
other. In historical terms they have found themselves fighting wars, often
on both sides, according to the loyalty of the chieftain.
Almost 5 million Kurds in Iraq are divided, and yet retentive of their
fierce cultural heritage. They protect themselves with a variety of armies,
guerrila's and of which the PESHMERGA
are probably the most famous fighting body. Twelve million Kurds in Turkey
faced claims of terrorist activities of the PKK-KADEK between 1984 and
1999. TERRORISM AND THE PKK
which the Turks claimed was sufficient to allow state security certain
flexibilities. Independent authors however, declare;
"Repeated statements by the PKK over the past years, to the extent of withdrawing its demands for a separate Kurdish state, calling to end the fighting in favor of a peaceful and lasting solution through direct dialogue and under the framework of a sovereign yet democratic Turkey have not been taken seriously."
Ismet G Imset (1995) The PKK Freedom Fighters or Terrorists ?
Since 1999, the capture of PKK leader Ocalan has led to a PKK 'ceasefire,'
and an instruction from Ocalan for the PKK to "leave Turkey" Kurdish Observer
- Kurdish Daily News
Both Human Rights Watch and the EU Court of Human Rights have asserted
this military flexibility as excessive, including the displacement of
380,000 people from their homes in South-Eastern Turkey and over 400 people
died of torture within state security, in preparation for the Baku-Ceyhan
pipeline. Turkey
and War in Iraq: Avoiding Past Patterns of Violation (Human Rights Watch
Briefing Paper, March 2003) As a consequence of their fighting
spirit, civilian Kurds have frequently been targeted by Saddam Hussein,
in the Iraqi village of Halabja in 1988, 5,000 Kurds were gassed under
codename Anfal. Kurdistan
Regional Government: Home
During the interim period of restabilization of Iraq, the Kurdish forces
could be redeployed within their own factions, as British regiments are:
Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, Ghurka regiments etc. This collective force
could then retain their individual tribal heritage, but offer a collectively
controlled army, for the protection and security of Northern Iraq. With
collective control established, Northern Iraq could be securitised from
above the 36th parallel to the border.
By diminishing the threat to Turkish security, Turkey would have no claim
to enter Iraq, and the self policing Kurds could indeed make Turkey more
secure from refugees and any perceived terrorist activities of the PKK
etc, by controlling their province and border successfully. Human rights
violations can be minimised against the threatened Turkish invasion of
Northern Iraq
"if very large numbers of Turkish armed forces enter Northern Iraq there is a risk that they will resort to the mass detention and torture, political killings, "disappearances," and village burning that they used when fighting over similar terrain in southeastern Turkey."
Turkey and War in Iraq: Avoiding Past Patterns of Violation (Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper, March 2003)
Civilian political work inside Turkey to reduce human rights abuses of
its military, or the abolition of the death penalty, and peace keeping
forces in Bosnia and Afghanistan, not to mention the brave stance of Turkey
not to allow US troops to advance from Turkish soil into Iraq in 2003
would then be wasted, and the de facto Military rule would return to dominance.
Political
Issues
The development of an autonomous province, to act as a homeland for the
Kurds, is seen as an important goal for the Kurdish community as it is
for the Palestinians, with significant communities in Iraq, Iran, Syria
and Turkey. A future homeland for the Kurds would require essential security
standards, to prevent the assassination of the leaders of the province,
as happened in Yugoslavia. BBC NEWS | Europe | Serbian
premier assassinated
Since 1991, the Kurds have benefitted from virtual autonomy, courtesy
of the "no fly zones" but at what price ? Since the Gulf War and the removal
of allied troops, the region has suffered an estimated slaughter of 100,000
Kurds and virtually nil development, as a consequence of the vengeance
of the former Saddam Hussein regime.
The newly founded autonomous province of Northern Iraq (APNI) could be
developed within a federal democratic Governance, to accommodate the Shia
and Muslims elsewhere in Iraq, with the Shia having an autonomous province
of Southern Iraq (APSI) and the Sunni prevailing over the autonomous province
of central Iraq (APCI). Mosul / Kirkuk could be the administrative capitals
for the Northen province, whilst their substantial oilfield revenues from
all provinces could be distributed and collected by the UN oil for food
program for the entirety of Iraq within a state capitalist trust. SECURITY COUNCIL
APPROVES ADJUSTMENTS TO IRAQ OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAMME, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING
RESOLUTION 1472 (2003)
Economic
and Development Issues
Re-development of the Northern province, and indeed throughout Iraq, is
imperative, requiring substantial resources and experience. In the absence
of United Nations control at this point, the best alternative appears
to be the EU's Stabilization Plan for the country of Iraq.
The EU's stabilization plan would be the ideal blueprint to adopt for
the rebuilding of Iraq, offering continuity from the work in the former
Yugoslavia Economic Reconstruction
and Development in South East Europe and relative proximity; geographically
and politically to Iraq's future. Some of the mistakes made in Yugoslavia,
such as the murder of its Premier, could be rendered defunct by the use
of the Kurdish army effectively policing itself BBC NEWS | Europe | Serbian
premier assassinated. A ready made currency in the Euro during
the interim period would allow for the development of the economy, whilst
negating the potential for looting oligarchs benefitting from war with
pockets full of Dinars.
Energy
Issues
With self restraint of
Kurdish nationalism and the EU supporting a proven development model,
investment would surge into Iraq, especially in the oilfields of Mosul
and Kirkuk, with a view to return them to their former glories of 720,000
barrels per day Iraq Country Analysis Brief
. With the United Nations "oil for food" program (U.N. resolution 986)
used and updated to ensure revenues were issued to the national federal
government of Iraq, and that equitable management of revenues distribution
to the provinces were supplied.
As a result the finished product could link up from the existing Kirkuk-Ceyhan
pipeline with the Russian integrated pipeline system feeding eventually
into the 'Blue Stream' pipeline in the Black Sea, or via the Baku-Ceyhan-Tbilisi
'Trans Caspian' pipeline for eventual distribution to Europe, Asia and
the Americas. British Petroleum (BP) remains the contractor for the Trans
Caspian Pipeline (TCP) currently being built through Turkey Kurdish Human Rights Project
which would ensure continuity of pipeline planning, upgrading of existing
facilities to minimise cost and disruption and a more consistent future
distribution than the previous regime managed. Map of Route of Trans
Caspian Pipeline (BCT)
Freedom
Issues
Freedom is a word that means a great deal of different things to a great
deal of different people. Freedom as a value to public choice theorists
is an argument that "individuals should be free from the inappropriate
coercion of others." whereas the Austrian school of thought
"rejects all principles of social justice, including redistribution."
(Dunleavy
and O'Leary: 1987: 92-94). Freedom to the Kurds is expressed
as a nationalist value, which, judging by the strategic position of the
Turkish / Iraq / Iran region and the historic importance placed on the
region, any national identity has to be seen as short lived and a fools
gold in terms of a freedom paradise.
Roosevelt gave us his "four essential human freedoms" in the middle of
World War II, as; freedom of speech / expression, freedom of worship,
freedom from want, freedom from fear. http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW2Text/wwt0047
The European Parliament at Cologne is drafting an EU Charter of Fundamental
Rights, bringing together the freedoms expressed previously
such as the freedom of movement of goods, freedom of movement of man etc.
Summary
Iraq can be split geographically for the three dominant ethnic
groups; Shia, Sunni and Kurdish. Each could be given an autonomous province
to govern on a federal basis. As a basis the 33rd and 36th parallel seem
sensible starting places for boundaries, with the Kurds taking north of
the 36th parallel, and the Shia taking south of the 33rd parallel. Sunni
taking the central sliver.
The economics of a future Iraq could be resolved by a European Union stabilization
Plan, with oil revenues for the federal government collected in the interim
by the UN oil for food program, which would also be responsible for equitable
distribution to the provinces. Using the Euro as a currency would deny
the looting oligarch's an unfair advantage in the post war Iraq and provide
for a stable interim currency to allow the economy to develop. The UN
would be perfectly placed, during their role of conducting the oil for
food program to conduct an independent population censusto assist future
policy makers, of the ethnic make up of kurds and others. The return of
UN weapons inspectors would also allow for the early lifting of sanctions,
and this should not be unreasonably withheld.
The EU's Special Co-ordinator
of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe allows for the
development of Iraqi oil. BP as the operator of the Trans Caspian pipeline
would have a major say in the development of pipelines from Iraq, especially
the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. BP has had wide experience of Iraq as the
former Anglo Persian oil company since the early twentieth century. The
use of former Kurdish guerilla's could be used to protect the pipeline
from terrorist attack in Iraq and Turkey providing constructive and paid
employment to the Kurdish military, and hopefully prevent any Kurdish
reprisals against civilian arabs in Kirkuk and Mosul.
The restoration of civil society to Iraq is crucial to global tensions
at present, offering a release from immediate global concerns and tensions
surrounding oil supplies etc. A swiftly established democracy in Iraq
would do wonders for East / West relations, but not necessarily Allies
/ Turkish relations.
The development of a Kurdish province should also ease Turkish fears of
Kurdish separatism, within their borders, since the development of a homeland
for these people would not threaten the national Turkish borders, rather
strengthen it. Turkish authorities would, however, have to give voice
to the Kurds via a political party such as KADEK or other, similar to
the way that Sinn Fein, political wing of the IRA was given voice in the
UK.
Non aggression treaties between the Iraqi federal government and Iran,
Syria, Turkey Armenia, Azerbaijan and Chechnya could cement that relationship
further. Current oil distribution from Iraq through Turkey offers Europe
significant progress in repairing the simmering relationship between Turkey
and Greece over the Cyprus question too.
Kurdish authorities would also need progressive policies which not only
re-establish their own cultural heritage Kurdish
Art, but bring the province into the twenty first century with good
utilities, educational and health facilities for all, although the vision
of a homeland for the Kurds as a freedom is not necessarily accurate.
As Roosevelt and the EU have developed and shown, the principles or values of freedom can be felt within any state, not just the nationalist view expressed by the Kurds, indeed the EU version reveals how any national can feel "free" within any country of the EU, by virtue of anti discrimination policies and equality for all legislation such as Human Rights etc. The Kurds, and other ethnic groups deserve a multi-cultural political system which allows all voices to be heard and treated with the same respect.
Giving Iraq a positive political example allows other Middle Eastern countries
to see the benefits which could have proiceless knock-on effects for peace
in the region.
Copyright S Coleman and
Hevallo 2003 20 April2003
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Useful Resources Flash Bulletin provides comprehensive daily Kurdish news updates Epic Education for Peace in Iraq Centre extensive collection of resources on Iraq including full text of all relevant UN resolutions Map showing the route of the TransCaspian Pipeline |
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