As the significance of the latest results of the Iraqi elections sink in, it is becoming clearer that political leadership in southern Kurdistan is posed with a new scenario for the future. Americans do see the elections but the significance of them is lost in the rhetoric of the Obama administration. There is just beginning to be discussion on TV "talking heads shows about the Kurdish "sectarian" forces. Of course when cloaked in such language, this perspective obscures the truly national character of Kurdish political demands whether in Iraq, Turkey, Syria or Iran.
The headlines about Turkish troop deployments and attacks on the northern border of Iraq have disappeared. The implementation of Article 140 periodically pops up in American media. But these articles remain focused on oil revenues in Kirkuk as the fundamental issue. They continue to take a hard look at the underlying motives of Shi'a, Sunni and Turkoman political forces. The issue of corruption in southern Kurdistan is presented in a context that lacks comparisons with other regions. News from Turkey is heavily filtered and presented as if the Turkish government and military has made significant moves towards reconciliation. Most Americans are unaware of recent attacks by the Turkish armed forces or the sentencing by the Turkish court in Northern Kurdistan city of Diyarbakir of former MP Leyla Zana to three years in prison. The status of the deployments of 140,000Turkish troops along the border and news of current authorization by the Turkish Parliament cannot be found in the American news of the last year.
The White House statement of the meeting between KRG President Barzani and U.S. President Obama in January 2010 stated: "In his discussion with President Barzani, President Obama reaffirmed strong U.S. support for and engagement with a secure, prosperous, and autonomous Kurdistan Region within a united, federal Iraq, and lauded the contribution of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to Iraq's development." President Barzani also met separately with Vice-President Biden, as well as other meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and John Kerry. The actions of the American government in the days ahead will need to be weighed separately from their rhetoric.
Article 140 has not been implemented. There is a fait accompli that has resulted because of the refusal to hold the Kirkuk Referendum which will stand, but only until the American military presence has been withdrawn. The consequences for inaction are that the issue will never be authorized by the central government in Baghdad. The Turkish military will remain a factor in the future. The U.S. trained Iraqi Army will be the defenders of the status quo after the U.S. military withdraws from Iraq. This is obvious to everyone. Turkish troops continue to pose a threat to self-government by the Kurdish Autonomous Region. "With Allawi gearing up to form his new coalition members, our officials and representatives should take a more rigid position to seek a lasting ultimatum to the issue peacefully and multilaterally. We must come up with a robust, transparent, consistent, persistent, shrewd strategy before it is too late. We have lost scores of leeway in the past and we can not afford to squander any more time." Baqi Barzani
The situation within Iraq is bound to the issue of recognition of Article 140 of the Constitution. The acceptance by the Kurdish people of the Constitution was irrevocably bound to the implementation of the Kirkuk Referendum. The acceptance of Kurdish people of a common government within Iraq cannot be negated without the most profound ramifications. "As a final point, the only present and future crisis imperiling to destabilize the economic, political and security situation of Iraq is the issue of Kirkuk. Hopefully, the United States will seek a long-lasting solution to address the issue before a new high-priced, irrevocable ethnic war kicks off, undoing every previous sacrifices." Baqi Barzani
American people support the Kurdish people. We have witnessed the atrocities committed against them during the regime of Saddam Hussein. We have seen the Kurdistan Regional Government and the political parties represented work diligently to reconstruct their economy and promote democracy within their land. We have seen that Kurdish people have not sought to increase the level of conflict and violence. We have seen the peshmerga avoid provocation in Khanaquin in 2008. We have seen the peshmerga make a real commitment in integrating with the Iraqi police and military in the "Golden Lions". These efforts are demonstrate the good faith of the Kurdish people and government.
But the refusal of the Obama administration to concretely speak to the implementation of Article 140 leaves the Kirkuk Referendum an unfulfilled Constitutional guarantee to recognize the national and political rights of Kurdish people. The impact can be seen not only in the blocs emerging to govern Iraq from the last election. The tension is also seen on the ground in new incidents of conflict. Little to nothing was reported in the American media about an incident on Election Day. It was reported by Ben Gilbert of the Global Post: " In the wake of a dust-up between the Sunni Arab governor of Ninewa Province and the Kurdistan regional government, one of the governor's aides, Salah Abbas, was shot in the chest at Checkpoint 3, northeast of Mosul, on the day of Iraq's parliamentary elections, March 7.The incident occurred after a scuffle between Abbas' Iraqi police escort and the Iraqi army and Kurdish peshmerga." It was reported in the article that the aide had pulled a pistol prior to being shot.
There remains much public education that Americans can do now. These are days of decision for the Kurdish people. Every word will be weighed. Every action will be appraised. President Barzani stated on March 31: "We have been following the developments very closely, and in the coming days we will meet with the winning blocs from Kurdistan and then announce the Kurdistan Region's official stance to the people of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region." One thing that American people can do is to make their feelings known to our representatives. History has shown there are political forces within the region that are capable of perpetuating the most dreadful crimes against humanity.
"Freedom for Leyla Zana" is the rallying call for people around the world against the continued Turkish repression of Kurdish political leaders. Her determination and sacrifices for the Kurdish nation calls out to all people. Americans can actively demand the Obama administration pressure Turkey for recognition of the national and political rights of all Kurds in the region. Leyla Zana, who was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995 and 1998 and winner of the 1995 Sakharov Prize awarded by the European Parliament, remains free as of today. The court's decision stands as yet another example of Turkey's intent on denying the fundamental political rights of Kurdish people.
It is unworthy of the Obama administration to marginalize the importance of the rights of Kurdish people.
As the facts are made known to the American public, there will be an increased awareness of the efforts by governments in the region to repress the Kurdish national movement. We will contue to raise our voices and speak the truth so that the sun will shine on the Kurdish nation.
