FOR
A reminder:
With pressure
again increasing, particularly in Europe, for the immediate lifting of
sanctions against Iraq it is useful to remind ourselves that Iraq, as we know
it today:
a)
Was carved from the Ottoman empire at the end of the First World
War and placed under British protection as a mandated territory;
b)
Includes the MOSUL VILAYET, or province, mainly inhabited by Kurds,
which itself was almost made a separate mandated territory at the end of the
great war;
c)
Was allowed by the league of Nations to become an independent state
in 1932 provided strict conditions concerning ethnic and religious minorities
within its boundaries were recognised and adhered to; these stipulations were
to be observed in perpetuity, and the UN in one of its earliest acts in 1946
acknowledged the validity of the 1932 undertakings.
Lets take a
moment to read the declaration of the Iraqi Government, which was the basis for
the formation of the Iraqi state (translated from the original French) and is
the basis today for the call for Kurdish independence:
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AND
Reading and re-reading
the 1932 declaration, as one must when considering the plight of the Kurds,
several observations can be made.
1- Britain knew
there was oil at Kirkuk as early as
1926, and was anxious to have access to this increasingly important resource;
it thought this could best be achieved by incorporating the Mosul Vilayet in a
larger state centred on Baghdad and ruled by a King which Britain would
install.
2- As the mandatory
power and sponsor of Iraq, Britain felt guilty at the way the hopes and
aspirations of the Kurds were crushed, and the 1932 declaration was written to
try to mitigate the wrong that they were committing.
3- In due course the giant Kirkuk
oilfield was
developed by the Iraq Petroleum Corporation and oil was exported at the rate of
up to one million barrels a day. What a
prize this was! But little benefit flowed to the Kurds. In fact the 1932 Declaration was largely ignored
right from the start by the Arab regime in Baghdad headed by King Faisal and
backed by Britain.
4- Kurdish
frustrations with their situation by the mid 30’s again took the form of
guerrilla action, which continued, off and on right up to the time of the Gulf
War.
5-
With the overthrow of the Faisal regime in 1958 there was a revival
of hope that the Kurds in Iraq would gain the security and recognition promised
in the 1932 declaration. Unfortunately
the new Baathis regime in Baghdad, which included a young Saddam Hussein,
proved even harsher in its treatment of the Kurds. The treatment of the Kurds in the 1970’s and 1980’s under Saddam
Hussein’s personal direction became nothing less than an ethnic cleansing
operation.
6- All the while the Western powers have turned a blind eye to
the real plight of the Kurds and their aspirations for freedom. The creation of the no fly zones after the
Gulf War was no doubt a reflection of the guilt felt by Britain, the U.S. and
France at the continuing injustice experienced by the Kurds and the other
minorities in Iraq. However, no fly
zones and sanctions are no substitute for a policy on human rights.
7- It is interesting indeed that the West has literally gone to
war in recent years in Bosnia and Kosovo for instance in the name of human
rights, but has steadfastly refused to take concrete steps to ensure the safety
of the Kurds. Unfortunately as so often
happens when a political vacuum is prolonged as is the case today in Iraqi
Kurdistan, various factions begin to fight each other for control of the
situation. In this case Saddam Hussein
has been only too happy to set the Talabani faction against the Barzani
faction, giving the impression that the Kurds are weak and disorganised. The U.S and Britain for 10 years now have
aided and abetted this tragedy by their dithering. This must stop.
In the meantime the Kurds on the ground in
Northern Iraq are at the point of total despair, reflected not least in the
massive numbers who are moving westwards in the hope of achieving refugee
status in Germany and Britain. Already half a million have reached Europe and
thousands more are on their way. Why is
this? The reason is oil. The U.S., Britain and France obviously think
that the best way to preserve access to the oil at Kirkuk is through a
regime in Iraq centred on Baghdad. This
idea must not be allowed to grow as a de facto policy. The continued theft of Kirkuk’s oil, the money from
which lines the pockets of Saddam Hussein and his entourage and otherwise is
wasted on military preparations, is an affront to all right thinking people and
must be stopped. It is time the Kurds
of Iraq took control of their rightful heritage.
8- Because the Western powers clearly have never had any real
interest in the long term welfare of the Kurdish peoples, the Kurds of Iraq at
least now wish to announce that the time has come to move beyond the 1932
Declaration and to broadcast to the world their own Declaration of Independence
to take effect from today.
9- 
An
independent Kurdistan
would of
course include the original province of Mosul extending south almost to
Baghdad, and including Kirkuk. Because
Saddam Hussein forcibly resettled over two million Kurds in Baghdad and to the
south in his programme of ethnic cleansing, we would want to extend the
boundaries of our new Kurdistan to bring in those so displaced as well.
10- Be reminded then that the Kurds in Iraq have grievances and
a claim to freedom, which is historically valid, and certainly no less valid
than their brothers in Palestine. We
appeal to all right thinking people in the world to join us in saying ‘The time
has come!’
An
Independent Kurdistan
will welcome
the involvement and investment of banks, companies, and legitimate business
interests generally to build up our resources and facilities. Talk to us now!
US SOLDERS ARRIVE BY HELICOPTER TO HELP THE
KURD
