Kurdistan independence related articles & photos

[Kurdistano]

28/11/2011 11:52

ERBIL, Nov. 28 (AKnews) - Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget in 2012 will hit $22 billion USD (26,500 billion IQD). According to a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives this cash bonanza will be too tempting for Kurdish leaders and will preclude Kurds seeking independence.

Aziz al-Mayahi, member of the Iraqi parliament's Economy and Investment Committee, told the semi-official Sabah Daily that Kurdistan Region will benefit from Iraq's growing wealth and will not want to miss out on its 17% share of the federal budget, almost all of which comes from oil export revenues.

The Region's 2011 share mounted to about $12 billion USD (14,000 billion IQD).

Kurdish leaders have on several occasions stressed that self-determination is a national right for the Kurds and they have chosen to stick with Iraq of their own free will.

The perpetual division between Erbil and Baghdad over the long-awaited hydrocarbon law has its roots in Kurdish independence. The Oil and Gas Law would set down who gets to agree contracts with foreign companies and who profits from the subterranean bounty they produce.

Baghdad wants to maintain a centralized grip on the contracts and income, Erbil wants autonomy to agree deals concerned with its own hydrocarbon reserves. Analysts say Baghdad fears the wealth and therefore economic independence Kurdistan Region would gain if its wishes were fulfilled.

By tying the semi-autonomous northern region with the promise of their one sixth budget share, Baghdad hopes to keep them part of the union. Halting any major oil deals north of the Kurdish border is a means of achieving this.

By Mohammed Abdul Rahman

AKNEWS

how do i understand this. they dont want to declare independence till beginning of 2012 or they will never declare independence cause they want money for the next years.

[alan131210]

well i think KRG needs to build its own pipeline for both gas and oil output , there are now constructions underway to connect Kurdish gas to nabucco and also a new oil pipeline from KRG to Turkey , its been built by ex BP leader who has now formed Vellars and has bought 80% of general energy oil company operating in KRG .

so once these pipelines are done KRG will declare its own state , cos then they dont have to worry about the 17% budget they get from iraq as they will have 100% of oil and gas sold .

[Kurdistano]

well i think KRG needs to build its own pipeline for both gas and oil output , there are now constructions underway to connect Kurdish gas to nabucco and also a new oil pipeline from KRG to Turkey , its been built by ex BP leader who has now formed Vellars and has bought 80% of general energy oil company operating in KRG .

so once these pipelines are done KRG will declare its own state , cos then they dont have to worry about the 17% budget they get from iraq as they will have 100% of oil and gas sold .

how long will this pipeline take.

[alan131210]

well i think KRG needs to build its own pipeline for both gas and oil output , there are now constructions underway to connect Kurdish gas to nabucco and also a new oil pipeline from KRG to Turkey , its been built by ex BP leader who has now formed Vellars and has bought 80% of general energy oil company operating in KRG .

so once these pipelines are done KRG will declare its own state , cos then they dont have to worry about the 17% budget they get from iraq as they will have 100% of oil and gas sold .

how long will this pipeline take.

read this

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/mi ... al1001.htm

[Kurdistano]

bro it doesnt say anything about when a new pipeline will be build. if they want to wait another several years they should start to build up their army.

[alan131210]

bro it doesnt say anything about when a new pipeline will be build. if they want to wait another several years they should start to build up their army.

i cant find the source now , but constructions have actually started on the oil pipelines .

[Kurdistano]

bro it doesnt say anything about when a new pipeline will be build. if they want to wait another several years they should start to build up their army.

i cant find the source now , but constructions have actually started on the oil pipelines .

ok how long do you think such a pipeline takes usually.

[alan131210]

bro it doesnt say anything about when a new pipeline will be build. if they want to wait another several years they should start to build up their army.

i cant find the source now , but constructions have actually started on the oil pipelines .

ok how long do you think such a pipeline takes usually.

if done in time properly it can take 6 - 12 months .

[alan131210]

December 3, 2011

SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — The complex-sounding Kurdish self-rule issue which has been hanging in the balance, can simply be ironed out to the best satisfaction of all political parties in Iraq as well as the international community.

Kurdish officials have long been wrestling with Baghdad over their legal rights, often-times yielding zilch or small outcomes. Reactions from leading Arab political factions is in indicative of their disinterest to fulfill Kurdistan Regional Government KRG's lengthy list of demands, explicitly on the focal point of Kirkuk and the disputed territories, and in part due to the pulling out of US forces by the end of this year.
Sulaimani University. Photo: univsul.org
Yesterday U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in Baghdad to attend a responsibility-transfer and attribute-paying ceremony to US soldiers. Just since past week, 100 more innocent Iraqi civilians have been killed in different parts of the country. Some Iraqis predict it as a resumption of another cycle of renewed sectarian strife ensued by forced expulsions, violent recriminations, and mass exodus.

Waiting for the disputed clauses of the constitution to be honored and implemented is a total waste of time. Iraq's being in fiasco cannot be abjured. Iraqi real miseries will more visibility surface following the onset of New Year.

No signs of overall security progress or encouraging developments in Kurdish favor.

In the 2005 national and provincial elections, a referendum was held across Kurdistan on Kurdish self-rule right which reflected the true aspirations of our people. The jolting 98% pro-independence approval rate is still used as a valid source of reference by many scholars conducting research on Kurdish debate.

The reverberation was massive and the approach was the most diplomatic.

Referendum is a very effectual and nonviolent means to express a nations true desires. Another official plebiscite or a referendum is long due to have been held in Kurdistan to counterbalance those trying to oppose the 6 million Kurds in Iraq determine their own political destiny.

An independent body can oversee the preparation of referendum without having to get KRG authorities directly involved. A referendum cannot be stopped,www.ekurd.net objected or denied to our people.

A legitimate referendum in the wake of US forces withdrawal will pave the way for the promulgation of an independent Kurdish state.

School of Law and Politics
http://www.univsul.org/

Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net. All rights reserved

[alan131210]

By ABDULATEEF AL-MULHIM

03/12/2011
No one wants them to be in their territory, yet no one wants to give them their own territory

The Kurdish people have enjoyed the highest form of freedom for thousands of years. They mainly lived in northern Syria, east of Turkey, west of Iran and north of Iraq. They enjoyed the ability to move from place to another without any restrictions. They were one people, one language and one form of life. The number of Kurds all over the world is over 30 million. But, they don't have a nation. Before World War I, they didn't need one. They were free to wander around. They are Muslims. But not Arabs. And it should have made no difference. Islam has no nationality. But, the Kurdish people are different. No one wants them to be in their territory, yet no one wants to give them their own territory.

With my humble knowledge, I will only talk about the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran; not the Kurds scattered all over the world. Books will be needed if you write about the Kurds. They were subjected to relocations and they were considered a lower class in all the nations they lived in. The Turkish territories are the most beautiful part of these countries. After the World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, new nations were created. No one single piece of territory was given to the Kurdish people. And the Kurds couldn't move through the borders of these new nations. And even though the 1920 Treaty of Sevres was intended to introduce new states including one for the Kurds, it never saw the light. And after the takeover of Turkey by Kamal Attaturk, the Kurds were not even allowed to speak their language. It was a crime to say the words Kurd or Kurdish. And it wasn't until the 1990s when the Turkish people heard the word Kurds.

The highest number of Kurds in any one nation is Turkey. There are about 15 million Kurdish people. Why they are considered a minority if they 15 million people? The Kurds in Turkey were in an open war with the Turkish government for many years and to this day. And at the same time the Iraqi Kurds were under constant air raids by the Iraqi Air Force. The number of Iraqi raids and the amount of ammunitions that were used by the Iraqi government in the 1960s and 70s was the reason why Saddam Hussein had agreed to the Shatt Al-Arab agreement in Algeria when the Shah of Iran met Saddam in the mid-70s. The Iraqis simply ran out of ammunitions. The Iraqi Air Force and Turkish Air Force were engaged in the longest air raid campaign in the history of air wars.

The war has been going on for the past 45 years. Yes, the Iraqis stopped using their air force when the American showed up in 2003. But, it wasn't after the use of every kind of weapon that was forbidden by the international community. It was an American magazine (the Newsweek) which broke the news of mass chemical weapons against the Kurds in Halabgah. No one knows to this day how many Kurds were killed by Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. And the ironic thing about those four countries is that they are the ones who make the loudest noise when Israel uses its military might against the Palestinians. I am not saying the Israelis are right, but why those four countries always brag about their weapons if they use it against their own people... Oh, I am sorry, Kurds are not considered humans by those four countries.

In Syria, the Kurds are not even recognized in any way. It is like they don't even exist. They live in Syria, but without the simplest form of rights. It was only two months ago that President Bashar Assad declared that Kurds will be given the status of citizens. Why now and not 80 years ago? And in Iran, there was a call for a “holy war” against the Kurdish areas. The Kurds helped the Iranians overthrow the Shah in 1979. But, they weren't given a single seat in the newly formed Majlis. The irony is that the Mullahs threw the Shah out to bring equality among all Iranians. And to this day people ask the Iranians, how can a Muslim country initiate a “holy war” against Muslims (the Kurds).

What really surprises me about Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq is, every government official in those four countries knows who is the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. And what is his health status during his capture. But, not one of these four countries ever revealed the number of dead and injured Kurds. We see the United Nations spend billions of dollars to save ten thousand people from an earthquake, disease and flooded cities. But, we never heard of even a speech talking about more than 30 million Kurds. With all the vast area in the Middle East, not one piece of territory was given to the Kurds. The Kurds can make the territory more beautiful and more productive. Just look at Iraq's Kurdistan and you will see how sophisticated and hard working the Kurds is. Why not give them a chance to cultivate, build and modernize their own territory? We saw the United Nations listen to the voice of the Southern Sudanese. And they were given their own country. The United Nations even divided Sudan for the Southern Sudanese. But, we never heard anyone speak about the right of 30 million Kurds to have a place they could call home.


http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article539987.ece

[alan131210]

A group of Kurdish students from Iraqi Kurdistan


December 5, 2011

The people of Iraqi Kurdistan have suffered for decades in pursuit of freedom, democracy and statehood in the hands of tyrants and dictators. They have been victims of ethnic-cleanings, discriminations and constant denials which very unfortunately persist in certain countries hitherto.

Since 1991, the six million Kurds in North of have demonstrated full aptitude and bear all the hallmarks of a nation state that can sustain itself and become eventually independent. The recognition of group identity and right to self-determination is a basic and universal human need, and the Kurds are not an exception. The time has come for the United States to unequivocally recognize this need. Such recognition will establish a foundation for future relationships built on understanding and mutual respect. It will encourage and lead to the emancipation of multiple other religious and ethnic oppressed peoples in the Middle East.

The Arab Spring has emphasized values of freedom, justice, and dignity, and US foreign policy in the region should be in harmony with supporting these ideals, irrespective of the political costs associated with such actions. The 6 million Kurds in North of Iraq should be fully seconded for demanding full secession and the recognition of their state.

For decades, American foreign policy in the region has struggled to balance strategic interests and values.
U.S. President Barack Obama, October 26, 2011. Photo: Getty
President Obama should equally advocate the right of Kurds by pioneering to outline the proposal for an independent Kurdistan in North of Iraq with world leaders as an opportunity to demonstrate the United States commitment to universal human values of justice and freedom, rather than acquiescing to political pressure and lobbying of certain regimes. Kurdistan should not be singled out from myriad other deserving countries that recently achieved their self-rule.

Kurds have demanded for a fair and free referendum to be held soon which will mirror the genuine aspirations of its citizens. It will be supervised by an independent body. Its outcome must be honored by both the central government in Iraq, as well as Kurdistan autonomous region in North. The United States has a moral and legal obligation to espouse the legitimate self-rule issue of 6 million plus stateless Kurds in North of Iraq in accordance with the wishes and will of the people. It is time to recognize Iraqi Kurdistan as a sovereign and independent state.

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/mi ... te5639.htm

[alan131210]

last part in the video:

"The investment projects and specially the strategic projects for electricity , oil and gas projects , the massive tourist projects and industrial projects will strengthen and develop Kurdistan’s infrastructure and is the basis of declaring a Kurdish state which is the hope and wishes of every single Kurd".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kP9GwRMIVU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbRkWqWgkE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&hd=1   

[alan131210]

BAGHDAD, — Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region must decide whether it wishes to remain part of the country or form its own independent state, Baghdad's oil minister said in an interview published Friday.

Abdelkarim al-Luaybi's strong comments come as Iraq aims to ramp up oil production despite not having passed a hydrocarbons law to regulate the distribution of lucrative revenues from crude sales.

"It's up to the Kurdistan region to decide whether it has made a strategic decision to stay part of Iraq or it has made up its mind to establish its independent state," Luaybi told the iraqoilforum.com
Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi. Photo: AFP/ Ahmad al-Rubaye.
website run by energy analyst Ruba Husari. "It is not acceptable ... that the Kurds sign contracts that award every single inch of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, without the participation of the inhabitants of the 15 other provinces in the decision," he said.

The Kurdistan region has signed around 40 contracts with foreign energy firms on a production-sharing basis without seeking the express approval of the central government's oil ministry.

The federal oil ministry, meanwhile, has instead awarded energy contracts to international companies on the basis of a per-barrel service fee. It has also refused to sign deals with any firm that has agreed a contract with Kurdistan.

That refusal was put in the spotlight in October, when Kurdistan inked a deal with ExxonMobil to explore six areas of the region. The US firm had previously signed a contract with Baghdad to ramp up production at the West Qurna-1 field,www.ekurd.net Iraq's second-biggest.

Iraq has said the oil giant must choose between the two contracts, a demand Luaybi reiterated in the iraqoilforum.com interview.

"They have to choose either to continue work here, which we have no issue with, or to work in the Kurdistan region," he said.

He added: "They are required to decide on a final position. Our position is clear. No company, whether Exxon or any other, would be allowed to breach our constitution and current laws and directives."

"If it decides to pull out, it will be the biggest loser. The entire Kurdistan region oil is nothing compared to WQ (West-Qurna) oil field."

Iraq's draft 2012 budget estimates oil exports of 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd), including 175,000 bpd from the Kurdistan region. The region receives a 17 percent share of the national budget, as part of a deal with Baghdad.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, AFP
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/mi ... est786.htm

[alan131210]

Devlet Bahçeli Leader of MHP political opposition party in Turkey and an Allawi from Desrim expressed his concerns of the collapsing of Assad regime and criticized Turkeys foreign policy about interfering in Syria's internal affairs .
Bahçeli also says that the west has planned the project of establishing a great kurdistan in the ME and gradually the project is developing and after its done with Baghdad and Damascus it will come after Turkey and Iran .

Source: Safir newspaper

[Kurdistano]

Devlet Bahçeli Leader of MHP political opposition party in Turkey and an Allawi from Desrim expressed his concerns of the collapsing of Assad regime and criticized Turkeys foreign policy about interfering in Syria's internal affairs .
Bahçeli also says that the west has planned the project of establishing a great kurdistan in the ME and gradually the project is developing and after its done with Baghdad and Damascus it will come after Turkey and Iran .

Source: Safir newspaper

That paranoid Dogface is from Osmaniye and Sunni not Allawi.