Kurdistan independence related articles & photos

[Cewlik]

Without determine the borders between Iraq and Kurdistan, declaration of Independence is a risk.

What will happen with Kirkuk? I mean the Iraqi army is bigger and have heavy weapons and fighter Jets. But I also dont see a way to solve the problems in the political way. Thats a shitty situation.

[talsor]

Without determine the borders between Iraq and Kurdistan, declaration of Independence is a risk.

What will happen with Kirkuk? I mean the Iraqi army is bigger and have heavy weapons and fighter Jets. But I also dont see a way to solve the problems in the political way. Thats a shitty situation.

The boarder will never ever be determined through legal means , the boarder will have to be made through war .
The Iraqi army is fragmented with loyalty to their ethnic or religious sect and no one will have the stomach to fight peshmergas . For your information there are more peshmergas than Iraqi soldiers and we have all heavy weapons that Iraq has if not more . I forgot to including PKK, PJAK , PDK-I-S who will jump at the opportunity to defend Southern Kurdistan.












K

[Kurdistano]

Without determine the borders between Iraq and Kurdistan, declaration of Independence is a risk.

What will happen with Kirkuk? I mean the Iraqi army is bigger and have heavy weapons and fighter Jets. But I also dont see a way to solve the problems in the political way. Thats a shitty situation.

You seem to be new, The Iraqi armies equipment is almost exactly the same as Peshmerga have. And the Iraqis dont have Jets. The only risk we have here is when we dont declare independence. The time has come and this is said by all experts.

[alan131210]

they dont have jets yet early 2014 they will have downgraded f16s , that is 2 years away , and plenty of time to gear up and even by jets ourselves .

[alan131210]

May 1, 2012

ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — A number of Israeli political experts say Israel will be among the countries that would support Iraqi Kurdistan if it declared independence. They also suggest that Kurdistan not make the decision hastily and ensure the grounds are properly prepared first, Rudaw reported.

Following remarks by Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani earlier this month, independence has become a topic of serious debate in Kurdish and regional circles. Barzani threatened that Kurds would declare independence if Baghdad reneged on its agreements regarding oil, territory and power-sharing between the central and Kurdish governments.

Ofra Bengio, a political researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies,www.ekurd.net published a book last week titled "The Kurds of Iraq: Building a State Within a State." She also wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post considering whether Barzani would declare independence and discussing the difficulties involved in the decision.

"Approaching the issue of independence, Barzani is on a horn of a dilemma,” the article reads. “On the one hand, it seems that the Kurds are facing the best window of opportunity for such a move. On the other hand, the formidable obstacles also seem to have gained momentum."

The article mentions a statement from the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat which claims that David Howell Petraeus, current director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), requested Ankara throw its support behind Iraqi Kurds should they declare independence.

Alon Ben-Meir, an Israeli peace negotiator and professor of International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies at New York University, says Israel will have no problems if Kurdistan declares independence; it will even support such a decision.

"No doubt Israel will support the independence of Kurdistan and probably be among the first countries to recognize the independence of Kurdistan, because Israel will not worry about the reaction of Turkey due to the strong ties between Ankara and the Kurdistan Region," says Ben-Meir.

But Bengio recommends that Kurdistan prepare the infrastructure of a state before announcing independence, and then wait for the right moment to take that course of action.

"Examining the situation on the ground, one can only repeat what every observer who has visited the area says: Kurdistan has all the trappings of a state. In fact, in certain areas, it seems even more cohesive and developed than the Palestinian Authority or South Sudan," says Bengio’s article.

"Against this there are some daunting obstacles, including the Kurds’ commitment in the Iraqi constitution to a federal state, the economic and political dependence on Baghdad and the fear of antagonizing neighboring states, especially Turkey, which has become the KRG’s lifeline to the outside world and its most important economic and trade partner," adds Bengio.

Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, rudaw.net

[Cewlik]

The boarder will never ever be determined through legal means , the boarder will have to be made through war . The Iraqi army is fragmented with loyalty to their ethnic or religious sect and no one will have the stomach to fight peshmergas . For your information there are more peshmergas than Iraqi soldiers and we have all heavy weapons that Iraq has if not more . I forgot to including PKK, PJAK , PDK-I-S who will jump at the opportunity to defend Southern Kurdistan.

Heaval, of course sometime we must declare our independence, but we must wait for the right time. And I am not sure if that is the right time, because the borders are not determined, we must be careful, because its not like the past, now we have somethink to lose.

You dont can say the Iraqi army have no power, it is better if we see their power and and act according to that.

[KaniRashi]

The boarder will never ever be determined through legal means , the boarder will have to be made through war . The Iraqi army is fragmented with loyalty to their ethnic or religious sect and no one will have the stomach to fight peshmergas . For your information there are more peshmergas than Iraqi soldiers and we have all heavy weapons that Iraq has if not more . I forgot to including PKK, PJAK , PDK-I-S who will jump at the opportunity to defend Southern Kurdistan.

Heaval, of course sometime we must declare our independence, but we must wait for the right time. And I am not sure if that is the right time, because the borders are not determined, we must be careful, because its not like the past, now we have somethink to lose.

You dont can say the Iraqi army have no power, it is better if we see their power and and act according to that.

Cewlik, Iraq's only goal when it comes to Kurds is to try destroy us,weaken us so we can't act. This is the right time to declare independence, we got many countries that support us too. If we don't do it now, then later the Peshmerga won't be able to resist Iraqi army which will be stronger, because they are stealing Peshmerga budget and more, they are trying to isolate us from Iraq(sounds weird, but they really are trying to isolate us from Iraq within it) and the world, making propaganda so that other countries will deny us. If we don't do it now, then we have to wait another 100 years...and probably repeat the history in a much worse way. And just like kak Talsor said, we have PKK,PJAK and PDK-I-S, they will fight with us, because they are Peshmergas too. If Iraq won't leave Kirkuk to Kurds, then there will be war, and Arabs won't be stupid to go into this war.

[alan131210]

Hawler 02/May (Siasat) - A source from SLC led by Nouri Al Maliki iraqi PM, announced today that, from this day on iran will not allow any iraqi figures to oppose Al Maliki, and the move with regional countries specially Qatar and Saudia is not acceptable referring to Barzani's visit, and he said "the gulf and KRG's closer ties heads towards the aim of kurdish independence".

He stated that "the recent visit by Malik to Iran resulted in forming a new alliance to resist those who oppose Iraq-Iran hostilities , any comments regarding this alliance means fiddling in the affairs of these 2 states".

According to few other reports , iran has warned Barzani about shifting alliance towards the gulf states.

On the other hand according to the same earlier source, all of the Saudia, Qatar , Kuwait as well as UAE have shown their support in kurdish independence as a sign of hostility towards Al Maliki.

Regarding this allegations , Jawad Kazem Musafer , an SLC member told kurdish agency (AKnews) that, Barzani's approach on getting close with the gulf states , is parallel with the crisis between him and Maliki, therefore the real reason behind his visit is to weaken Malkik's position as well as making him step down from his post.

The member also stated "the visit also aims at preparing the grounds and support for a kurdish state"

Source: Siasat

[hevalo27]

Hawler 02/May (Siasat) - A source from SLC led by Nouri Al Maliki iraqi PM, announced today that, from this day on iran will not allow any iraqi figures to oppose Al Maliki, and the move with regional countries specially Qatar and Saudia is not acceptable referring to Barzani's visit, and he said "the gulf and KRG's closer ties heads towards the aim of kurdish independence".
Source: Siasat

is this a threat adressed to kurdistan from iran? iran really said this
shit on it, good work KRG

[KaniRashi]

Hawler 02/May (Siasat) - A source from SLC led by Nouri Al Maliki iraqi PM, announced today that, from this day on iran will not allow any iraqi figures to oppose Al Maliki, and the move with regional countries specially Qatar and Saudia is not acceptable referring to Barzani's visit, and he said "the gulf and KRG's closer ties heads towards the aim of kurdish independence".

He stated that "the recent visit by Malik to Iran resulted in forming a new alliance to resist those who oppose Iraq-Iran hostilities , any comments regarding this alliance means fiddling in the affairs of these 2 states".

According to few other reports , iran has warned Barzani about shifting alliance towards the gulf states.

On the other hand according to the same earlier source, all of the Saudia, Qatar , Kuwait as well as UAE have shown their support in kurdish independence as a sign of hostility towards Al Maliki.

Regarding this allegations , Jawad Kazem Musafer , an SLC member told kurdish agency (AKnews) that, Barzani's approach on getting close with the gulf states , is parallel with the crisis between him and Maliki, therefore the real reason behind his visit is to weaken Malkik's position as well as making him step down from his post.

The member also stated "the visit also aims at preparing the grounds and support for a kurdish state"

Source: Siasat

is this a threat to kurdistan from iran?

Iran has been threatening the whole world for 40 years and they haven't done anything they said yet...This threat is meaningless and won't happen

[ideas]

So maybe Qatar and the Wahabis do support arming Kurds? interesting..

[alan131210]

So maybe Qatar and the Wahabis do support arming Kurds? interesting..

indeed , Barzani has met with the chief commander of armed forces in UAE . would they be able or are they allowed to say sell us some of their advanced jets ?

[Rando]

Iraq's unity tested by rising tensions over oil-rich Kurdish region

As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that could soon surpass Libya's output, Kurdish leaders have warned they may seek independence if disputes over oil revenues, power-sharing aren't resolved.



Erbil, Iraq

In the capital of the Kurdish region, a gleaming new international airport welcomes visitors to a part of the country that is increasingly striking out on its own amid mounting questions over whether a united Iraq will survive.

Unlike Baghdad, foreign visitors landing on one of the ever-growing number of international flights to Erbil need no prior visa. That's just one of the signs of autonomy in Iraqi Kurdistan, the country's most prosperous and secure region.

Newly discovered oil has fueled the prosperity underpinning Kurdistan's boldness. But it has also heightened tensions with Baghdad that have simmered for decades over land and identity. As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that officials say could surpass Libya's output by 2019, Kurdish leaders have warned they could seek full independence if disputes over oil revenues and power-sharing aren't resolved.

"The Kurds will not live in the shadow of a dictatorial regime," Massoud Barzani, the powerful president of the Kurdish region said in a speech in Erbil Friday. "The right to decide our destiny is a legitimate one and we ask others not to try to take this right from us."

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, told the Monitor in a recent interview he believes differences between Baghdad and Erbil can be solved.

“We can reach agreement on this,” he said, referring to the wider issue of Iraq’s fragile coalition government and increasingly bitter relations between Kurdish President Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “We Iraqis had experiences many times on the brink of civil war – we retreated from that and we came back to dialogue and national unity.”

Not everyone agrees with the president’s assessment, however. Maliki's far-reaching consolidation of power has rankled other regions and even his political allies, with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr recently visiting Erbil for the first time in a sign of solidarity with the Kurds.

Southern, oil-rich regions also pressing for more control

Nine years after Saddam Hussein was toppled, and two decades after breaking away from Baghdad, Iraqi Kurdistan is far more prosperous and secure than any other part of the country. Security has been maintained by the regional government’s strict controls on its de facto borders, including those ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the central government.

Kurdish support two years ago for Maliki’s coalition government was essential to the Shiite prime minister retaining his post after failing to win a majority of seats. Since then a power-sharing agreement which included the Kurds and the major Sunni political bloc has fallen apart with almost none of the provisions implemented.

[burnsss]

We cant wait any longer! we must declare independence before 2013! Right after Obama becomes presidents and before Nouri-al Saddami gets the jets! march towards the frontline !biji kurdistan! To hell with Jash and Iraqi unity.

[alan131210]

As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that could soon surpass Libya's output, Kurdish leaders have warned they may seek independence if disputes over oil revenues, power-sharing aren't resolved.

May 6, 2012

ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region , — In the capital of the Kurdish region, a gleaming new international airport welcomes visitors to a part of the country that is increasingly striking out on its own amid mounting questions over whether a united Iraq will survive.

Unlike Baghdad, foreign visitors landing on one of the ever-growing number of international flights to Erbil need no prior visa. That's just one of the signs of autonomy in Iraqi Kurdistan, the country's most prosperous and secure region.

Newly discovered oil has fueled the prosperity underpinning Kurdistan's boldness. But it has also heightened tensions with Baghdad that have simmered for decades over land and identity. As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that officials say could surpass Libya's output by 2019, Kurdish leaders have warned they could seek full independence if disputes over oil revenues and power-sharing aren't resolved.

"The Kurds will not live in the shadow of a dictatorial regime," Massoud Barzani, the powerful president of the Kurdish region said in a speech in Erbil Friday. "The right to decide our destiny is a legitimate one and we ask others not to try to take this right from us."

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, told the Monitor in a recent interview he believes differences between Baghdad and Erbil can be solved.

“We can reach agreement on this,” he said, referring to the wider issue of Iraq’s fragile coalition government and increasingly bitter relations between Kurdish President Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “We Iraqis had experiences many times on the brink of civil war – we retreated from that and we came back to dialogue and national unity.”

Not everyone agrees with the president’s assessment, however. Maliki's far-reaching consolidation of power has rankled other regions and even his political allies, with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr recently visiting Erbil for the first time in a sign of solidarity with the Kurds.

Southern, oil-rich regions also pressing for more control

Nine years after Saddam Hussein was toppled, and two decades after breaking away from Baghdad, Iraqi Kurdistan is far more prosperous and secure than any other part of the country. Security has been maintained by the regional government’s strict controls on its de facto borders, including those ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the central government.

Kurdish support two years ago for Maliki’s coalition government was essential to the Shiite prime minister retaining his post after failing to win a majority of seats. Since then a power-sharing agreement which included the Kurds and the major Sunni political bloc has fallen apart with almost none of the provisions implemented.

Because of the political wrangling, Iraq has no interior or defense minister. Instead Maliki effectively oversees both, as well as an increasing number of intelligence and security services reorganized to fall directly under his command. In a country with some of the world’s biggest oil reserves, a proposed oil law mandating how revenue is shared between the provinces has never reached Parliament for a vote.

“We have to clearly define the oil law,” says Latif Rasheed, senior adviser to President Talabani. “Not only regarding central authorities but regional authorities – this is happening in Kurdistan now; tomorrow it might happen in Basra if it’s not clear.”

In addition to Kurdistan, other regions, including the south – which has seen little benefit from its vast oil reserves – have been pressing for more control. Some local government officials in Basra and Diyala have even raised the prospect of seeking autonomy.

Mr. Barzani, who next to Mr. Maliki has emerged as the most powerful politician in Iraq, has warned that the Kurds could "resort to other decisions" if the prime minister does not follow through on a power-sharing agreement. Barzani's comments are widely seen as an implied threat to seek independence.

Legacy of Saddam's genocidal campaign

The legacy of Saddam Hussein’s military campaigns against the Kurds in the 1970s and 1980s has rekindled fears in Iraqi Kurdistan that a central government with unchecked powers could again pose a threat. That worry has been heightened by the withdrawal of US troops that served as a buffer between Erbil and Baghdad.

American protection in the form of a no-fly zone in 1991 created the semi-autonomous Kurdish region after the Kurds rose up against Mr. Hussein's weakened regime when he was driven out of Kuwait. Deeply traumatized by Saddam’s genocidal campaign, two decades later Kurdish leaders have raised concerns in Washington over Iraq’s purchase of American F-16 fighter jets.

“It’s normal for Iraq to have an army, to have advanced weaponry but the concept of against whom that would be used this is what worries us,” says Falah Mustafa, the Kurdish regional government’s de facto foreign minister. “When we have worries about the nature of that army and the loyalty of that army we have all the right to be afraid because planes have been used against Kurdish people ... so our tragic history tells us to be careful.”

Kurdish officials are adamant that they won’t seek the breakup of Iraq but many seem prepared for the possibility that Sunni-Shiite tension could splinter the country on its own.

Feeding into Iraq’s sectarian tensions, Sunni vice president Tariq al-Hashemi, wanted on terrorism charges, was given refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan and then allowed by the Kurdish government to leave the country, despite a no-travel order. He is now being tried in absentia in Baghdad.

As Kurdish political and economic power grows, ties with the rest of Iraq weaken. Most younger Kurds don’t speak Arabic and few feel a strong connection to the rest of the country.

“What is not independent about Kurdistan today?” says one Kurdish official speaking on condition of anonymity. “The fact that we get our money from Baghdad – that’s the only thing that’s left.”

Kurdish ties with Turkey improve

Kurds are looking at the possibility of replacing that revenue from an unlikely source. Opposition from powerful Turkey has been one of the main reasons the Kurds have not sought more autonomy. But as Baghdad’s relations with Ankara have soured over accusations of Turkish interference in Iraqi affairs, Erbil's ties with Turkey have improved dramatically.

Kurdish officials maintain they are discussing with Turkey plans to build crude oil and natural gas pipelines that would carry fuel directly from Iraqi Kurdistan to the neighboring country.

Talabani, who last month hosted Baghdad’s first Arab League summit in more than 20 years, maintains that it would be unrealistic for Kurds to push for independence despite calls by the younger generation to seek it.

The older Kurdish political elite spent years as mountain fighters followed by years in exile but Talabani says that for all Kurds in the region seeking control over their destiny, that era is over.

“Armed struggle is past – now we are in a parliamentarian struggle ... we are always telling this to our [Kurdish] brothers in Turkey to understand the spirit of a new era," he says. "This is not the time of partisan war or armed struggle. Look to the countries that use popular struggle; even they get freedom from dictatorship from other places, so through this kind of struggle people can achieve their goals.”

2 million barrels per day by 2019

The dispute over oil – potentially worth billions of dollars as new fields come on stream in Iraqi Kurdistan – is entangled in the wider issue of land, towns, and cities claimed by both the Iraqi and Kurdish governments – including the disputed city of Kirkuk. Kurds claim oil-rich Kirkuk as their historic capital, as do the Turkmen and other groups. Tens of thousands of non-Arabs were expelled from that city during Hussein’s campaign to Arabize the country.

“There are a number of issues that have to be sorted out – one is the disputed territories, which I think is much more serious than the oil,” says Mr. Rasheed, the Iraqi president’s adviser.

Oil though has become the driving force behind Kurdish aspirations. Since Barzani turned the tap on the first oil well in the Taq Taq field three years ago, Kurdish officials expect production to rise to 500,000 barrels per day in the next 1-1/2 years. They say it could reach 2 million barrels per day by 2019 – a higher output than oil producers such as Libya.

Reflecting the rising tension, the Kurdish government in April shut off oil exports bound for the Iraqi government pipeline to Turkey. Foreign companies have cut back production and are selling the remaining fuel within Iraqi Kurdistan – a move that contravenes long-standing agreement under which oil revenue is distributed by Baghdad. The companies and Kurdish authorities say it’s a necessary step to recover their costs after months of not being paid under existing agreements with the central government.

For many Iraqi Kurds, the question is whether the autonomy they have gained is enough or whether they should aim for more and risk losing it.

“It’s a tough one for any Kurd to balance their natural desire for any independence, which every Kurd has deep down, even Jalal Talabani, with a reality that puts what we have today in danger,” says Qubad Talabani, the Kurdish government’s representative in Washington and the president’s son. “I think that’s what every Kurd grapples with – what their heart tells them and what their head tells them.”

csmonitor.com