The Kurds are the oldest ethnic population with a unique
culture despite their fall to various ruling powers. They have always struggled
for independence but were caught in the crossfire of superpower struggles and
the US was complicit in supporting the destruction of the Kurdish Democratic
Party post WWII. The Kurds are the causality always caught in the fighting
between larger powers which has only strengthened and kept alive their
sentiments about independence. Barzani
of the 1970’s aspired to be the “51st state of the USA”. No one, including the
US, wanted the Kurds to be independent of Iraq because they viewed the
‘semi-autonomous’ status of the Kurds as a means to keep Iraq a weaker state. The
US true to historical form under Kissenger/Nixon, abandoned the Kurds when the Iraqis came down hard
on them. We also refused to admit any Kurds for political asylum in the 1970’s.
Marriana Charountaki , author of ‘The Kurds and US Foreign
Policy’ describes in her well researched scholastic book five different phases
of US foreign policy towards the Kurds.
The book critic, Mohammed Shareef of Durham University is more aligned with my
opinion that the changes US foreign policy related to the Kurds were a direct
response to our changing strategies rather than Charountaki’s assumptions that
the Kurds shaped American foreign policy. It is only a difference of cause and
effect. Seems this book would be a fascinating read.
The Kurds, after being mass murdered by chemical WMD, were
long protected from Saddam under the no fly zone by the USA under Operation
Provide Comfort in 1992. They had developed a significant level of autonomy
from the Iraqi government by establishing their own defense and government institutions. Although
initially wrought with infighting, they grew strong and independent. They were
also largely unaffected by the US invasion because they were allied with us.
They did not suffer the kinds of infrastructure destruction that places like
Bagdad did. It is difficult if not impossible to scratch back the independence
that the Kurds enjoyed under the protection of the US no fly zone. They
advanced independent institutions and a military that presents a formidable
opposition to the Iraqi military.
The Kurds live on top of the Iraqi oil reserves and if they
were to achieve independence, Iraq would lose its largest income source. The
Kurds could see themselves as another Quatar…small but rich. Kurdish President
Barzani (interesting that there was a Barzani leader back in the 70’s…any
relation?) is in conflict with Iraq because of his independent oil deals that
conflict with Iraqi laws. It has been a multigenerational goal of the Kurds for
independence from Iraq and their time of security and independence from Iraq
has only emboldened and strengthened this aspiration. There is a large Kurdish
population within the Turkish borders and Turkey views Kurdish independence as
a potential threat. We have alliances with Turkey and I would lean toward us
not supporting any attempt for the Kurds to establish their independence. It
would be seen as a threat to Turkish borders and I believe Iran would feel the
same.
In Iraq, support for the USA will put your life at risk. I
would suggest that there is little ability for US influence in Iraqi stability
or survival of its fragile democracy. We are unwelcome by its leadership. Our failed
policies there are the root cause of negative Iraqi sentiment towards the US
within the Iraqi government. We invaded their country based on false reasons
and lacked any post invasion plan which allowed for wide spread chaos and dismantling
of government institutions. When we tried to clean up the mess we made, it had
become an impossible mission. Bush’s statement of ‘mission accomplished’ and
its photo op was premature and arrogant which was characteristic of his
presidency and his American foreign policy.
Sectarian power struggles between the Shiite and Sunni is so
evident that Shiite President al-Maliki sent out an arrest warrant for Sunni
Vice President al-Hashimi with two death sentences to be delivered if he leaves
the care and protection of the Turks where he is in exile. Ethnic warring
continues between Kurds and the Arabs with no resolution in sight. Maliki has
been slowly empowering his office on a slow walk to totalitarianism or
dictatorship.
The USA lacked a post invasion plan and dismantled the Iraqi
military and disenfranchised what should have been developed into a pillar of
stability for the country. Power shifted from the minority Sunni to the majority
Shiite as sectarian divisions were reignited. There were neighborhoods where
Sunni were intermarrying with Shiite, but that sort of integration is now
impossible. The civil war between them had begun. Iraq had no Al Qaeda before
we invaded, but they are entrenched there now. Iraqi leadership has been
engaged in ethnic cleansing as millions have fled the country.
As the world’s economy slows and limps along, so does the
flow of foreign investments into Iraq for infrastructure rebuilding. It is a
good thing for Iraq that their oil production and Iranian sanctions have led to
an offset of funding to continue progress in investments in such key areas as
electricity, transportation and provision of potable water. The predictors for
Iraqi economic growth are encouraging as they dig themselves out from under the
political disorder we contributed to. I do not see democracy as we know it
flourishing given the ethnic and sectarian divisions and resulting conflicts. I
expect the Iraqi relationship with Iran to become stressed in the future as
Iran will seek to have greater influence and Iraq will start to fight against it.
Perhaps a loose alliance against the US will be the end outcome since both their leaderships, not necessarily their people, have a well earned distrust and dislike of the US and our foriegn policies.
Brief History of Kurdistan. Retrieved from https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~jlshupe/history.html Nov 9, 2012.
Kamber, Micheal. 2012, Dec. 7. Iraq. New York Times. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/iraq/index.html
Opportunities for Infrastructure Financing in Iraq. 2010,
April. MENA-OECD Investment Programme.
Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oecd.org%2Fcountries%2Firaq%2F45172287.pdf&ei=s7zEUJaSOueW0QGUuYCgCw&usg=AFQjCNESQiXKpflWPi-UREywCGfKUYTs8A&sig2=mJLTEK85cnP3fKoSCn3lTw
Shareef, Mohammed. 2011.The Kurds and US Foreign Policy:
International Relations in the Middle East since 1945. Insight Turkey. Retrieved from http://www.insightturkey.com/the-kurds-and-us-foreign-policy-international-relations-in-the-middle-east-since-1945/book-reviews/70 Nov 9,2012.
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