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For Kurds & Iraqis, A Promise Is in Peril
20.12.2006
By Masrour Barzani |
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Baker-Hamilton Would
Sell Out Democracy
December 20, 2006
Erbil, Kurdistan region (Iraq), -- The Iraq
Study Group's recommendations will accomplish
nothing in Iraq. Its expressions of "gratitude" to
those of us Iraqis who fought on the battlefield for
freedom and liberty ring hollow. The report ignores
our accomplishments, dreams and sacrifices in favor
of a concern for those whose ultimate goal is the
destruction of democracy.
Our federal constitution, which the majority of the
Iraqi people voted for, is treated flippantly, as
though it were a negotiable document rather than the
hard-fought result of lengthy negotiation among
those willing to participate in the new Iraq.
Further, the study group's approach is driven by the
concerns of the countries in this region rather than
by the concerns of the Iraqi people. |
Masrour Barzani, the director of the Intelligence
and Security Agency of the Kurdistan Regional
Government |
Many Iraqis, especially the Kurds, are justifiably
concerned about this. No one from the study group
visited Iraqi Kurdistan, which the group admits is
safe and pro-American, and where there has not been
a single U.S. casualty since the war. Kurds not only
fought alongside Americans but lost some of our best
men to American friendly-fire incidents. Yet we
staunchly support the work of the coalition and are
eternally grateful for the sacrifices the American
people have made for our future.
The report is right to acknowledge that part of the
problem in Iraq is America's inability to
distinguish friend from foe. Unfortunately,
Baker-Hamilton fares even worse in this regard. This
comes as little surprise, since it was partly
written by those who orchestrated the saving of
Saddam Hussein in 1991.
To call upon Iraq's neighbors, which have chosen
Iraq as a place to fight the United States, is a
grave mistake. Seeking their participation would
inevitably backfire. They would not only contribute
to the instability within the country but would
implement agendas in direct contradiction to
America's occupation goals.
The plan would reward regimes that have undermined
the U.S. effort at every turn. Iraq would fall under
the regional powers, and the Iraqi people would come
out the losers. Any vacancy left in Iraq by the
coalition forces before Iraq is ready to stand on
its own would be filled by those opposed to
democracy. American credibility would dissipate, and
any chance for success in Iraq would evaporate. If
this comes to pass, hopes for real democracy in the
Middle East will be history. The regional powers
that border us have an interest in keeping us weak
and divided.
Once again Kurds are about to be sold out. Should
the U.S. administration adopt the recommendations of
Baker-Hamilton, the Kurds will be sacrificed to
protect the interests of Iraq's neighbors. We were
massacred in 1975 and 1991 by Saddam Hussein because
we thought that our commitment to democracy and
tolerance made us natural U.S. allies. We responded
then, as we did four years ago, to American calls
for the introduction of a new era in the region.
Like Americans, we dream of a better future for our
children, one in which they can grow up without
deformities caused by chemical attacks on our
villages.
It is true we fly Kurdish flags. This is yet another
similarity we have with Americans, who are proud not
only of their country but also of the
accomplishments and unique identities of their
states. The harbinger of successful democracy in the
United States was the willingness of its founders to
recognize the particular interests of states and to
craft a constitution to safeguard their rights.
Baker-Hamilton would deny Iraqis the same rights and
thus doom our efforts to construct a system in Iraq
that protects all its citizens. It would strip
Kurdistan of rights it has negotiated with the
central government to protect it from abuses like
those it has suffered in the past. We should not
forget that over-centralization has been a disaster
for the Iraqi people.
Iraq's constitution should be treasured. Iraq's
neighbors should not be allowed to violate our
sovereignty. Democracy and federalism are the
popularly chosen basis of the new Iraq. Never again
should Kurdish wealth be stolen to finance genocide
against the Kurdish people.
While Kurds welcome American troops into their
homes, Baker-Hamilton proposes that the United
States revise its policies to meet the demands of
those firing at its soldiers. According to the study
group, we are all part of "a problem" that needs
fixing, and we are equally unworthy of America's
protection.
Don't sell us out to our authoritarian neighbors and
those who are terrorizing our communities. We agreed
democratically to participate in this project
because we were guaranteed the rights needed to
protect our people.
We Kurds are asking President Bush and America to
remember the sacrifices we have made to keep your
loved ones safe in Iraq. We are asking you to keep a
promise where those before you have failed.
The writer is the director of the Intelligence and
Security Agency of the Kurdistan Regional Government
in Iraq and a high-ranking member of the Kurdistan
Democratic Party.
washingtonpost com
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