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Kurdish leader Heyrsh Abdul discusses
Kurdistan and Iraq
3.12.2007
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December
3, 2007
The deputy director of community outreach for the
Kurdistan Regional Government spoke Wednesday night
at the Elliott School about the prospects of an
independent democratic government in Iraq's northern
region.
Heyrsh Abdul told the approximately 30 people in
attendance that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is
committed to development in Iraq.
"We have chosen to be part of Iraq and we are
committed to that," Abdul said. "We can declare
independence, but we will be destroyed. It is better
to be with Iraq right now."
He added, "(The PUK) wants the idea of Iraq to work
and we want to be part of it provided that the new
Iraq protects us and our way of life." |
Heyrsh Abdul, deputy director of community outreach
for the Kurdistan Regional Government, spoke about
Iraq's government |
The founder and secretary general of the PUK, Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani, has been at the forefront
of the power struggle in the Kurdistan Regional
Government between his PUK and the Kurdish
Democratic Party.
The PUK and the KDP have battled over control of
Kurdistan's government since Kurdish independence
was declared in 1992 with the help of the United
States during the Gulf War.
Both parties are reluctant to relinquish their power
despite having renounced old rivalries to form a
unified regional government.
During a question and answer session following his
speech,www.ekurd.net
Abdul did not answer
many of the questions posed by GW students about the
Turkish government's historical abuse of the Kurdish
people.
"This is a sensitive question," Abdul said several
times.
Later, Abdul seemed to hint at Turkey's persecution
of Kurdish people.
"We have been attacked, persecuted and threatened by
our neighbors and made to feel unsafe and unwelcome
in the land of our birth," he said.
"To be sure, we have had our differences," Abdul
said. "But more often than not, the Turks have been
our brothers in the struggle for peace and freedom."
Abdul then addressed the debate over the war in Iraq
and the possibility of a troop withdrawal from the
country
"While it is for Americans to decide whether to
maintain military troops in Iraq, I can tell you
that your presence over the past four years has
accomplished a great deal," he said.www.ekurd.net
"Iraq is far from
perfect; it faces many and difficult challenges in
the years ahead. But progress is being made. We will
continue this work, whether American troops remain
or not."
The GW Middle East Peace Group, which sponsored
Wednesday's event, wanted to bring attention to the
situation of the Kurds.
Heyrsh GW speech, Middle East
peace Group on November 28th 2007
gwhatchet com
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