|
Iraqi Kurds split between Iran and US
10.5.2007
|
|
|
|
May
10, 2007
Iraq's Kurds have found themselves in a delicate
position since the US-led liberation of Iraq four
years ago. They are trying to court good relations
with their eastern neighbour Iran - without angering
Washington.
This is a tricky balancing act because while Iraqi
Kurds rely on the United States for protection, they
also depend on Iran's goodwill to help maintain
their economy and the relative stability they have
been enjoying.
"The Americans helped us overthrow Saddam Hussein's
regime so we respect them, but we're not indebted to
them for everything," said Nasir Ghafoor Ramadan, a
member of Iraqi Kurdistan's Regional Parliament.
"Iran has also helped the Kurds of Iraq a lot at
various times so from this point of view, we also
respect Iran."
Iraqi Kurds and Tehran have long maintained ties.
They have often worked together to fight common
enemies: most recently, Iraq's former President
Saddam Hussein.
Dependency
These days, a large part of Iraqi Kurdistan's
economy depends on imports from Iran.
"Around 30 to 40% of our imports come from Iran,"
said Zaher Mahmood Jalil, who heads an economics'
program on Radio Zagros in Erbil. "Iraqi Kurdistan
doesn't produce much itself so it has to import most
of its goods."
Kurds here say if Iran were ever to close its border
with Iraq, their economy would be hit hard. Iranian
produce, appliances, and electronics flood Kurdish
cities, and petrol smuggled in from Iran helps Iraqi
Kurds keep their cars running.
Jamaal Abdullah Hussein sells Iranian petrol for
eight times its original price on the side of a road
in Sulaimaniyah.
"We have become dependent on gas imports from Iran,"
he said. "If Iran tried to limit the petrol that
crosses the border, we would face a major shortage,
and it would cause a crisis."
If Iran closes its border, Iraqi Kurdistan would
have to rely more on its other neighbours, like
Turkey and Syria, for help.
That could lead to infighting among Kurdish
political parties - those controlling areas
bordering Turkey and Syria could gain an upper hand
over the parties based near Iran.
Tehran, however, has said it plans to expand its
economic ties with Iraqi Kurdistan - not curtail
them - to help create stability in Iraq.
Porous border
So for now a steady stream of goods flows across the
border. Travellers do, too. Some enter legally;
others do not.
Amir, a 19-year-old Kurd who helps smuggle people
across the border, said sneaking between the two
countries is not very hard.
"I know the path well," said Amir, who did not want
to use his full name. "If guards are monitoring my
regular path, I take another route. If they were to
catch me, I could face six months in jail."
Amir's clients are not the only ones making illegal
journeys into northern Iraq. Some Iraqi Kurdish
officials accuse Iran of letting insurgents
infiltrate the border.
"I don't have any specific evidence of this," said
Buhari Hidir, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's
Foreign Relations Committee.
"But it's natural for us politicians to think that
Iran would use all its powers to create problems for
the United States in the region, especially in
Iraq."
Iran denies the charge. Instead, Tehran, which has
worries about its own Kurdish population seeking
autonomy, accuses Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government
of failing to crack down on Iranian Kurd opposition
groups in northern Iraq.
Some, like the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan,
or PJAK, have launched attacks on Iran.
Others, like the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran,
or KDPI, say these days they turn to arms only for
defence and instead focus on political activities.
Iraqi Kurdish officials have said their regional
government allows groups like KDPI to operate in
Kurdistan (northern Iraq) as long as they do not
engage in military actions against Iran.
The officials have acknowledged, however, that it is
difficult to control PJAK, which is based high in
the mountains.
Forced to choose
Complicating the picture is the Bush
Administration's increasingly aggressive stance on
Iran's involvement in Iraq.
In January, American troops captured five Iranians
in Erbil.
Tehran says the five were diplomats. Washington
claims they were agents plotting attacks against the
United States and its allies in Iraq.
The raid put Iraqi Kurds in a difficult position,
said Mr Ramadan, the member of Iraqi Kurdistan's
Regional Parliament.
"This was a big mistake by the United States," he
said. "There was no evidence that the Iranians were
intelligence agents.
Iran and the US should take their disputes
elsewhere."
Mr Ramadan said Iraqi Kurds would benefit most by
having friendships with both the United States and
Iran.
He realises, however, that the United States has not
ruled out launching a military strike on Iran over
Iran's nuclear program.
If America one day decides to make that move, it may
turn to Iraqi Kurds for help.
Then the Kurds might be forced to choose between
Washington and Tehran.
BBC
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 