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Kurdistan Region's achievements and crises
in 2007
8.1.2008
By Farzand Sherko. Translated by Dr Kamal Mirawdeli
from Hawlati Newspaper
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January 8, 2008
In this year (2007) the president of Israel
suggested that the Iraqi Kurdistan would develop
their federalism and declare independence. The
political authority in Kurdistan rejected this
suggestion with thanks.
The history of relationship between the Kurds of
north Iraq and Israeli state goes back to the 1960s
in the last century.
In the new history of Iraq in which the position of
Kurdistan region is strengthened, increasingly
reports are published which refer to the security,
political and economic relations between the Kurds
and Israel. Training Kurdish commandos and the
activities of Israeli intelligence in north Iraq and
strong commercial relations between the Israeli
businessmen and the region, and more importantly the
plan for the transport the oil of Kirkuk to the
Israeli port of Haifa through Jordan are some issues
that have been reported so far and have neither been
confirmed [by relevant authorities] or denied.
Big Israeli businessmen are also active in the
Kurdish regions of Turkey and Iran. Purchasing of
land in these regions show the significance that
Israel is giving to the region and also a reason for
concern for those countries in which the Kurds
represent a minority nation.
Iran relates the attraction of Israel to the region
to some security and political motives. Political
experts believe that the strengthening of the
Israeli influence in the region through broadening
the geographical base of that influence from Jordan
to north Iraq allows Israel to have a control Iran’s
‘security belt’ and eliminate the strength points of
the four countries of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria
by [gaining ability] to instigate the Kurds of
Mahabad, Qamishlu, Diyarbekir and Kirkuk. These
[Iranian experts] believe that this is a long-term
Israeli strategy that it applies to put pressure on
these countries.
But the participation of the Israeli intelligence
aircraft in discovering the bases of Kurdistan
Workers’ Party {PKK) in Qandil and its support to
Turkey for the killing of the PKK guerrillas and the
support of the US for these attacks, can be read as
a change in the foreign policy of Tel Ebib and
Washington in 2007. This is something that Kurdistan
region must try to find out its reasons.
2007 was a very political year. In the past year
Kurdistan region dealt with some sensitive changes:
strengthening of a joint capital [for the region],
acting for the formation of a united [Kurdistan
regional] government, the opening of the UN office
and a number of consulates in Erbil, acting towards
the development of the investment sector and
attracting foreign capital and working towards the
institutionalization of government and removing the
control of parties in it,www.ekurd.net
are some of these
important changes. At the same time at the level of
Kurdistan region, the level of corruption in the
region was rising, there was shortfall in the
budget, and hastiness in trying to exploit the oil
sector, the reappearance of the phenomenon of the
migration of the young people, the reduction in
services and increase in inflation.
At the level of Iraq, [the main events were]: trying
to strengthen relationship with the Higher Islamic
Council and Shia coalition, building relations with
the Sunni Arab Sheikhs and the Islamic Iraqi Party,
and continuous contact and communication with the
Americans and the British for dealing with the
crises of Kirkuk and oil and natural resources.
At the regional level, there were efforts to
reconstruct the relations with Iran, Turkey and
Egypt and plans for visiting Syria. At the same time
the region faced up to the attacks by al-Qaida and
Ansar al-Islam and organized the military force of
“border guards”. The political parties in Kurdistan
region were organized by a “higher committee of the
political parties of Kurdistan region.” These can be
considered as the most important achievements of the
region last year.
What is important for 2008 is the necessity of
putting a limit to bureaucracy and corruption in the
region in 2008. Financial and administrative
accountability must be strengthened by law. Before
drawing up and deciding the budget of the region,www.ekurd.net
the political parties
must be distanced from the government and the higher
commission of political parties must become more
active. A proactive diplomatic agency must be
established.
At the Iraqi level, Kurdistan region must keep a
balance in its relations with the Sunnis and the
Shias and must not forget that without the support
of the Shia there would be no federalism and without
the support of the Sunni’s Kirkuk cannot be returned
to Kurdistan region.
At regional level, the national security of
neighbours must be respected and economic relations
with them need to be strengthened. Finally Kurdistan
region must not ignore the US and Israel and
investigate the reasons for the change of their
position in relation to the region.
Article by Farzand Sherko, translated by Dr Kamal
Mirawdeli from Hawlati, Sulaimaniyah, independent
newspaper in Sorani Kurdish published twice a week,
30 Dec 2007, page 2. PDF
Dr Kamal Mirawdeli is a specialist in Middle East
and in particular Kurdish issues and writes from a
Kurdish perspective.
Kurdishmedia com
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