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Unanimity to amend Algiers Accord which
eliminate the Kurdish movement in Iraq during the
1970s
19.2.2008
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February 19, 2008
BAGHDAD, Iraq, — Iraqi politicians are
unanimously unified in agreeing that the Algiers
Accord, signed by Iraq and Iran in 1975, should be
reconsidered.
Kurdish lawmakers perceive that the Algiers Accord
was executed to eliminate the Kurdish movement in
Iraq during the 1970s, and Sunni legislators believe
that the Iraq–Iran War (1980 – 1988) invalidated
this agreement; a matter that requires a new peace
treaty between the two countries. Shiite
parliamentary members believe the Algiers Accord,
first implemented 33 years ago, has to be amended to
modify the relations between Iraq and Iran.
This comes before a meeting in Tehran – capital of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Tuesday, that will
include two delegations from both Iraq and Iran to
re-draw the border-line between the two countries,
and to reconsider the Algiers Accord. |
Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish legislator, member of the
Kurdistan National Democratic Union |
A member of the
Kurdistan Alliance parliamentary bloc,www.ekurd.net
Dr Mahmoud Othman, said
to VOI "The former Iraqi regime had executed this
agreement in order to eliminate the Kurdish movement
in Iraq," explaining "this treaty stated that there
should be Iraqi – Iranian coordination, at that
time, against any Kurdish movements." He continued,
"Currently, this item should be omitted, because it
has become obsolete."
As Othman clarified, "Iraq had requested to re-draw
both the naval and terrestrial borders with Iran,"
proceeding "Iranian authorities want to keep the
Algiers Accord in effect, because under its accord
they hold (2/3) of Shattal-Arab under Iranian
sovereignty, while Iraq holds only (1/3) of it,"
explaining "That is why they want to keep the
Algiers Accord; just to preserve their interests."
Othman said that he believes both Iraq and Iran
would sign a new agreement; otherwise, "If Iran
insisted on keeping the Algiers Accord of 1975,
Iranian authorities should accept the measures that
guarantee the sovereignty of Iraq."
In late 2007, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani
demanded employing crucial amendments to the Algiers
Accord, because it, according to President Talabani,
was considered obsolete by the Iraqi opposition
forces when Iraq was under Saddam Hussein, and that
these forces now hold power in Iraq. He stressed
that the Algiers Accord was drafted between Saddam
Hussein and the Shah of Iran, not between Iraq and
Iran.
Coinciding with President Talabani, deputy Iraqi
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Hajj Hmod
said in December 2007, "We still have the intention
of delegating a technical team to Iran to discuss
the border issue with the Iranian authorities." Hmod
stressed "The delegation will only discuss technical
issues that have absolutely no involvement in
politics," adding "both Iraq and Iran want to
re-draw the borders between them in a way that
preserves the interests of both countries."
In his response to President Talabani’s statements,
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr
Mottaki said by the end of 2007 that the Algiers
Accord were "untouchable," considering that
agreement as a corner-stone for a reliable
foundation that preserves good relations between
Iraq and Iran.
Despite the contradiction between the officials in
Iraq and Iran regarding the Algiers Accord, the
spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs announced in a press conference that his
country is ready to receive an Iraqi delegation to
discuss the Algiers Accord of 1975 and other related
issues.
From his side, Hussein Al-Falluji, a parliamentary
member of the Iraqi Accordance Front (Sunni bloc),
said, "Keeping the Algiers Accord, as it is, is not
in the interest of either Iraq or Iran," adding
"both sides should engage in new mutual negotiations
to sign a new peace treaty."
Sunni lawmaker Al-Falluji clarified "This Accord
became obsolete due to the war that took place
between the two countries," stressing "all countries
sign new peace treaties after each military
conflict…there are three options,www.ekurd.net
either to cancel the
Algiers Accord, amend it in such a way that
preserves the rights of both sides, or replace it
with a new peace treaty."
While Hayder Al-Ibadi, a member of the United Iraqi
Coalition (UIC – Shiite parliamentary bloc),
believes it is necessary to "amend the Algiers
Accord that was signed 33 years ago," adding
"Amendments have to guarantee the interests of both
Iraq and Iran." Many changes took place, according
to Al-Ibadi, since 1975 when the Algiers Accord was
enacted.
The borders between Iraq and Iran have witnessed
troubles between both sides in various eras of
history. In 1937, Iraq (then a monarchy) and Iran
agreed to divide Shattal-Arab waterway between them.
(Shattal-Arab, or Arvan Rud in Persian, starts 400
km south of Baghdad, and results from the meeting of
the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. Shattal-Arab
partially flows within Iraqi territories, but the
greater and most important part of the river shares
a coastline with Iraq and Iran.
Subsequent governments in Iran rejected the new
naval borders with Iraq, and insisted on the treaty
of 1913 that Iran signed with the Ottoman Empire in
that regard, as Iraq was part of that empire before
World War I. In 1969 and after the Baathist coup of
July 1968, the Iraqi government informed Iran that
it considered all of Shattal-Arab to be under Iraqi
sovereignty.
On March 6, 1975, with the mediation of the former
Algerian President Houari Boumedienne, Iraq –
represented by the Vice President (at that time)
Saddam Hussein and Iran – represented by the Shah
Mohammed Ridha Pahlavi, signed in Algeria the
Algiers Accord.
By executing that accord, Iran officially agreed
with Iraq to have part of Shattal-Arab under Iranian
sovereignty, according to the Thalweg Line (meaning
the median course of the Shattal-Arab waterway), for
a commitment, in return, that Iran would not endorse
the Kurdish movement in Iraq.
In 1980, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
announced, days before the Iraqi – Iranian war, that
Iraq had decided to cancel the Algiers Accord from
one side. The war that lasted for eight years
between the two countries began a few days after
this decision.
VOI
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