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Kurds no longer like President Bush as
they once used to
14.2.2008
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February 14, 2008
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region 'Iraq',--
Kurds no longer like U.S. President George W. Bush
as they once used to.
Immediately after ousting the former Iraqi regime of
Saddam Hussein, in April 2003, by a military
coalition that was headed by the United States of
America, there was a huge demand, in Kurdistan
region of Iraq, to purchase photos of President Bush
and the flag of the United States of America.
Like thousands of Kurds in Iraq, Hama Ibrahim used
to have two large photos in his house’s guest room;
one of President Bush, and the other of former
British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Those two photos are not in their places anymore. "I
removed them both after the latest Turkish military
operation against Kurdistan," Ibrahim said, adding
"that was my way of condemning the American position
regarding that Turkish aggression."
The majority of average Iraqi Kurds are currently
like Ibrahim. They perceive America in an entirely
different way when compared to 2003. The United
States of America, for Kurdish people in Iraq, is no
longer a trustworthy friend or reliable ally from
now on.
There are almost no Kurdish individuals in the Iraqi
Kurdistan nowadays that want an American flag, or a
photo of President Bush.
In a photo-lab in Erbil – capital city of the Iraqi
Kurdistan region, works 34 years Kurd, Barween
Ghareeb. "After toppling the former Iraqi regime of
Saddam Hussein,www.ekurd.net
there was a huge demand
in Kurdistan to buy photos of President Bush, along
with cartoons of Saddam," Ghareeb said. She
proceeded "This demand is now trivial. Kurds stopped
buying photos of President Bush," asserting "in
fact, no one in Kurdistan is even asking about a
photo of President Bush these days."
The golden era of the American – Kurd relations was
during the second half of 2007. At that point, both
sides started mutual negotiations to establish a big
permanent U.S. military base in Qara-Dagh, south of
Sulaimaniyah province.
Kurdish officials were enthusiastic to have that
base within the territories of their Kurdistan
region. "Both the presidency and cabinet of
Kurdistan region are fully ready to establish that
base," Jabar Yawer, spokesperson for the Peshmerga
(local Kurdish armed forces of Kurdistan region),
told VOI at that time when Kurds believed that
embracing that base would assist security and
stability in Kurdistan. However,www.ekurd.net
Kurdish leadership no
longer appears to be interested in conferring on
this issue with the Americans, after the latest
Turkish military operation against the Kurdistan.
Sheren Kareem, a 45 year old Kurd school teacher,
summarizes how Kurds today feel about the United
States of America. "At the beginning, we heard that
America would liberate both Arabs and Kurds in Iraq,
but what America did was not liberation," Kareem
said, and she added "Instead of one Saddam, now we
have tens of his style, and Turkey is attacking
Kurdistan, while Americans say and do nothing."
Kareem speculated, "I think that Turkey was given an
American green-light to carry out these attacks on
us."
Kurdish journalist, Towana Ottoman, explained this
phenomenon, saying "Kurds should understand that the
United States of America has interests and aims
greater than the Kurdish people in Iraq," asserting
"Kurds should not believe that America would convert
their hopes to facts."
VOI
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