President Barzani: US wrong to deprive Kurds of independence

10.04.2014 – BasNews, Erbil – In a meeting with a delegation from the Middle East Institute, President Massoud Barzani acknowledged that US mistakes and instability in Iraq and Syria have created an unpredictable situation for Iraqi Kurds.  Listing the failures of the US administration in Iraq post-2003, Barzani claimed: “It was a mistake [of the US] not to allow the Kurds to declare independence.”

Since 2003, relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Government of Iraq (GOI) have been strained. Barzani commended the Iraqi constitution, but complained that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki “was not honouring it”. Internal instability and al-Maliki’s increasingly authoritarian character have led to growing concerns among the Kurdish leadership. Barzani listed the hydrocarbons law among the issues that need to be resolved with Baghdad, adding that, without a commitment from Baghdad to abide by the letter of the constitution; such issues will not be resolved.  

“The KRG wants partnership,” said the Kurdish President, “but if that is not possible it will call a referendum among its people to decide on its long-term status, within or without Iraq.” The Syrian conflict is another major concern for the KRG. Barzani stressed his government’s neutral status, citing terrorism in Syria as “an international problem”. The KRG currently hosts nearly 250,000 Syrian refugees and seeks the same help given to other countries providing refuge for Syrians. While asserting that Kurdistan wants to be a stabilizing factor in the region with good relations with all its neighbors, Barzani conceded that “anything is possible” in the next 10 years.