The hanging of Saddam for the Dujail killings will go down in history as
a major setback for Kurdistan. The premature execution will deal a severe blow
to Kurdish aspirations for justice, freedom, and independence. The opportunity
to record in detail the atrocities of the Arab regime in Southern Kurdistan is
now in doubt. Without a Saddam trial, the chances of documenting the genocide in
court are now diminished and with it the prospects of having this documentation
as an internationally recognized legal basis for an independent Kurdistan free
of Arab oppression.
An alarming possibility for the rush to hang Saddam might be that the execution
had to be carried out as a milestone to set the stage for George Bush to declare
a new phase and direction for Iraq. In this new direction, the main goal will be
for an Iraq that is simply able to govern and sustain itself. All other aims
including aspirations for self-governance in Kurdistan will go by the wayside.
So, as we mark another failure for Kurdish desires for freedom and liberty, all
we can hope for is that we are better prepared to avoid blunders in the bumpy
road ahead in the year 2007.
