Kirkuk, a Fateful Issue for Kurds

By: Eamad Mazouri

Jan 3, 2004

Since the removal of Dictator Saddam Hussein and his totalitarian regime from power, the Kurds held high hopes and have been very cooperative and peacefully endeavoring to correct a situation where they have been immensely wronged by the previous regime. No doubt that this particular issue, namely Kirkuk has been central and fundamental to all Kurdish demands.

The whole world realizes that Kirkuk especially in the 70s and 80s has been heavily subjected to Arabization, mainly at the expense of the destitute indigenous Kurds who were stripped of their properties and expelled forcefully while replaced with Arabs. There are thousands of documents that testify beyond any shadow of the doubt to this fact.

When Iraqi Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was first singed, to be exact article 58, the Kurdish denizens of Kirkuk who were now scattered all over Iraqi Kurdistan living in refugee camps under extremely miserable conditions, construed it as a glimpse of hope that their long ordeal would finally come to an end. This sensational momentum was equally shared by the rest of their brethren Kurds.

Unfortunately, their joy did not last. They soon found out that this particular article was singled out for postponement time after time, until time came for the elections to be held. This was taking place despite the repeated calls by the Kurdish leaders on the occupation authority and transitional Iraqi government to initiate the necessary steps for the implementation of that article.

Now, that the elections are nearing, with the situation remaining intact not only in Kirkuk but also in the other Kurdish areas that were subjected to the most despicable policy of Arabization, the Kurds while supporting the elections in general and are ready to participate wholeheartedly, they have unanimously sought the postponement of the elections for the governorate council of the city of Kirkuk. They are appropriately basing their just request on the fact that the situation there is far from normal as long as article 58 of TAL has not been implemented.

Various pressures have been exerted on the Kurds and their leadership to go along with the elections from regional and international players.

In a statement made to Reuters on the eve of the New Year, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani the Prime minister of KRG remarked that: "They are playing with an issue of destiny for the Kurds and want to legitimize the present situation. They insist on denying more than 100,000 Kurds the franchise and let Arab families that used to live in the south vote," He further explained" We don't want to create problems. But there is always the possibility that Kurds could pull out of the elections if our objections keep being ignored."

As it has been reiterated over and again, Kirkuk is a fateful issue for the Kurdish people and they cannot compromise on it. It is unwarranted to ask the Kurds to accept what monster Saddam has created maliciously in a diabolic scheme only to uproot them. By what logic the Kurds, who have been evicted from their properties and homes away from TV cameras, lived as refugees for the last 30 years, not only are not allowed to return home, but also are punished once again by being disbarred from voting in the very fate of their own city? At a time when allowing the Arabs who were brought in by the previous regime to occupy their home and take over their properties to stay and participate in the elections? What kind of results is expected to be produced by the elections of the council? Perhaps the ones Saddam would have hoped for!

It is imperative for the Iraqi government, coalition forces and the entire international community to know that Kirkuk is a crucial and critical issue for the Kurds. It cannot be resolved by delaying or ignoring it. Time is essential here. The Kurdish leadership itself is under immense pressure from public not to make any concession and the issue definitely needs immediate attention and absolute way out before it is too late.