An Israeli in Kurd Country
Dr. Jonathan Spyer, senior fellow at the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, has just returned from a visit to northern Iraq. He is the first Israeli analyst to meet leaders of the Kurdish-ruled region there, and to interview the leader of the radical Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He is interviewed here by Professor Barry Rubin, director of the GLORIA Center.
Rubin: What were your impressions of Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq?
Spyer: The most important impression is of stability and rapid economic development. It is far safer than central and southern Iraq, where there is a lot of violence and kidnapping for ransom. There is an enormous amount of construction. New hotels, malls, and private housing projects are springing up. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has successfully attracted U.S. investment. The Erbil airport, opened in September, is ultra-modern and looks like the airport of an independent state.
The second main impression is that northern Iraq in many ways resembles a quasi-state. Kurdish flags line the airport road, but there’s just one Iraqi flag. The first language on all signs is Kurdish, followed by English, and only then Arabic. Kurdish is also spoken by almost everyone. Arabic is rare. Northern Iraq has its own military and security forces — the Peshmerga — and KRG officials are particularly proud that they have kept Islamist terrorism out of their region even at the height of the insurgency.
Rubin: How do Iraqi Kurdish leaders view Israel and their own role in the Middle East?
Spyer: They are cautious, expressing a general hope for peace between Israelis and Arabs, and a general sympathy for both sides. Clearly, KRG leaders don’t want to be drawn into the conflict. They know they occupy a precarious space both geographically and politically. They also know their enemies routinely dismiss them as U.S. and Israeli stooges. Thus, their obvious natural sympathy and empathy with Jews and Israel is understandably overlaid by a desire to protect their interests.
Rubin: How do they rank various threats or allies, including Iraq’s central government and Turkey?
Spyer: Their most immediate concerns are with the Baghdad government and Turkey. They know they must walk a narrow line, asserting their interests while not antagonizing unduly either of these powerful neighbors. This relates to such issues as the disputed, oil-rich city of Kirkuk, other Kurdish-speaking areas of Iraq that haven’t been included in the KRG’s region, the presence of anti-Turkish PKK guerrillas in the north, and Turkish fears of Kurdish sovereignty.
Rubin: What do they say about U.S. withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq?
Spyer: There was an absolute consensus among everyone I spoke to that withdrawal was premature.
Yet they have a pragmatic, problem-solving mentality. So I didn’t hear resentment but rather gratitude to the United State for freeing Iraqi Kurds from the rule of Saddam Hussein.
If Prof. Rubin would be so kind, could he explain briefly why Israeli foreign policy does not advocate an independant Kurdish state comprising all areas with a Kurdish majority population?
It has always been a blight on Israeli leadership’s heads that they have sided with Turkey against the Kurds-our natural ally.
The Turks are occupiers of the first order,(anti-semites too) and genocidal killers to boot. Just ask the Armenians and the rest of their victims.
While IDF planners had an interest in doing certain ‘business’ with the Turks, any person with a sense of history and morality would have made sure to protect the Kurds too.
I surely hope they do so now, especially after the blatant exposure of the Islamist Turkish regime’s aligning with Iranian interests.
May the Kurds be successful in their nation building AND in destroying their enemies.
firstly, weather yer in eilat or televive, or even more relivant (AMERICA) every jew everywhere around the world is totally dedicated to israel first , regardless of the land in which he resides ! gods gift of stolen / occupied land to jews is as genuens as gods choice of jews as his choosen people ! the one and a half BILLION muslims around this world are considered arch enemies of jews for centuries, the only post holocaust gift to jews was that of being allowed to infilgrate into the boels of american society, where they presently have established a “command and control” empire dedicated to israel’s increased sttlements for retireing american jews with money from american exploytation !
I’ve been hoping for a Kurdish state for all 20 years that I’ve been aware of their existence. The more I know about the Kurds the more I admire their grit. I was hoping for much more out of Bush during the Iraq war, but the false realism of the diplomatic community had its way with him. It’s the one area where I agree with Biden of all people; Iraq is a fake country, and three states would be better. And we shouldn’t have done a thing to build Iraq back into a nation. Once Saddam fell, we should’ve gathered our forces in the Kurdish area and struck immediately into Iran and Syria. Of course, this presumes that we actually wanted to defeat the terrorists, which obviously we don’t. Syria would’ve fallen in about a week. Iran would be nasty, but we’d have the Kurdish region on our side instantly. Then we could’ve traded Syria to the Turks for their section of Kurdistan and finally the Kurds would have their own nation–and it wouldn’t just be an ally, it would be a powerful and loyal ally. Change the whole balance of power in the middle east in one fell swoop. Iran could change it’s name from “Aryan Land” back to Fars and leave all the Nazi garbage behind.
Oh well. I can dream, can’t I?
It’s a good dream, though. And I agree increasingly on Iran. The mix of Persian regal memories and Islam creates a different scenario for its future than Dr. Ledeen and others envision.
I have pulled for the Kurds for a long time, but it seems the only sane area is to still be ignored in favor of the various msulim arabs and iranians, none with even a thread of common sense or an interest in peace.
I would prefer we not go to war as we are not in a war like mentality, we are in a PC state and we would not take the tough steps that should be taken in waging war. When we actually reach the point where the msm and the libs no longer dictate our conduct, then I would be all so willing to turn the lot into sand or glass, their pick.
I served in Vietnam, pretends wars have been the order of the day since Korea, it corrects nothing and creates a long term mess that has no end.
Theorists believe that Russia wants to take over Turkey because that would give them direct access to the Mediterranian, which makes sense. So we support Turkey, even if we don’t want to, because if they aligned with Russia, the Russian Navy would have unhindered access through the Dardanelles. Armenia is our friend because they were amongst the persecuted Christians during the Ottoman days and the Russians who supported them are not our friends because of their imperial ambitions. Georgia is our friend because we want an oil pipeline through their country even though, culturally, we’re more like their enemies, the Russians. The Kurds, who are hated in Turkey and Armenia have nothing to offer us so they sit outside our diplomatic bubble game. During the middle of the 20th century, Jews fleeing from Russian pograms, escaped through Constantinople(Istanbul) so Israel remembers Turkey for the role they played. Bottom line, the west sees Turkey as the lesser evil compared to Russia.
Michael, you are not correct saying that the Kurds are hated in Armenia, or more correctly I would say the Kurds are no longer hated in Armenia. During the Genocide of the Armenians in 1915 the Turks enlisted the Kurds in the killing. By (around) the 1960′s the Armenians and Kurds had a big meeting in Santa Barbara, California, to reconcile. Kurdish representatives admitted what their people had done and asked to be forgiven. Armenians have accepted their apology. We do not hate the Kurds and consider them our allies.
Did Dr. Spyer make any inquiries about the rampant corruption in the Kurdistan regional government? Or the killing of Sardasht Osman? (He was a journalism student who embarrassed Kurdish regional president Mahmoud Barzani by publishing a poem about wanting to marry Barzani’s daughter, so his family could share in the sudden wealth of the Barzani clan – described in detail.)
Barzani is neither better nor worse than any other Middle Eastern warlord. Spyer (and Rubin) are fooling themselves if they think that the Barzani regime has any respect for law or or human rights, or any real friendship for the U.S. or Israel. If and when the U.S. withdraws, Barzani will ally with the strongest remaining force – probably Iran.
I’m thinking that Israelis dealing with Kurds can reasonably, and rationally, conclude that they will be more productive than dealing with South Syrian Arabs. The first demand, which is seemingly as old as the hills, is that the South Syrian Arabs have a beef with settlements. Well, because they don’t want to hold the effendis accountable for taking the money, and fleeing, the descendents of the fellahin go after those who bought the land. So, unless that is dealt with, according the South Syrian Arabs, then there is no sense dealing with the rest.
Where is the source of the legitimacy for this, because the South Syrian Arabs certainly did not earn it.
The Kurds are smart enough to know that Israel could be a natural ally under the present circumstances. I believe this is a very good test of the waters in that neck of the woods, since Ankara has shifted its alliance towards Iran and it already trow Israel under the proverbial bus.