WATCH: ‘There has to be autonomy for Kurds’

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) – In a recent interview, a Middle East expert said Kurds in Syria and Iraq must be given autonomy in the region.

Roby Barrett, a member of the Middle East Institute, spoke to Kurdistan24 about Kurdish autonomy in the Middle East as well as the general instability in the region especially after the emergence of the Islamic State (IS).

Barrett explained the Middle East, specifically Syria and Iraq, was “permanently fractured,” something the United States should accept when making decisions in the region.

“Old Iraq and Syria have been permanently fractured,” he stated. “You’re going to have to have autonomy for the Shia, for the Kurds, and for the Sunnis.”

The Middle East Institute member stressed that without autonomy for the three mentioned groups in the region there would be no harmony.

“Without autonomy, there’s never going to be peace,” he said.

Moreover, Barrett explained the Kurds in both Syria and Iraq must be allowed to live autonomously without being governed by Damascus or Baghdad respectively.

“There has to be some sort of autonomy for the Kurds in Syria and Iraq,” he stressed.

Barrett also mentioned the new US administration under President-elect Donald Trump should realize the reality of the situation in the Middle East and adjust their policies accordingly.

He was confident the US foreign policy would “modify itself” eventually and rely less on what Baghdad and Damascus want to “impose.”

“What we’ll see gradually is the [US administration’s] policy modify itself and turn into something that’s a little more pragmatic [and] recognizes the reality of the region,” Barrett concluded.

(Rahim Rashidi conducted the interview in Washington, DC)