Time to force Iraqi PM to end mistreatment of Kurdistan: Washington Times report

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A report published by The Washington Times on Wednesday highlighted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s ongoing abuses against the Kurdistan Region, and called for actions to be taken against him to end the mistreatment of Kurdish citizens in his country.

The report laid out the long list of punitive measures imposed by the Iraqi government against the people of Kurdistan following the independence referendum held in September.

Tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad have considerably increased since the Sep. 25 vote.

The historic referendum received widespread support for secession from Iraq, but Baghdad refused to recognize the results and, instead, responded by imposing collective punitive measures against Kurdistan, including the use of military force in disputed areas.

The KRG has shown its flexibility, offering to freeze the results of the referendum, but Baghdad demands a full annulment as well as the handover of airports and border crossings as a precondition for the start of negotiations.

“In recent years, the Iraqi Constitution has been violated repeatedly, thus providing the Kurds with a major incentive to secede and declare independence,” The Washington Times report stressed. “It is pivotal that America tell the central Iraqi government to stop oppressing the Kurds and to follow the Iraqi Constitution to the last letter.”

KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, who has repeatedly called for the start of constructive talks with Baghdad to resolve ongoing disputes, previously said Baghdad “had to be serious in its commitment to the full implementation” of the constitution if they want a “stable Iraq.”

From not sharing the country’s revenue to denying a constitutionally-mandated referendum in disputed areas, as well as demanding the handover of borders and airports, the Iraqi government continues to violate articles within a constitution the Kurds had contributed and agreed to following the fall of Saddam Hussein.

“The time has come for [Abadi] to be forced to treat his Kurdish citizens with the dignity that they deserve,” The Washington Times report read. “The time has come for [Abadi] to be compelled to engage in meaningful dialogue with the [KRG].”

If Abadi’s failure to talk to the KRG continues, and if he “refuses to comply by the Iraqi Constitution, then any demands for the implementation of the [independence referendum] are more than justified.”

Editing by Nadia Riva