IS war would have ended ‘long ago’ if Kurdistan was independent: Barzani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – An independent Kurdistan Region would have resulted in the end of the Islamic State (IS) “long ago,” according to a senior Kurdish official.

In a recent article for The Washington Times, the Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) Masrour Barzani highlighted the importance of an independent Kurdish state in the Middle East.

Chancellor Barzani wrote about the history of violence and genocide Kurds suffered through in Iraq as a result of being denied sovereignty.

He added that if Kurds had a recognized independent nation, the war against IS would have ended sooner.

“The Kurds of Iraq have endured a long and bitter journey rooted in the pursuit of self-determination,” the KRSC head wrote.

“Self-determination would have changed the course of the war with [IS],” Chancellor Barzani continued.

He pointed to the withholding of “the weapons the Kurdish Peshmerga forces needed, which needlessly prolonged suffering.” 

“If Iraq’s Kurds were recognized as a sovereign force and empowered as such, we would have concluded this campaign long ago,” the KRSC Chancellor said regarding the IS war.

Chancellor Barzani pointed to the instability in Iraq and reassured an independent Kurdish state in the Middle East would “play a positive role in the future of the region.”

“Two independent states living alongside each other as peaceful neighbors will usher unprecedented strategic alliances in trade, energy, and security,” he explained.

The KRSC head mentioned the referendum would give Kurds an opportunity to begin “honest dialogue” with Iraq.

“This referendum will, therefore, give us a mandate to reach a principled agreement” with Iraq regarding independence, the Chancellor emphasized.

The Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum is scheduled to be held on Sep. 25, 2017.

Editing by G.H. Renaud