West should protect skies of the Kurdistan Region: Bernard-Henri Levy

"This is the number one thing the west can do for the KRG, protect the sky."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/10/08 13:56

French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Levy speaks at the Erbil conference “Kurdish question in the Middle East” (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Kurdistan Bernard Henry Levi Soran University Adel Baxawan Iran Kurdistan Iran attacks

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The well known French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Levy, told Kurdistan 24 that the West should protect the skies of the Kurdistan Region against external threats.

“As what President Zelinksy said about Ukraine: close the sky. Protect the sky, prevent any threat from coming from the sky. This is the number one thing the west can do for the KRG, protect the sky,” he said at the sidelines of the “Kurdish question in the Middle East” organized jointly by the Soran University and the Centre Français de Recherche sur l'Irak.

“Kurds have one of the most valiant army in the world and the most courageous army in the world: the Peshmerga, those who confront death, but they don’t have enough means to confront the possible threats of tomorrow. So we should provide them with the tools,” he underlined.

Both Turkey and Iran have regularly bombed the Kurdistan Region’s border regions. Also Iran and Iran-backed groups have targeted the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas infrastructure.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), during a briefing to the United Nations Security Council in early October said that Turkish and Iranian attacks must cease in Iraq.

"These reckless acts, which have devastating consequences, killing and injuring people, must cease,” Hennis-Plasschaert.

“No neighbour should be allowed to routinely, and with impunity, violate Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yet it is happening. Time and again,” she said.

Bernard-Henri Levy also during the conference said that he met with a group of bi-partisan senators recently to plead for a bill to protect the Kurdistan Region and a ‘guarantee’ to protect the Kurds.

“It should not only be a gift every year, there should be a (security) guarantee, thats why I recently pleaded in America for Kurdistan’s protection.”

He said this should ‘ensure the KRG continuity of help.”

US Congressmen in August called on the Biden administration to support Erbil in energy disputes with Baghdad and acknowledge Iran’s responsibility for attacks or take action to hold Iran accountable. “So it should be little surprise that the attacks have continued,” they said.

Moreover, recently widespread protests erupted in Iranian Kurdistan and the rest of Iran over the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd from Saqqez, who died after her arrest by the Iranian morality police. During the protests dozens of people have been killed.

Several countries have imposed or called for sanctions on Iran for the brutal crackdown, including Canada, Germany and the US.

Bernard-Henri Levy said on Iran that the West have to do what US president Biden said” that we stand with Western allies, French, Americans, stand with the girls, stand with the women.”

“We (should) stand with this magnificent democratic revolt, the pacific and revolt of the women, 100 per cent.”