Iraqi official: Kurds have two choices
“Kurds feel they have been historically oppressed… [but] the victorious allies [the West] did not abide by their promise to the Kurds during the formation of Iraq.”
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – A senior Iraqi Shia politician stated that the independence referendum will certainly receive the majority support from Kurds living in the country.
Iraqi Oil Minister and leader of the Islamic Supreme Council, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, in an article published in Al-Adala newspaper on Monday, said that “Kurds feel they have been historically oppressed… [but] the victorious allies [the West] did not abide by their promise to the Kurds during the formation of Iraq.”
“Kurds have been subjected to harsh tragedies such as the Anfal genocidal campaign, destruction of their villages and towns, displacement and cultural genocide, and finally chemical weapon attacks,” Abdul-Mahdi added.
Regarding the independence referendum in Kurdistan Region, Abdul-Mahdi stated, “There will not be a problem with the result of the referendum, but in the post-referendum stage, Kurds will have two choices: whether to execute the decision [to become independent] or to delay it.”
Abdul-Mahdi thinks that it is better for Kurds to remain part of Iraq. “The interest of our Kurdish brothers and the Iraqis in general lies in abiding by the referendum that was held in the past and remain within Iraq territory for another decade or two,” he added, referring to the Iraqi constitution, approved by 80 percent of Iraqis in 2005.
The Oil Minister also said that Kurdistan Region will benefit morally and financially if they remain part of Iraq.
Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani, released a statement on Feb. 2 regarding the independence referendum. “The time has come for the people of Kurdistan to make a decision through a referendum on their future,” Barzani publicly stated.
"If the people of Kurdistan expect others to present the right of self-determination to them as a gift, independence will never be achieved. That right exists, and the people of Kurdistan must demand it and exercise it," Barzani said.
Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Ava Homa and Benjamin Kweskin