President Barzani: Conspiracies against Kurdistan continue in new forms, everyone must confront them
During a visit to Zakho, the President warned that threats have shifted from military means to narcotics, salary cuts, and weakening national identity, while stressing the need for unity and adherence to the Iraqi constitution.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – As part of his visit to the Badinan region, President Masoud Barzani met with representatives of various communities in the Zakho Independent Administration on Friday afternoon, warning that conspiracies against Kurdistan persist in new forms and that all citizens have a responsibility to stand against them.
During the meeting, President Barzani delivered a speech in which he praised the host city. “Zakho is our heart and soul,” he said, noting the city’s great sacrifices for the freedom of Kurdistan and in the fight against ISIS terrorists. “We are indebted to Zakho, and it is our duty to provide service to it and to all of Kurdistan without discrimination.” He added that while the services provided to the city are a source of great happiness, the efforts must continue, noting that “the changes that Zakho has witnessed over the past two years are very clear and beautiful.”
Addressing the topic of elections, President Barzani stated, “As a party, we have a firm belief in elections, and we want the people to decide their own destiny.” He affirmed that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has always been first in all elections. “This time, too, we have the Iraqi parliament elections ahead of us, and we want the party to show its strength to all parties in these elections,” he added.
President Barzani then issued a warning about the evolving nature of threats against the Region. He said: “I want everyone to know that the conspiracies against Kurdistan are continuing. If in the past they were through military means and war, now they are through narcotic drugs, discouraging people, weakening national belonging, cutting salaries, and trying to starve citizens. Therefore, it is everyone's responsibility to confront such conspiracies and not allow the Kurdistan community to be afflicted with despair and frustration through narcotic drugs.”
Regarding the political and administrative situation in Iraq, the President recalled a key agreement. “In 2002, we all met at the opposition conference in London and agreed on three important principles: that Iraq be managed with partnership, balance, and consensus, but unfortunately this was not achieved,” he stated. “After many attempts, a permanent constitution for Iraq was prepared and the Iraqi people voted for it, but unfortunately it was not adhered to as it should have been, and that is why Iraq suffers from all these problems. Now and in the future, if the Iraqi state is not managed on the basis of those three principles, the problems will never be solved, because history has proven that one party cannot rule Iraq.”
He stressed the KDP’s commitments “to its people, the blood of its martyrs, the tears of the mothers of martyrs, and the struggle and sacrifices of the Peshmerga forces.” He explained that the party works for the present and future of the people, not only in the political field but also through diligent efforts in reconstruction, strengthening economic infrastructure, developing the health and education sectors, and improving roads, bridges, water, electricity, agriculture, and irrigation.
In another part of his speech, President Barzani addressed the rich culture of coexistence, emphasizing that “Kurdistan belongs to all its components” and that it is essential to preserve this culture. To illustrate the concept of coexistence and shared destiny, the President shared a historical example from the Anfal campaign against the Barzanis. He recounted that a number of residents from Bedial, an Assyrian Christian village, were arrested along with the people of Barzan during the campaign. An security official for the campaign told them they were free to go because they were Christians. However, they replied by saying, “We are also from Barzan and our fate is linked to the Barzanis.” As a result, they were treated like the Barzanis and were included in the same fate in the Anfal campaign.
President Barzani concluded by emphasizing his hope for the continued support of the people. He stressed that Kurdistan must be united, with “one region, one parliament, one government, and one Peshmerga force.”
