'A True Friend of Kurdistan': IKR President Nechirvan Barzani Mourns Passing of Retired US Colonel Richard Nabb

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a heartfelt and personal tribute, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday mourned the passing of retired U.S. Colonel Richard Nabb, hailing him as a "true friend of the Kurdistan Region since the 1990s" and a man whose service and unwavering support will always be remembered.

The President's message marks the passing of a figure who was far more than a foreign military officer; Colonel Nabb was an early and pivotal witness to the birth of the modern Kurdistan Region, an American who arrived in the mountains amidst a humanitarian catastrophe in 1991 and left with a profound and lifelong admiration for the resilience, generosity, and fighting spirit of the Kurdish people.

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Colonel Richard Nabb, a true friend of the Kurdistan Region since the 1990s," IKR President Barzani wrote in a message posted on his official X account. "We will always remember his service, friendship, and unwavering support. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones." 

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Colonel Richard Nabb, a true friend of the Kurdistan Region since the 1990s.

We will always remember his service, friendship, and unwavering support. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) November 3, 2025

The message serves as an official and poignant acknowledgment of a special and enduring bond, a friendship forged in one of the darkest, yet most formative, moments in recent Kurdish history.

Colonel Nabb's connection to the Kurdish people began in April 1991, a moment of profound desperation and existential crisis.

In the chaotic aftermath of the first Gulf War, millions of Kurds had fled their homes, driven into the harsh, snow-covered mountains on the borders of Türkiye and Iran by the brutal revenge of Saddam Hussein's regime following a popular uprising.

It was into this humanitarian disaster that Operation Provide Comfort was launched, a series of U.S.-led operations aimed at defending the fleeing Kurds and providing them with essential aid. Richard Nabb, then a U.S. Colonel, was part of that mission.

That operation would prove to be a historic turning point. It not only saved countless lives but ultimately led to the implementation of a no-fly zone over northern Iraq, creating a safe haven that allowed for the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the flourishing of a semi-autonomous Kurdish entity.

For Nabb, the experience was transformative. In an exclusive and deeply personal interview with Kurdistan24 in February 2016, a quarter-century after his first arrival, he reflected on the profound impact the Kurdish people had on him.

"The Kurds were chased up in the mountains," he recounted. "They [the Kurds] asked us to come in and bring them back down. And I found the Kurds to be very, very fun, good sense of humor. We were up against the wall. I mean, they had nothing, but they shared everything. I learned a lot from them."

His words paint a picture of a people stripped of all material possessions but still possessed of an indomitable spirit and a deep well of generosity, qualities that left a lasting impression on the American officer.

Looking back over the 25 years that had passed since that first encounter, Nabb expressed a sense of awe and deep emotion at what the Kurdistan Region had managed to achieve.

"I think it's a damn miracle," he stated, his voice thick with feeling. "It's unbelievable what they've done. I cried when I left [in 1991] because I didn't think they had a chance." His tears at the time were tears of despair for a people he believed were doomed; his retrospective view was one of profound admiration for a nation that had defied all odds.

Nabb's admiration was particularly acute for the Peshmerga, whom he had seen evolve from a beleaguered group of mountain fighters into the primary force confronting the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). "They're the best fighters up here. Make no mistake about it," he declared in the 2016 interview, a time when the Peshmerga were on the front lines of the global war on terror. "And they're fighting the battle for not only the Kurds, but for us too."

He was also a frank and often sharp critic of U.S. policy toward the Kurds, which he saw as inconsistent and often nonsensical. He expressed frustration with the long-standing "one Iraq policy" that often hindered direct support to the Kurdistan Region.

"We wanted to change this one Iraq policy, you know? Because didn't make sense," he said. He was a vocal advocate for providing the Peshmerga with the right weaponry, dismissing any concerns about their capability. "They're trustworthy. They'll take care of the equipment. They aren't dumb, they're smart. They'll know how to use it, and they'll use it in an effective way," he asserted.

On the deeply sensitive issue of Kurdish independence, Nabb was an unapologetic supporter. "I understand the difficulties with Kurdish independence, but I think they'll have a referendum this year anyway. They should. They have a right to. It's in their constitution," he said in 2016, presciently anticipating the referendum that would be held the following year.

He acknowledged the immense geopolitical challenges, noting that if the Kurds were to "declare independence, they automatically have enemies on all sides."

He was also a clear-eyed realist about the nature of regional relations, particularly with Türkiye. "The Turks, they're big buddies right now, but they're for money," he observed, predicting that the economic relationship, driven by the Kurdistan Region's vast oil and future gas resources, was the primary motivation for Ankara's policy. He saw this as a strategic advantage for the Kurds, noting that they could "provide the gas that the Russians won't provide them."

His assessment of the government in Baghdad was equally blunt. "I think their government is a fiction right now," he stated, expressing a view that the central government was weak and controlled by other, unnamed forces.

Richard Nabb's passing marks the loss of a unique and cherished voice, a figure who had a front-row seat to the modern history of the Kurdistan Region and who never wavered in his support and affection for its people.

He was an American soldier who came on a mission of comfort and left as a lifelong friend and advocate.

Kurdistan Region's President Nechirvan Barzani's tribute ensures that this special relationship, and Colonel Nabb's role in it, will not be forgotten. He was a man who, by his own admission, "learned from Kurds," and in doing so, became a powerful and enduring testament to the bonds of friendship that can be forged in the most trying of circumstances.