‘Support for Kurdish independence depends on next US president’

WASHINGTON, United States (Kurdistan24) – In a recent interview, a United States official said the US’ support for Kurdistan’s independence depends on the next president in the White House.

Frank Gaffney, the President of the Center for Security Policy, spoke to Kurdistan24 about an independent Kurdish state and the US' reaction.

Gaffney explained the US’ backing for an independent Kurdistan relies on the next US president.

“If Kurdistan were to break away from Iraq, how it would be treated by the United States will depend entirely on who is president of the United States,” he stated.

Gaffney added that some people would “punish” the Kurds if they left Iraq while others would agree with the decision and support them.

“There will be some who punish the Kurds [for independence], and there may be others who would be persuaded that that actually is in America’s interest,” he said.

Moreover, Gaffney explained sending weapons and financial support for the Kurds through Baghdad is no longer efficient.

“It no longer makes sense to be doing what we have been doing, of course for too many years now, channeling funds and weapons and the rest through Baghdad,” he said.

“[It] has been a formula for leaving the Kurds unable to defend themselves adequately against the array of threats that they’re facing,” he continued.

Gaffney expressed his support for an independent Kurdish state and agreed it would help stabilize Iraq.

“I think [Kurdish independence] will in the end help stabilize a very dangerous part of the world,” he said.

“The instability is not only a threat to the Kurds and the Christians who are being protected by them but by others in the region as well,” Gaffney concluded.

(Kurdistan24 team in Washington, DC conducted the interview)