linked - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Ozeti
and Turkish coalition. It continued developing
until the end of Saddam Hussein's regime,
under the protection of the western air
forces based at Incirlik, in Southern Turkey
and still enjoys American protection nowadays.
Kurdish leaders daim serenely that there
will not be any big change in American policy
in the near future, that the US will not abandon
Iraq, and that the "treasons" of the 1975
Aigiers agreement and of the 1991Kurdish
uprising will not be repeated. "We had and
we have shared interests wlth the US," claims
Khaled Salih, spokesman of Nechirvan Barzani.
"Rernoving Saddam Hussein, recreating
an Iraqi state, protecting Iraq frorn its
neighbours' interferences. The Amencans
will still be here in corning years."
"We are now an important factor in Iraq,"
adds Adnan Mufti. "We have a strong presence
in the governrnent and we are at the
top of the American interests list. We are
not worried about our Arnerican relations.
Massoud Barzani was welcomed as president
of the Kurdish Region at the White House by
President George W Bush, and many Kurdish
delegations were received in Washington ...
And the Arnericans cannot withdraw from
Iraq. If they do, they lose the war against terrorisrn."
Under constant questioning, Salih acknowledges
sorne repetition of the Vietnamese
fiasco and agrees the withdrawal of
the Arnericans from Iraq is an "unpleasant
scenario" but he qualifies: "1 do not believe
they would leave Kurdistan, because they
know the Kurds like them, and they would
need to protect an important Nato ally, Turkey,
from the Arab chaos."
Mufti dismisses a US departure as less
than 5% likely: "The civil war goes on, the
Arnericans leave, the Turks invade us, the
Iranians come in to support the Shi'as, and
the Saudis to support the Sunnis. And then
what happens to the poor Kurds? Several
million Kurds cannot go to the rnountains.
Noway."
On the other hand, Arnerican scholar,
Michael Gunther, recentiy rerninded a Kurdish
audience that: "The US is on the other side
of the world and will not stay here forever."
And many Kurds do not conceal the fact
that they are worried. "The situation remains
uns table," confides Petros Harbole, Chaldean
bishop of Dohok "If the Americans leave, the
Turks will invade us. We cannot resist for
even one month." Il
MASSOUD BARZAN l, welcomed as the president
of the Kurdish region by George Bush, says
independence is a "Iegitimate right"
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