Massoud Barzani

[Benny]

From BBC:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41794083

/B

[Piling]

Not a surprise for me, though many anti-KDP ppl claimed that he will extend his mandat. He had always said that he will resign after the referendum, whatever happened.

Now the problem is to find a successor : war of clans again…

[Anthea]

I have a nasty feeling things will get worse if Barzani goes

[Anthea]

Barzani stepping down as president, remaining a Peshmerga

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has announced he is stepping down as president but will remain serving his nation as a Peshmerga.

He said in a letter to parliament that he rejects an extension of his term as presidency, but will remain a Peshmerga, dedicated to protecting and strengthening Kurdistan.

“I refuse to continue the position of president of the Region after November 1, 2017,” he stated, advising the parliament to resolve the matter of the duties and powers of the president to ensure there is no “legal vacuum.”

For himself, he said, “I, as Masoud Barzani the Peshmerga, will continue with our nation and beloved Peshmerga in endeavors to achieve the just rights of our nation and protect the achievements of our nation.”

The full text of his letter is below.

The KDP faction in the parliament said Barzani will dedicate his time “to serve on the fronts, serving the Peshmerga, their willpower, and morale.”

Barzani is head of the KDP. The faction released a statement saying Barzani “will be more determined and more dedicated in his opposition and fight against violence and terrorism until a peaceful country is established, far from terrorism and fundamentalist ideologies.”

He will also continue work to “develop and further strengthen democratic principles in Kurdistan, protect the achievements of our nation, and maintain and develop Kurdistan’s legitimate institutions.”

Barzani's letter was read out to parliament in a meeting on Sunday.

The full text of Barzani’s letter to parliament:

Dear Presidency of Kurdistan Parliament,

Warm greetings,

In accordance with the Regional Decree 128, we called for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held on November 1, 2017. But the High Independent Electoral and Referendum Commission suspended preparations for both elections due to political, security, and technical reasons as well as the lack of a candidate.

On October 24, 2017, the parliament of Kurdistan extended the term of the Regional government and its parliament for two terms.

I refuse to continue the position of president of the Region after November 1, 2017, and the presidential law of the Region should not be amended, nor should the term of the Regional Presidency be extended. You should therefore meet at your earliest convenience to ensure there is no legal vacuum in the execution of the duties and powers of the president of the Region and resolve this subject.

Moreover, I, as Masoud Barzani the Peshmerga, will continue with our nation and beloved Peshmerga in endeavors to achieve the just rights of our nation and protect the achievements of our nation.

Masoud Barzani
October 28, 2017

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/291020176

(My heart is breaking)

[Anthea]

President Barzani: There was a plan to destabilize Kurdistan
Sadly Barzani was correct



ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has resigned with the message that he remains a Peshmerga, committed to the Kurdish cause and confident that one day Kurds will see independence.

His last months in office saw the Kurdistan Region reach elevated highs after the independence referendum, but tumble to disastrous lows when Iraqi forces took over disputed areas and internal disputes erupted.

In a televised address three days before the end of his term as president, Barzani reiterated that he refuses any extension to his time in office beyond November 1, but he pledged to remain with his people, serving as a Peshmerga in the struggle for independence.

With respect to Baghdad’s military maneuvers this month, Barzani opined that such events would have occurred even without the referendum. He said that Baghdad postponed the Hawija offensive intentionally in order to build up forces ready to mobilize against Kurdistan.

“Even if the referendum wasn’t held, there was a plan to attack Kurdistani areas and destabilize the situation in the Kurdistan Region. The culture in Baghdad hasn’t changed,” he said, adding that the central government does not believe in federalism.

He said the use of Iraqi forces in a political struggle is unconstitutional and a continuation of the same mentality and culture of genocide against the Kurds.

Barzani offered that Kurdistan sought dialogue and still favours dialogue, but “vain” authorities in Baghdad sought war, especially the Shiite militias, and the Peshmerga were forced to defend themselves.

“We don’t want bloodshed. We want the problems to be resolved through dialogue. But if you intend to wage war, we will choose death and won’t allow our honor to be broken,” Barzani said, adding that he hopes Baghdad will be ready to talk.

He blamed the quick Kurdish retreat from the majority of the disputed areas on “treason,” saying Kirkuk was handed over to the Iraqis.

“The Peshmerga and all the people of Kurdistan were stabbed in the back by a poisonous dagger,” he said.

Despite the problems, he said that no one can erase the voices of three million people calling for independence.

The Kurdistan Region, some of the disputed or Kurdistani areas claimed by Erbil and Baghdad, and the diaspora participated in the September 25 referendum to support independence. Nearly 93 percent of ballots indicated 'Yes' for independence.

Iraqi forces including the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitaries began taking control of the disputed areas on October 15. They want to impose federal control on borders, waterways, and oil fields.

Barzani emotionally campaigned in favor of holding the referendum despite calls from the international community to postpone the vote.

His term was last extended in August 2015 until such time as elections are held. Barzani called for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on November 1 - a date that was subsequently postponed by parliament.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/291020178

[Anthea]

Protesters storm Kurdistan parliament
after Barzani announces resignation

Demonstrators, some carrying clubs, stormed the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament building in Erbil on Sunday, angry at the decision of Masoud Barzani to step down from the presidency of the region, witnesses said.

Gunshots were heard as protesters who claimed they were “Peshmerga” Kurdish fighters forced their way inside the building, they said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/mideast- ... SL8N1N40MR

[Anthea]

Clashes around parliament as Iraqi Kurdish leader steps down

Clashes raged in front of Irbil’s parliament building after the president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, Masoud Barzani, dissolved his powers as president Sunday just over a month after a controversial independence referendum he spearheaded sparked a deep regional crisis.

An Associated Press team witnessed dozens of protesters attacking the building, parliamentarians and journalists as Barzani addressed the Kurdish region in his first televised speech since the referendum’s fallout turned violent earlier this month. Downcast, the long-time Kurdish leader blamed the central government in Baghdad for the regional crisis that followed the independence vote.

“They (Baghdad) used the referendum as an excuse. Their bad intentions were very clear from a long time ago,” he said.

“Without the peshmerga the Iraqi army would never have been able to liberate the city of Mosul,” he continued, referring to Iraqi Kurdish fighters. “We thought that the international community would reward the peshmerga and the people of Kurdistan in return. They would respect the blood of the martyrs.”

Barzani instructed parliament to distribute his presidential powers between the Kurdish prime minister, Parliament and the judiciary. He also informed parliament that he will not seek an extension of his term which is set to expire Nov. 1, but Barzani’s senior assistant, Hemin Hawrami said the move did not mean the Kurdish leader was “stepping down.”

Barzani “will stay in Kurdish politics and lead the high political council,” but on Nov. 1st he will no longer be president of the region, Hawrami said.

Kurdish presidential elections scheduled to be held in November have been postponed indefinitely. Hawrami added that no political party submitted candidates to run against Barzani.

The referendum on support for independence held in September has since left the region increasingly isolated.

Despite warnings from Baghdad, the United States, Turkey, Iran, the United Nations and others, the vote was held on Sept. 25 in the three provinces that make up the autonomous Kurdish zone as well as in disputed territories claimed by Baghdad, but at the time held by Kurdish forces.

Within weeks, the referendum proved to be extraordinarily costly. The region lost nearly half of the territory that had been comfortably under Kurdish control for years, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The region’s airspace was closed to international commercial flights, Turkey threatened the use of military force and both Iran and Turkey threatened to close border crossings vital to the land-locked region.

In Irbil’s Bazar — where families thronged the streets and fireworks filled the skies during the days leading up to and following the vote — the mood slowly began to sour earlier this month after Iraqi troops led by Baghdad retook the long disputed and oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

“There was no benefit from it at all (the referendum). What can I say?” Abdullah Hassan, an Irbil resident said inside the bazar that rings the city’s ancient citadel. Masoud Barzani held the referendum “for his own pride. It was so he could stay in power. What else can it be?”

Barzani’s term expired in August 2015, after which he prevented parliament from meeting for two years, a move many of his political opponents saw as a cynical attempt to hold onto power.

As Iraq’s military crumbled in the face of Islamic State group advances in 2014, Kurdish forces took control of Kirkuk. Described as the “Jerusalem of Kurdistan,” by some of the region’s leaders, control of the city and its oil reserves was marked as a significant achievement.

“Only their faces have changed,” Barzani said repeatedly of Iraq’s post-2003 central government in Baghdad while campaigning for the referendum. “Otherwise they carry the same mentality of mass killings.”

Masoud Barzani took over leadership of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in 1979 after the death of their father, Mulla Mustafa Barzani, an iconic guerrilla commander and the party’s founder. He became president of the region in 2005 after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

While Iraq’s Kurdish region participated in the drafting of the country’s constitution after the overthrow of Saddam, relations between Baghdad and Irbil swiftly deteriorated in early 2014 under then Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Maliki froze federal budget payments to the region after Irbil began unilaterally exporting oil through Turkey, a move that began to cripple the region economically. Kurdish leaders said they began the unilateral exports because Maliki had long sent the region a smaller fraction of the country’s total oil profits than they were entitled to.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... 6ede493291

[hazhar]

I am glad that he has resigned, I have always doubted his political acumen and the cunning required to deal with all those hostile countries around Kurdistan. The worst part of his resignation is now the referendum from last month means nothing. I also believe that the surrender of Kirkuk was not only the former presidents fault but also PUKs and why haven't the people of Kurdistan have not revolted is beyond me. We need to hold all the parties that have been involved with the debacle of Kirkuk accountable. That accountability needs to be in punishment of either exiling the people involved and ensuring that such calamity doesn't occur again. We need a leader who leads, I am finding it hard to see who can from the current political parties in Kurdistan can step forward.

[Anthea]

I beg to differ, I am sorry that Barzani has resigned. He is a good man. A freedom fighter - not a cunning politician - the son of a famous freedom fighter - Kurdistan runs in his blood. He has a kind generous nature and never turned away from his old friends or his dream - the same as that of his father - of an Independent Kurdistan

About 10 years ago there was a mini referendum in which 98% of Kurds voted for independence

When US freed us from Saddam they should have given Kurds their independence

You have to understand that Iraq is an invention of Britain - the UK took parts of 3 different countries, stuck them together and called it Iraq. Totally ignoring the fact that all the 3 factions, Kurds, Sunni and Shiite (Shia) have hated each other for the last 1,400 years

US makes BILLIONS of dollars through oil deals - Iran has it's own oil bourse and does not sell through US. The US was worried that if they supported the Kurds Iraq would get upset and might start selling oil through Iran.

The US did not need Kurds anymore because the Kurds had already served their purpose by helping to rid Iraq of ISIS

I suggest you read the article below, you will find it extremely interesting

You’d think the US would stand with Kurds
here’s why America won’t

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=18392&start=105[/size]

[Piling]

I disagree with 'resign' : Barzani did not resign. He had 2 presidential mandats. The last one was extended for 2 years because of the war against ISIS (and Gorran was strongly opposed to that, and here started the Parliament conflict).

This extension was finished since August. Barzani wanted to achieve the referendum before leaving. So the elections were set in November 1st.

Now, because of the new situation, these elections are postponed. Barzani supporters wanted to extend again his mandat. But he refused as he had said since months before September 25th.

[hazhar]

@Anthea, I did not disparage his character nor his love for his country and his country man. The reasons that I am happy that he is gone (which I doubt since he is still the leader of the PDK) is he was given the option to be backed by the US to have full dialogue with Baghdad (http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/131020174) and he chose not to. The timing of this referendum was not good for us for a few reasons. One was being with ISIS nearly gone, Iraq had a group of soldiers who were willing to follow Iran's lead and the referendum gave Baghdad an option to attack the Kurds since we controlled Kirkuk. When I said he is not politically cunning, I mean he did not have the diplomatic skills that I believe is required to deal with politicians from Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. We need someone who will tell this countries one thing and still be able do the right thing by the Kurdish people. To be politically cunning is not the worst thing in the world, When you are dealing with the arabs, turks or persians, you need to trick them.

The problem for the 2005 referendum and the 2017 referendum were the same thing, which was neither were binding to the KRG, Since it is not binding, the president was not forced to enact it. I am still hopeful for the 2017 referendum and see what the outcome is.

As for Iraq being a UK invention, that is absolutely true, Kurdistan being divided into 4 countries is as criminal as the UK can get yet unfortunately we can't go back.

I do not think that you should credit the US with our will being, We have paid in blood and tears and torn homes many many times to say that the US or any other country is the reason we are where we are today.

There has been two times where the Kurds/KRG had a chance to declare independence, in 2004 and in 2014. At both of these instances, the Iraqi military was decimated, They had nothing and no body and yet our leaders in the KRG remained involved in the politics of Iraq and in trying to make Iraq a country.

We cannot have the hope of our independence in the hands of the US or any other international players, We have to fight, that is the only way, We are not dealing with rational people in the Iraqis or Iranians or Turks.

@Piling, Yes I get that but then again that is semantics. Unfortunately the timing of him leaving is really bad, We need a leader and at this moment, He decides that he will leave

[Piling]

@Piling, Yes I get that but then again that is semantics. Unfortunately the timing of him leaving is really bad, We need a leader and at this moment, He decides that he will leave

But if he would stay, you would hear all his opponents complaining about his illegitimacy… Gorran in first, the others also.

The idea to form a temporary government gathering all parties (without the traitors) that Gorran supports is not bad.

But the main problem with Kurdish politics is that Barzani was the last historical leader (you like it or not, he was a pillar). Now in KRG there is a strong problem of leadership. The mess we have seen within PUK since Jalal's stroke could spread to all Kurdistan.

[Anthea]

Good to have you with us hazhar

...he was given the option to be backed by the US to have full dialogue with Baghdad (http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/131020174) and he chose not to.

Barzani was given that option only if he called off referendum

Barzani is a man of the people - his people who he and his father before him, spent a lifetime serving - the people wanted a referendum - he had no choice other than to give them one

In doing what they have, Iraq has broken its own laws and gone against it's own legally binding constitution - what we need now is good legal advice and we could still win

[Piling]

What I can't understand(or admit) is the severe critics against Barzani because he was so obstinate to achieve the referendum, while the Tabalabi (that snakes' nest) are still free and quiet in Sulaimania.

People can reproach many things or political mistakes to Barzani, but the worst has been done by Hero and his degenerate sons and nephews : all the crimes that will happen in Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu and elsewhere stain of blood their hands, these are Kurdish Macbeth.

[Anthea]

What I can't understand(or admit) is the severe critics against Barzani because he was so obstinate to achieve the referendum, while the Tabalabi (that snakes' nest) are still free and quiet in Sulaimania.

People can reproach many things or political mistakes to Barzani, but the worst has been done by Hero and his degenerate sons and nephews : all the crimes that will happen in Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu and elsewhere stain of blood their hands, these are Kurdish Macbeth.

No justice - poor Barzani deserves much better - he has dedicated his entire life to his fellow Kurds