11 September 2002
Democracy is a Viable Option for All of Iraq
(Barham Salih contemplates the future of Iraq) (630) By Emile S. Siman Washington File Staff Writer Washington - Barham Salih, prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan regional government in Sulaymaniyah, said on September 6 that the cultural, political and economic freedoms enjoyed in the areas of northern Iraq not controlled by Saddam Hussein have dramatically raised the standard of living for the people of northern Iraq. Speaking at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Salih also noted that their experience in local government has developed a political perspective tied to ensuring democratic principles emerging throughout Iraq. "Kurdish culture is flourishing," Salih said, contrasting the number of schools, newspapers, and civic groups in the region today with the bleak opportunities under Saddam Hussein. "In 1991, we had 804 schools. Today we have 2,705. We started with one university in Arbil in 1991; today we have three. In 10 years of self-government, we built twice as many as was built for us in seven decades. Then we had 548 doctors. Today we have 1,870 doctors." In Sulaymaniyah alone, there are 138 media outlets, including literary magazines and radio channels. Salih, who holds a Ph.D. in statistics and computer modeling from the University of Liverpool, said that northern Iraq is just now emerging from a long history of isolation and destruction. "I'm not going to tell you that everything is rosy. but it's remarkable what we have achieved," he said, adding that if democracy can be introduced in the rest of Iraq as it has been in the Kurdish areas as it has, it can flourish. In a follow-up interview with "Salon" online magazine, Salih was asked why Kurdish political leaders would risk the gains made in northern Iraq by seeking a regime change in Baghdad. Salih stressed the long-term safety of all Iraqis is tied to the removal of Saddam Hussein and a more democratic government in Iraq. "We are not joining the campaign against the Iraqi regime. We've been fighting for it for decades. There is one new factor in the Kurdish society. I am a Kurd and I am proud of my Kurdish heritage and identity. My people have suffered genocide and we deserve international guarantees that we'll be safe in the future. But we live in that region. After 10 years of self-government, we have learned the limitations of nationalism. We cannot live in this Kurdish bubble in isolation from our neighbors. We are part of Iraq. Our history obliges us to be part of Iraq. To guarantee the safety of our people, we need to work with Iraqi democrats to bring about a representative federal government in Baghdad which will not unleash chemical attacks against my people again. We are doing this because what we have today is so precarious and unstable. We cannot be safe while tyranny rules in Baghdad. It's in our interest to be party to a larger Iraqi democratic movement and really reshape Iraqi politics," he told Salon. Speaking with reporters in Washington, Salih emphasized that he is not in the United States for any preparation of military action in Iraq. "As an Iraqi, I cannot condone war against Iraq," he said, but he went on to explain that he welcomed world support to "retake" Iraq from the tyranny that has gripped the nation for over two decades. While the international community considers its response to the threats posed by Saddam Hussein, Salih emphasized his hope that the United States and others will understand the importance of protecting the democratic process begun in northern Iraq and never leave its people defenseless against Saddam's forces. Barham Salih is a representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of two main Kurdish political parties in northern Iraq. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is the other major political force. The leaders of both parties met September 8 in Arbil, committing their parties to the principle of a democratic Iraq. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
