Honorable George W. Bush, President
United States of American
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D. C. 20500
June 17, 2004
As a Kurdish-American, I want to thank you for your courageous move to rid the world of Saddam Hussein, who was the bloodiest tyrant in the twenty-first century.
Mr. President, during Iraqi Operation Freedom, the people of Iraqi Kurdistan along with their leadership welcomed the U.S. led coalition forces. The Kurdish peshmerges mixed their blood with American blood, and fought alongside the brave coalition forces to topple Saddam’s regime. Whatever America asked for in the Kurdish region America got it. In return, the CPA has been ignoring the Kurdish God-given rights only to appease the religious Shi’aits and Sunni nationalists.
The coalition slogan prior to the invasion was to protect human rights and create democracy in Iraq with the hope that Iraq would become a model of democracy for the entire Middle East. Instead, the U.S. led coalition policies have complicated the Iraqi society further. Before, there were Arabs and Kurds. Now, there are Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, Muslims, Christians, Sunni, Shi’ates, you name it! All this, without a clear agenda to create a system that would acknowledge and revere their God-given rights.
The coalition representatives have been barraged with flowers and NOT a single coalition soldier has been killed or even mistreated in Kurdistan. In return, policies of the CPA have been the continuation of the policies conducted by the previous regime against the people of Kurdistan by not letting even the undisputed Kurdish lands be returned to and administered by the KRG.
Mr. President, the Kurds do not betray trust. That is why they have stayed loyal to the coalition forces. Although the CPA and particularly, Mr. Bremer have done everything they could to appease the Shi’aits and the Sunnis on the Kurds’ expense. A few thugs in Falluja and threats from Shi’ait clerics secured the two top positions (President and Prime Minister), and to acknowledge the sacrifices given by the Kurds for freeing Iraq and the respect they had for the coalition forces, they were told not to talk about the two posts. I wonder if the Kurds committed the same or similar atrocities against the coalition forces they would be treated the way they have been!
The Kurds once were the most trusted people in the Middle East, and their experiences were thought to become a model for the entire Iraq. That was the time when they were needed. Now, they have been discarded for a third time.
The Kurds have been betrayed twice in the past by pervious U. S. administrations, one in 1975, and one in 1991. Perhaps, the Kurdish leadership believed that this time America would try not to repeat its past mistakes and do the right thing.
Mr. President, if there is any sincerity in the coalition’s intentions to create a democratic Iraq, it is proven, the Kurds are good partners. The step towards democratizing not only Iraq, but also the Middle East starts in Kurdistan not in Falluja or in the south.
It is so sad to see such a U-turn in U. S. policies regarding the Kurds, for they have unconditionally, implemented all the U. S. policies in Kurdistan to facilitate the success of the U. S. led coalition forces. By doing so, the Kurds have angered the regional hostile countries and the majority of Arabs within Iraq. The Arabs who have been vehemently opposing the Kurds. Now, it seems that the people of Kurdistan would be left at the mercy of their oppressors once again!
The policy “Use them and leave them” is wrong. In the 1980s, when the free world under the U. S. leadership was fighting to defeat the communism in Afghanistan, and Pakistan the Afghan “Freedom fighters” were receiving the U. S. assistance, and they were important. When the communism was defeated they were ignored, and as a result a huge vacuum was created in which later was filled by Talibans, which led to the rise of Binladen and the creation of the dark day of September 11th. This policy creates more foes and alienates more friends! And, as an American it hurts me to see America being perceived as the one that uses others to secure her interests, and once achieved her goals discard those who helped her.
The stability of the world, particularly the Middle East could impact the U. S. security. September 11, brings the light to such truth. Leaving Iraq unstable will certainly lead to another chaos, because this time the Kurds would be subjected to the vengefulness of the Arab nationalists for cooperating with the U. S. forces.
The resolution 1546, which was sponsored by the U. S. and U. K., clearly contradicts the TAL, which again was crafted under the auspicious of U.S. authority in Iraq. TAL was a roadmap toward creating a better Iraq. The resolution 1546 literally liquidized all the beautiful dreams the people of Kurdistan had for their future!
I remember once you said, “Freedom is a God-given right. Human beings do not give freedom.” Well, that is exactly what the Kurds have been struggling for-their God-given freedom to have a federate state within the unified Iraqi borders. Only such a system could secure the future of our people against possible threats from Baghdad.
Mr. President, for how much longer would the Kurds have to be scapegoats of the U. S. interests in the Middle East?
Sincerely yours,
Kirmanj Gundi, Ed. D.
Associate Professor
Educational Leadership
College of Education
Tennessee State University
Cc: Honorable Richard Cheney, Vice President of the United States of America
Honorable Colin Powell, Secretary of State
Honorable Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense
Honorable Paul Wilfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense
Honorable Jim Cooper, U. S. Congressman
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