“They probably betted on the US not letting the Turks attack northern Iraq. They were wrong”

December 19th, 2007 § 0 comments

Asia Times:

“The Americans are responsible because the Iraqi sky is under their full control.” These were the words of Massoud Barzani, a staunch US ally who heads the US-created and backed Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq.

He was referring to the Turkish air strike on northern Iraq carried out this week. This was the largest cross-border operation since the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003

Toying with the Kurds – then abandoning them – is not new to the United States. In 1974, Henry Kissinger encouraged Iraqi Kurds to riot against their government in order to drain the energy of the Iraqi army and divert Baghdad’s attention from supporting Syria’s efforts to combat Israel. Kissinger fanned the flames of conflict in Iraq and was very generous with the Kurds, prompting Mustapha al-Barzani (the father of current leader Massoud) to send him expensive rugs as a token of appreciation and a gold necklace for his bride on the occasion of Kissinger’s marriage in March 1974.

This, among Kissinger’s numerous endeavors, was revealed during the Watergate investigations of 1976, in what became known as the Pike Report. The testimony said that Kissinger had armed and financed the Kurds to dissuade Iraq from “adventurism”, such as coming to the aid of Syria. The report adds, “Our clients, who were encouraged to fight, were not told of this policy.” The Kurds were never meant to win, only to weaken Iraq and materialize US interests in the Middle East. The Kurds – Barzani in particular – should know better and re-read the history of their people’s friendship with the United States..

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