A university professor at the University of London, Department of International Politics, Bamo Nouri, believes Kurds in Iraq are facing troubles which originate from inefficient political parties, lack of political unity and following personal interests among the politicians of the region. He told Kurdpress that the region is on the verge of a revolution and the ruling parties of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are very likely to lose power and Gorran could take power.

What follow are his answers to Kurdpress questions.

1-In general, how west and Russia see Kurdish issues? Some believe that great powers like Russia and U.S just use the Kurds as a tool.

Historically speaking, since the inception of the Sykes-Picot agreement in 1916, the Kurds were seen as a tool that would be useful as a challenge to unification and stability in the region. The idea by the British and the French was that as long as the Kurds exist, there will be tension in the Middle-East in response to any Arab or Islamic unity. Secondly, you must remember that since Napoleon conquered Egypt in 1798, France and other European nations started to study other nations for the purpose of ‘national security.’ So when the Sykes-Picot agreement was made, there was no mistake in the maps and the purposeful overlooking of the Kurds, for it was common knowledge at the time that they were a potentially dangerous force. This was given the fact that in Europe and the West, Salahadin Ayoub was well known for is strength, might and leadership, it was under such knowledge that there was a big fear of Kurds and the idea that Kurdish Unity could be disastrous for the stability and ‘national security’ of the European countries.

Even more recently Henry Kissinger was clear on the Kurds; Having endorsed the covert policy of supporting a Kurdish revolt in northern Iraq between 1974 and 1975, with ‘deniable’ assistance also provided by Israel and the Shah of Iran, Kissinger made it plain to his subordinates that the Kurds were not to be allowed to win, but were to be employed for their nuisance value alone. They were not to be told that this was the case, but soon found out when the Shah and Saddam Hussein composed their differences, and American aid to Kurdistan was cut off. Hardened CIA hands went to Kissinger ... for an aid programme for the many thousands of Kurdish refugees who were thus abruptly created.... The apercu of the day was: ‘foreign policy should not he confused with missionary work.’ Saddam Hussein heartily concurred.

So basically the Kurds are and will continue to be used as a power tool in a power tug of war, the west when they get close to the Kurds normally do so to worry Iraq and the other 3 Kurdish populated nations, and when they do not need the Kurds they ignore them like the situation in Kirkuk and Afrin.

Kurdish decision makers however are too incompetent to see this, or they are busy serving their short term financial interests because they are nation who have ‘never had before’.

2- Can Kurds in Syria, Turkey and Iraq solve their problems with central government but without getting help from foreign countries like U.S and Russia?

This question is difficult to answer generically, as each nation has its own power dynamic.

In Iraq – Yes – but the Kurdish leaders are corrupt, nepotistic and too interested in serving their own interests (financial, personal interests that involves pillaging the nations wealth) and they create and report issues to the Kurdish population that are not neccesarily true regarding the actions of central government. In the Kurdish region of Iraq, only 20% of what the news reports regarding KRG relations with Baghdad are true. The rest is propaganda.

3-despite predictions, two main Kurdish parties in Kurdistan region got big votes. how do you asses it? why some parties like the one belong to Barham Salish and Change Movement could not do well ?

The election were rigged, Kurdistan is on the brink of a serious revolution. There is clear and absolute evidence of the rigging process, and Iraq will potentially return to civil war, this time the Kurdish region will be included. The people had only one hope and that was democratic and diplomatic means and routes for change, now that route is also polluted and destroyed there is little hope left for civilised means of making change.

4 -Can Kurds one day use the outcome of referendum as a reliable document for their independence?

The referendum was a distraction attempt by a undemocratic, unconstitutional and unlawful Kurdish President at the time Masoud Barzani. Mr Barzani and the KRG has no post-referendum plan economically, socially, politically or militarily – they used the hope and dreams of a Kurdish nation – which lives in every Kurd to distract the population from the wage crisis, the illegalities of the region and to give some credibility back to a government that had lost all faith in the eyes of its people. Although the referendum result is a promising prospect for the future of a Kurdish state, the timing, the aftermath, the exposure of the KRG’s practises (undemocratic, illegal, and unconstitutional behaviour) means that the Kurdish state although a right, remains almost impossible.

5-We do not see a serious western engagements regarding Kurdistan Region’s crises, why?

The only time the west will engage with the Kurdish regions issues is when interests of the west are being served. Since 2014, business in the Iraq and especially the Kurdish region has taken a blow, so big investors are reluctant to invest, at the same time Iraq’s relations internationally are very good with the rest of the western world, to they will be backed over the Kurds.

6- There are reports that tells about differences and divisions among Barzani’s, are these issues serious? How do you think about these issues? How about PUK?

The PUK and the KDP have lost all credibility as political parties, as moral individuals and as Kurds. Intellectually and as leaders they have brought great detriment to the Kurdish people of Iraq, they have pillaged the money of the people, continuously lied to them, sent thousands of peshmergas to die for them, and have even managed to steal their democratic votes (recently) and denied constitutional rights historically - see all the reports of death of journalists and protestors. The PUK and KDP are seen as mercenaries, and as two political parties that are on borrowed time, they have no strategy. They select and appoint key decision makers in responsible roles based on loyalty to the party or historical battles on the battle-field, giving no consideration to the actual ability of these people, in decision making roles. It is no coincidence that those in power in the KRG only serve their own financial interests, in the process robbing the nation.

There are few political parties with real plans of national unity, with economic strategies and a system that actual serves the people, one of those parties is the Gorran party who I believe will eventually run the Kurdish region.

7-Why western powers and Russia abandoned Kurds in Afrin?

It was not in the political and financial interests for the west and Russia to back Kurds in Afrin – just look at the UK with Theresa May, the UK had many people killed by Turks and Arabs in Afrin, for example Anna Campbell, but because the UK was selling Sniper Rifles to Turkey for the sum of $1 billion, they did not say a word. Politics is no longer humanitarian, in fact it never has been, it has always been and still is interests based.

8- Do you believe that Kurds one day can have their own state?

I believe that the Kurds are behind in so many ways, why do we want a state? Do we want a state because we can make the world a better place by being a state? or do we want a state because every other nation has a state? The Kurds lack the intellect and leadership for a nation-state, they are far off the intellectual organisation needed to form a state. There are too many psychological and intellectual barriers to overcome, the Kurdish leadership currently is not capable of carrying or created a Kurdish state. For example look at the psychological case of, ex-President of Iraq: Mam Jalal Talabani. He was the nations uncle and despite his illegitimacies in power he still did a great deal in his time for Kurds and for Arabs in Iraq. It can also be said that the unity of Iraq post 2003 was down to him until his illness prevailed: the impossible task of managing the newly found sect system was made possible by his diplomacy; he was the man who had the Kurds, Sunni’s and Shias united (to an extent). Although he also made some questionable decisions, we never speak ill of the dead and the corruption and bad decisions he made were down to one of the biggest illnesses of the have-nots: education and understanding.Mam Jalal, like many others were not ready or understanding of the power that he acquired. I will dedicate a part of my life to highlighting the destructive repercussions of power being acquired and held without understanding; the have-nots becoming have-lots and the changes and remapping that takes place and their malign chains of effect. When a generation lives without possessions and has to fight for centuries in an accustomed way of life, it is difficult to redraw and change its habitual existence at the flutter of a butterfly. The genetics once adapted and modified to living without, then struggle to adapt and adhere to life ‘with’.

How can such leaders see us through the process? When the minute they receive what they have not had all their life, they drop and lost many or all of their principles.

Reporter’s code: 50101