Kurdish Affairs

"The Kurds Ascending:The Evolving Solution to the Kurdish Problem in Iraq and Turkey"

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 15:10:57 -0500

The Middle East Institute is honored to present Michael M. Gunter to discuss his new book, “The Kurds Ascending; The Evolving Solution to the Kurdish Problem in Iraq and Turkey,” a narrative that exposes the prospects of a positive future for the the Kurds in Iraq and Turkey.

Iraqi Kurds are Playing with Fire

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 15:38:34 -0500

The crisis over attacks into Turkey from Iraq by elements of the militant Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) highlights another example of problematic Iraqi Kurdish behavior. In several respects, Iraqi Kurdish leaders have acted in ways that potentially jeopardize Kurdish interests, not only with respect to the current face-off with the Turks, but internal Iraqi issues as well.

Why Is Federalism Rare in the Middle East?

Michael C. Dunn — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc412.html

The completion of an Iraqi constitution has been delayed in large part because of a debate over whether the state should be a federal one, as the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) had defined it, or a unitary one. Kurdistan has enjoyed autonomy since 1991 and remains insistent on a federal system. But, many Sunni Arabs fear that too much federalism would undermine the unity of the state and exclude them from sharing the oil revenues from the fields located in Shi‘ite and Kurdish regions.

Iraq: What Now?

David L. Mack — Thu, 3 Feb 2005 12:00:00 -0500

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc328.html

Americans of good will who care about both the Iraqi people and U.S. national interests should celebrate the fact that the elections took place under difficult circumstances. Iraqi candidates, election officials and voters showed determination and, in many cases, breathtaking courage. The Iraqi police and others charged with the heavy security burden served with distinction.

Israeli-Turkish Relations: New Directions

Paul Scham — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc261.html

Israeli-Turkish relations can be compared to a late-life love affair. Two parties who have known each other for years suddenly develop a near-passionate relationship, to the astonishment of their friends – and their enemies. However, after a while, passion cools and one party may be playing the field. Will they get back together or become “just friends?” Watch for the next episode.

Maintaining Iraq's Unity for All Iraqis

Ambassodor David Mack — Tue, 2 Dec 2003 12:00:00 -0500

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc127.html

How to Solve the Kirkuk Question

Joost Hiltermann — Tue, 9 May 2006 11:00:00 -0400

Contrary to the expectations of many, the situation in Kirkuk has remained largely free of ethnic conflict since the ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003. The Kurds, emerging victorious after decades of struggle, have been a dynamic actor for change in Kirkuk and other mixed-population, oil-rich areas in northern Iraq.

Using their new political strength in Baghdad, Kurdish leaders have helped design a constitutional framework that will not only reverse decades of Arabisation but facilitate these areas' incorporation into Kurdistan.

Kurdish Nationalism and State Formation

Robert Olson — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:00:00 -0500

MEI is pleased to welcome author Robert Olson to discuss his book The Goat and the Butcher: Nationalism and State Formation in Kurdistan-Iraq Since the Iraqi War.

Dr. Olson is a professor of Middle East History and Politics at the University of Kentucky. A leading expert on the Kurds, he is the author of numerous articles, essays and books. He served as a member of the Strategic Assessment Group of the Central Intelligence Agency's Future Panel on Turkey and the Kurdish Question from 2000-2003.

Constitutional and Political Challenges Facing a New Iraqi Government

Feisal Istrabadi — Fri, 11 Feb 2005 12:00:00 -0500

The historic elections of January 30, 2005 set Iraq on the path todemocracy. However, the critical undertaking of creating a permanentconstitution that successfully addresses contentious questions like therole of Islam in governance, the Kurdish autonomy issue, and how Iraqis ofevery political and religious stripe can live together freely andpeacefully remains ahead. What will happen after all the votes arecounted and how will the constitutional process play out?

Rethinking Iraq: Sectarian Identities - The Kurds

Nijar Shemdin — Tue, 13 Apr 2004 12:00:00 -0400

Pundits and policymakers seem to agree that the Kurdish provinces in the north of Iraq see Operation Iraqi Freedom as an opportunity for greater autonomy. If Kurds make such a bid at the moment of power transfer, might they obstruct a federal, united Iraq, as they did during the negotiations for the Interim Iraqi Constitution - or cause even direr consequences? How might Iraq’s northern neighbors, each of whom possesses Kurdish populations, react?