Foreword ix
Map of the area inhabited by Kurds xi
Introduction 1
Part I: The Past
1 The Kurds 7
'Kurds' and 'Kurdistan' 7
Language 8
Religion 8
Population 9
Topography of Kurdistan 9
2 The Treaty of Sevres and the Creation of Iraq 10
3 The Kurds Under Barzani 15
Revolts 15
The emergence of a Kurdish leader 15
Aftermath of the 1958 Revolution 16
The Ba'ath regimes 17
The March Manifesto of 1970 17
The 1974 Autonomy Law 20
US and Iranian involvement in Kurdish-Iraqi relations:
1970-75 22
The Algiers Agreement of 1975 and its aftermath 23
4 The Anfal Campaigns 25
Spoils of war 25
The logic of destruction 25
The spring offensives of 1988 26
The attack on Halabja 27
The attack on Sayw Senan 28
The remaining Anfal campaigns 28
Amnesty 30
International responses to the Anfal campaigns 31
5 The First Gulf War: From Uprising to Democracy 34
Background 34
The intifada (uprising) 34
The Ba'athists respond 36
Exodus from Iraqi Kurdistan 36
Turkey, Iran and the Iraqi Kurds 37
Resolution 688 37
'Operation Provide Comfort' 39
'Operation Safe Haven' 39
Negotiating autonomy with Saddam Hussein 42
6 Democracy in Iraqi Kurdistan 44
A rainbow alliance 44
International ambivalence 44
Autonomy from a Kurdish perspective 45
Electoral procedure 45
A new kind of political space? 46
Relations between the PUK and KDP 48
7 Human Rights in Iraqi Kurdistan 51
Background 51
Crimes of the Ba'ath regime 52
Breaches of international law by the government of Iraq 54
Humanitarian law 55
Human rights structures and the Kurdish authorities 57
Women's rights in Iraqi Kurdistan 57
8 The Internally Displaced of Iraqi Kurdistan 62
A displaced history 62
Displacement since the establishment of the safe haven 64
9 Economic/Humanitarian Affairs in Iraqi Kurdistan 67
Background 67
Oil in Iraq: A brief overview 68
Oil in Iraqi Kurdistan: A brief overview 69
Pipelines 69
Sanctions 70
Criticism of the Oil-for-Food Programme 72
Embargo 74
Currency 75
Employment 75
Non-governmental organisations 75
10 The Kurds Have no Friends but the Mountains 78
Turkey: A difficult neighbour 78
Beyond Iraq: The Kurds of Turkey, Iran and Syria 81
11 US Foreign Policy Towards Saddam: Pre-September 11 89
Part II: The Present
12 The Road to War 93
'Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists' 93
The Kurds' path to war 103
13 The Second Gulf War: 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' 109
'They were received with bombs, shoes and bullets' 109
The Kurdish Jerusalem 110
War over? 113
The current security situation 113
Security strategy 115
14 Current Executive Structure in Iraq 116
Saddam's Iraqi opposition 116
Political reconstruction 117
15 Current Legal and Human Rights Issues 122
The Coalition Provisional Authority 122
Humanitarian international law obligations 122
International human rights law obligations 124
16 The Question of Autonomy 129
17 The Anfal Campaigns: The War Crimes Tribunal 130
An enduring legacy 130
The Iraqi Special Tribunal 131
The defendants 132
The death penalty 133
International judges 133
The crimes 134
18 The Internally Displaced: The Current Situation 137
General situation 137
The Takiyeh camp 137
The Anfal camp at Suresh 138
The UN-HABITAT camp at Bazian 139
The problem of mines 140
Reversing the 'Arabisation' programme 140
19 Current Economic/Humanitarian Issues in Iraqi
Kurdistan 142
Sanctions and embargoes 142
The Oil-for-Food Programme 142
Currency 143
Non-governmental organisations and international
organisations 144
Oil 145
Part III: The Future
20 Self-Determination and Autonomy 151
What is self-determination? 151
The Kurdish claim to self-determination 154
Autonomy 157
A UN mandate? 159
Economic issues 161
21 The Tribunal and the Victims 163
Introduction 163
A UN tribunal 163
A hybrid court 164
The International Criminal Court 165
A Truth and Reconciliation Commission 165
The way forward 166
22 The Land Question 168
The Iraqi Property Reconciliation Facility 168
The way forward 169
Addendum 172
Appendix I: Articles of the 1920 Treaty of Sevres relating
to Kurdistan 173
Appendix II: The Kurdistan Regional Government
Provisional Constitution for the Federal
Republic of Iraq 175
Appendix III: UN Guiding Principles on Internal
Displacement 190
Notes 201
Index 223