Iraqi Kurds continued their protests against the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) across the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq on December 20, according to local sources. The protestors took on the streets two days earlier to demands their rights and accused the KRG of holding their salaries for months now.
The angry protestors burned the offices of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in several areas including the city of Sulaymaniyah on December 20, according to the Kurdish Rudaw TV.
Kurdish activists also reported that Kurdish Peshmerga, Asayish and PUK security forces targeted the protestors with live fire in several areas.
According to Kurdish health officials, only 5 protestors have been killed, and 80 others have been injured by the Kurdish security forces. However, activists claim that dozens protestors were killed and hundreds were arrested during the last three days.
Commenting on the protests in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi warned that the Iraqi Federal Government will not stand idly by if its citizens in Kurdistan are attacked. The Iraqi PM also stressed its support for the right to protest.
PM @HaiderAlAbadi: We will not stand idly by if citizens in Kurdistan are attacked; they are our citizens. We reject measures that deny them their constitutional right to free speech and to peaceful protest
— Government of Iraq (@IraqiGovt) December 19, 2017
The Movement for Change (Gorran), and the Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal) announced on December 20 that they will withdraw their ministers from the KRG. Gorran also announced that it will give up the post of the Parliament Speaker held by one of its leaders, Yousif Mohammed.
Moreover, the Gorran leadership decided after a meeting held in Sulaymaniyah to suspend the alliance agreement with the PUK. The agreement was reached between the two sides in May 2016.
With the crisis developing in the Kurdistan Region, many Iraqis hold former president of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani the responsibility for this unrest in the KRG. They see the current tension as a direct result of the independence referendum organized by Barzani in September.
I don’t understand why Arabs care about Kurds. Just give them independence and live your life without them.
1. Oil rich region. 2. It would end up being a cancer to be used by outsiders (U.S. / Israel) to destabilize the rest of the country and neighboring states.
1 – Arabs already have oil and gas. 2 – Kurds are already a cancer. Arabs better cut the tumor. 3 – No need Kurds to destabilize the Middle east. Arabs do that perfectly.
Kurdistan would inevitably become a new Israel.
Yes in a 3000 years maybe
They’d need entire west wholesale support for that. To be capable to contest the Syrian Arab Army alone they’d need at the very least an Anti Aircraft Defense hardware /installation not to mention the complexity of the technical support and training to operates them. For them to contest the other players in the region such as Iran, Iraq, and Turkey a sizeable airforce were needed. US forces that act as all of the above in the end US forces and won’t put their body for the Kurds.
Israell doesn’t have “wholesale western support”. Also, an independent Kurdistan would only need a few US bases and that’s it when it comes to protection. End of story.
Lol they basically the west themselves. See those Merkava tanks ? US paid them with UK provided their basic design.
Arabs will kill the evils in the bud.
Really you are the smartest of all, GIVE THEM INDEPENDENCE you should give your apartment or house to homeless people and will be better for them without you in that apt or house….
If I live with someone I hate and cause me a lot of trouble, I would rather cut the house in two parts or sell the house to buy another one instead of being constantly bullied and in danger because of this stupid person.
That would create Israel 2.0, exactly what Netanyahu wants.
There will be no peace in the region until full removal of radical Zionist extremists from the whole Middle East.
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The US won’t let the kurds go on with their lives. They want to recruit more people into their army. When people are desperate they can easily be convinced to join the front.
It is time for the Iraqi government to establish Federal Police Stations in Kurdish areas , and hopefully ward off a Kurdish civil war .
See what only a partial economic blockade can do to the Iraqi Kurds. Imagine what a full economic blockade by Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran can do to the SDF in Syria.