A few days ago I had the pleasure to formally deliver to former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright a letter of thanks from Presidents Barzani and Talabani, and a proclamation on behalf of the people of the Kurdistan Region making May 15 a day to honor her:
“…we hereby offer our eternal gratitude and proclaim our eternal friendship with the Honorable Madeleine Albright on the occasion of her birthday. In her honor, we honor this day and honor her service to her Country, the United States of America, which she has served so ably….”
If you are unfamiliar with the story, we owe Secretary Albright considerable thanks for her efforts to promote peace amongst the leadership of Kurdistan Region. She, along with a good team at the State Department, brought together Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani to sign the historic “Washington Accord” of September 17, 1998. This act ended considerable infighting, opening up our region to great progress and modernization. The invocation of the commemoration states it best:
“You had the strategic vision to see that it was essential for us to set aside our differences and join together in a unity government in order to create a future full of promise and peace for all the people of the Kurdistan Region. History has proven just how right you were.”
This reminds us all, that Kurdistan’s success, as a stable and democratizing society in the heart of the Middle East may not have been possible, were it not for the engagement and support of the United States.
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