Qubad's Blog

Kuwait on the Map (English)

2011-03-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

ABA Article on KRG’s Anti-Corruption Strategy

2010-01-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Most people who aren’t lawyers in the U.S. practicing international law don’t read the American Bar Association’s publications, so I just want to highlight a brief article that appeared in the organization’s Anti-Corruption Committee Newsletter. It highlights the transparency and anti-corruption initiative being undertaken by the Kurdistan Regional Government—which commenced last July. From the ABA Section of International Law:

“The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the government of the…region which oversees the administration of the three provinces of Erbil, Duhok, and Suleimaniah, is looking to be a leader within Iraq in terms of fighting corruption. Iraq has consistently fared poorly in international studies on the presence of corruption, most recently being ranked 176 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index. This perception is not helped by the steady stream of bad news coming out of Baghdad’s battle against corruption. Recognizing that this negative perception is causing serious harm to Kurdistan’s efforts to attract international investment, the KRG has taken the unusual step of creating and implementing its own anti-corruption strategy.

“On July 12, 2009, then-Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced a comprehensive anti-corruption and transparency strategy designed to, in his words, “…improve international and domestic confidence and increase investment and job development, while helping to raise the living standards of our Region.” This strategy is founded on four principles central to eliminating corruption: (1) the rule of law, (2) public service is a public trust, (3) governmental functions are to be open and transparent, and (4) public funds must always be used for their intended purposes.

“The initiative is being undertaken entirely by the KRG, without receiving any funding from donors. KRG representatives attended the most recent Global Forum Against Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in Doha to interface with global experts and improve their strategy to match international best practices.

“The new government led by Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih has reaffirmed the commitment of the KRG to the project. In a recent statement celebrating International Anti-Corruption Day, Dr. Barham reiterated the right of all citizens of the KRG to expect the highest standards of conduct and announced that the government would soon release a new comprehensive Code of Conduct that will govern the behavior of the civil service.”

There is no doubt, the KRG’s Good Governance and Transparency Strategy represents tangible evidence that we are aware of our shortcomings as a burgeoning government and region, and that we are actually doing something about them. To ensure our effort is done in the most professional and, yes, transparent manner, the KRG retained PriceWaterhouseCoopers, one of the world’s largest financial and accountancy consulting firms, to assist in the development and implementation of our strategy. As the program unfolds, I will keep you updated on its progress.

My Week Speaking—Bumped by Barack Obama

2009-12-11T15:33:00.000-08:00

This week has been a busy one, with numerous speaking events in and around the Washington, DC area—opportunities to inform both media and government officials about the Kurdistan Region and what’s happening in Iraq.

It was poetic, however, that before delivering remarks on security in our Region to an audience of defense and security experts that the President of the United States bumped me!

Shortly before arriving to the Brookings Institution, where the speech was, I received word that Barack Obama had decided to use the venue to discuss domestic jobs creation. This was an acute reminder that a president’s domestic agenda will always take precedent over foreign affairs.

Undeterred, the event—a part of Brookings Executive Educations program—moved to an alternative location not too far away.

Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute at the Department of Homeland Security, and former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Mission Support, Department of Peacekeeping Operations spoke before me. Following me was Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution—former Deputy Secretary of State and former Special Ambassador for the Soviet Union and Russia. More than 50 experts from the government—from offices such as the Department of Defense and Army—attended.

The tone at the Brookings event, and the audience’s continuing interest in Iraq, was decided different from another event I spoke at a few days earlier—which was summed up by one of my fellow panelists, Judith Yaphe, an American expert on Iraq:

“Anybody remember Iraq? You don’t hear about it much anymore. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone away and it doesn’t mean that everything is fine either.”

My sentiments exactly.

Judith joined me at the University of Maryland’s Knight Center for Specialized Journalism for a lively discussion on the Iraq issue—much of which dealt with the place of the Kurdistan Region. I’ve known Judith for years. She’s a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the U.S. National Defense University.

Judith went on: “Iraq now faces its greatest crisis since Saddam disappeared…. This is the most critical juncture in any revolution, and what Iraq has gone through and is going through is revolutionary.”

Again, I couldn’t agree more.

The problem is that this fact isn’t being recognized as the U.S. shifts its focus to Afghanistan and leaves us with mounting challenges and wishful thinking. It is the mistake of the American policymaker to believe or expect Iraq to be stable for the sake of stability, ignoring more than 80 years of history and oppression.

Our national culture—for Sunni, Shia and Kurds—is based on insecurity, which is preventing progress. Yet, at a time when several critical issues need to be sorted out, issues that will shape the very foundation and future of Iraq, we’re being rushed through it all.

Getting these issues right is more important than dealing with them quickly. Iraq cannot be expected to turn from dictatorship to democracy in seven years, and it will take a commitment on the part of the Americans to help us see it through.

During the conversation we had that morning, this was much of the thrust of what both of us talked about. With almost 30 reporters attending from traditional and new media publications, there were plenty of great questions. Click here to see some video of the event, or to review the Knight Center’s Twitter.

Greater DC's Kurdish-American Community

2009-10-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon it was my distinct pleasure to host an event celebrating the Kurdish-American community in the Greater Washington Area. More than 200 people attended this reunion, enjoying both great food and great conversation, at the Kurdistan Regional Government offices in Washington, DC.

Distinguished guests included members of the KRG delegation that attended the U.S.-Iraq Investors Conference last week—Herish Muharam, Chairman of the Kurdistan Regions Board of Investment; Hoshyar Siwaily, Minister for Electricty; Tahsin Qadir Ali, Minister for Water Resources; and Governor Dana Ahmed Majeed of Suleimania and Abdulrahaman Mustafa of Kirkuk.

I was heartened to see the pride on people’s faces as they entered the KRG offices. Our guests recognized the incredible potential of the new future before us, while at the same time raising the expectations of what we, as the KRG need to achieve in the US and in Kurdistan. The Kurdish American community in the US offers great hope to strengthening Kurdistan’s relations with the US, while at the same time, being a voice for reason to ensure that Kurdistan stays true to its word of reform and continued democratization.

Promoting B2B Between the U.S. and Kurdistan

2009-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today I was pleased to welcome a delegation from the Kurdistan Region that is in D.C. to attend the U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to attending this event, these gentlemen are exploring and sharing ideas on how to strengthen bonds between Iraq, Kurdistan and the U.S.—specifically through commerce, exchange and investment.

One of the Obama Administration’s goals is to support economic development in all of Iraq as a means to sustain stability in the country. As the safest and most stable region in Iraq—with a vibrant business community—the Kurdistan Region is thrilled to pursue opportunities that will strengthen our Region and promote positive relations with the United States.

The Kurdistan delegation visiting D.C. consists of Herish Muharam, Chairman of the Kurdistan Investment Board; Osman Ismail Hassan, Minister for Planning; Hoshyar Abdul Rahman Siwaily, Minister for Electricity; Tahsin Qadir Ali, Minister for Water Resources; Governor Tamar Ramadan of Dohuk; Governor Nawzad Hadi of Erbil; and Governor Dana Ahmed Majeed of Suleimania.

Stay updated on the delegation’s visit here or on my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Grand Opening of New KRG HQ in D.C.

2009-09-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked a proud day for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as we celebrated the opening of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) headquarters in Washington, DC. This inauguration underscores our commitment to maintaining and deepening our relationship with America, as well as to our mission of helping our friends better understand the Kurdistan Region.

The new KRG headquarters will continue to serve as the hub for providing testimony, education and guidance on a variety of issues and opportunities relevant to our goals and priorities as part of Iraq. Our office will also continue to focus on encouraging foreign investment; promoting knowledge and understanding of the people living in the Kurdistan Region; facilitating political, cultural and educational visits to Kurdistan; and cultivating educational links to and from the Region. The new HQ will also be the center for up-coming intellectual, cultural and social activities highlighting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. There is, in fact, already a lot of wonderful art from the Region all throughout of offices.

Designed by the Victorian architect Thomas Franklin Schneider (1859-1938) and originally built in 1910, the new KRG Headquarters – at 1532 16th Street, NW – is a step into history along one of Washington, DC’s most storied streets, just blocks north of the White House. The restored townhouse provides the KRG staff with more room and better resources by which to serve the people of the Kurdistan Region, or anyone who visits the office.

My team and I, are excited to be working from this new office – and to proudly continue to represent the Kurdistan Region of Iraq here in the U.S. If you did not make it to the opening night of the headquarters, I encourage you to drop by and we will give you a tour of this wonderful new place.

Giving Secretary Albright Her Due…and Her Day

2009-09-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Much to Be Proud of In Our Journey to Democracy: My Talk at the Middle East Institute

2009-08-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I spoke at the Middle East Institute about the Kurdistan’s historic elections – and I had nothing but pride to share with the packed room. I told the attendees that I am proud that we held peaceful, fair, democratic elections recognized as such by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Presidency of the European Union. I am proud that the new Parliament will be at least 30 percent female - a percentage that is greater than any national or regional government in the Middle East, North American and most of Europe! I am proud that the Parliament has representation from every religious and ethnic constituency within the region. I am proud that democracy is finding a welcome in Iraqi Kurdistan.

In 17 years since the first elected Regional Government of Kurdistan, democracy we have made enourmous progress, but I admitted that we still have a long way to go. I noted that our path towards democracy has been bumpy – at times very bumpy – and sometimes the journey has faced roadblocks, some that we have placed for ourselves. But each day, each week, each month, the journey moves forward toward that destination of democracy.

That, to me, is the key to progress.

Continuing to ensure transparency and efficiency in our region’s government is also a major step toward our destination. I informed the attendees that in July, the KRG teamed up with world renowned consultants PriceWaterhouseCoopers to review all governance related issues – to help us develop a clear-eyed, blunt critique and action plan to address the crucial issues of good governance, anti-corruption and transparency. This multi-year endeavor will ultimately improve how our government serves its people.

One cannot create a perfect democracy over night or even in 17 years. I think that members of the audience today at MEI understand that Kurdistan remains on a journey to democracy – and that we have achieved much in our experiment in democratic self governance. Of course there is much more to achieve - and we intend to achieve it.

You can view my entire speech here

As Kurdistan evolves, D.C. remains the same

2009-08-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Fresh from an exciting trip to the Kurdistan Region, and off the back of our momentous elections, I'm back in Washington, D.C.. While some evolution has taken place in Kurdistan, it looks like not much changes in 'good old' Washington. Even after what has largely been dubbed a resoundingly successful election, some US based political pundits, scholars and intellectuals, still cant help but only focus on the negatives.

Yesterday, I had the distinct pleasure of joining my friends Henri Barkey of the Carnegie Endowment, author Aliza Marcus and Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group to discuss the Kurdistan Region’s recent elections and their implications for Iraq.

Some of my fellow panelists, all of whom I admire and respect, either tried to pain a picture of looming instability in Kurdistan in the post election period (between KDP-PUK and/or Baghdad and Erbil) or, rather than focus on the big picture, they focused on the regrettable incidents that occured during the election period, involving over-excited party loyalists, the few skirmishes that took place and the very unfortunate death of a citizen from friendly celebratory gunfire . These incidents, while regrettable, should not overshadow the fantastic and rigorous campaign and election process where almost 80 percent of the eligible voters in Iraqi Kurdistan participated.

Our region’s fledgling democracy conducted as smooth an election that can be found in any emerging nation. While vote-rigging commonly plagues young democracies—and accusations of foul play are largely ignored—in the Kurdistan Region our elections have been declared well-organized, peaceful and secure by third-parties from the U.N. to the E.U, and in accordance with international standards by the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC). We are expecting certified results from IHEC within days. These are facts that should not be overlooked.

Adding to this positive news, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Kurdistan Region’s President Masoud Barzani vowed on Sunday to “resolve disputes over land and oil.” It is a promising time for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I just hope Washington’s intellectuals can see what is truly occurring here. Yesterday at least I wasn’t going to let their skepticism get the best of them.

Listen to the discussion at the Carnegie Endowment, or you can view some of my remarks at this link on the KRG’s YouTube channel .

The Irony in Iraq

2009-07-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

The predictions were spot on: almost 80 percent of the 2.5 million people eligible to vote in the Kurdistan Region voted during this past weekend’s election (to be specific, 78.5 percent, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq, which also verified that everything at the polls was up to international standards). As a point of comparison, roughly 63 percent of Americans voted in the 2008 presidential election. Few nations have higher turn-outs. Only Australia and Malta , which have compulsory voting, exceed these figures, with about 95 percent.

What this tells me is that the Kurdistan Region continues to set an example for democracy and tolerance in the Middle East. The increasing openness and transparency of our system, combined with the government’s forward thinking (at least 30 percent of the seats in the Parliament must go to women), make us a model for others. Yet some people still view the Kurdistan Region as a flash point for Iraq’s internal issues. What irony!

Despite the stellar success of our open and fair elections, many in the media cannot seem to help but overlook the positive. There is a greater story to tell about this region – more than oil, Kirkuk and Saddam. There is freedom, a genuine effort to democratize, tolerance and peace that mimic established nations around the world. These elections were about Kurdistan, not Baghdad. The results will have no bearing on KRG-Baghdad relations. They will certainly not lead to increased tensions between Kurdistan and Baghdad, as TIME magazine recently reported.

In Kurdistan we have tried to play an active role in attaining peace and stability in Iraq. The efforts and achievements of Kurdistan are all in pursuit of a desire to lead within a federal and democratic country. We want Iraq’s federal constitution to be upheld by all parties because we want a foundation of law that fosters an honest political system, freedom and tolerance, for Kurdistan and Iraq. We’re promoting economic investment so that our Region, and subsequently Iraq prospers. Moreover, we’re encouraging Iraq to follow our lead in ensuring that it efficiently and effectively benefits from its vast natural resources. To me, these are all signs of a Region that wants to thrive, not one that seeks to divide.

I’m proud of how the elections went, and congratulate the slates and candidates who participated in our historic elections. Regardless of party or background, I know that we will all work together to continue the progress we’ve seen and to ensure that democracy flourishes in Kurdistan, and in turn Iraq.

Election Fever: the Kurdistan Region Votes

2009-07-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Voting has officially begun throughout the Kurdistan Region, and my finger is blue as proof! Although official campaigning ended on Thursday, the energy remains exhilarating—having come off of weeks of rallies and speeches and events.

As I’ve mentioned, there is expected to be a more than 80 percent voter turnout. This is a sign of the healthy, robust democracy that is taking shape here in this region of Iraq. Indeed, Faraj al-Haidari, the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq has already registered some early participation ratios in the provinces:

• Erbil: 90%
• Sulaimania: 86%
• Dohok: 91%
• Ninawa: 65%
• Baghdad/ Karkh District: 54%
• Baghdad/ Risafa District: 67%
• Anbar: 59%

Polls will close at 6pm here, and the votes will then be collected from across the Region, shopped to Erbil and flown to Baghdad, where they will be officially counted. For continuing updates, be sure to check out Kurds Vote.

T’was the night before elections, and no-one was stirring, not even a mouse…

2009-07-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

....or so I thought!

After just coming home from touring the many neighborhoods of Sulaimani, the streets are a-buzz with last minute preparations for our elections.

As everyone knows, this Saturday, July 25, we are having elections in the Kurdistan Region for the legislature in Parliament—representing another step in our journey toward democracy, and the Presidency of the Region. When the votes are counted, there will be a higher percentage of female legislators than in any other region in the world, outside of Rwanda and some of the Nordic nations.

The campaigns of the various slates and entities running in the elections have ranged from the sophisticated, to the most basic form of grassroots advocacy. The spirit has been high (sometimes a little too high), but all in all the process has been a joy to watch and be part of. Kurds, young and old, warrior and student, have taken to the streets to campaign for their candidates of choice. While there have been some disturbances, by and large the atmosphere has been festive, while at the same time, fiercely competitive.

Already hundred of international observer s and reporters have arrived, and we’ve encouraged election monitors from all over the world to attend—including those from the International Federal of Election Systems and individuals from American University in the United States.

We in the Kurdistan Region look forward to what’s ahead—and expect a more than 80 percent turnout, an impressive amount for any democracy. Election fever has indeed gripped the Region. Be sure to keep an eye out for how the election unfolds.

The Growing Threat

2009-07-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Please read this article titled “Kurdish leaders warn of strains with Maliki” published in today’s Washington Post. The article highlights the growing sense of tension between Kurdistan and the certain elements within the federal government in Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s growing sense of assertiveness coupled with the upcoming federal provincial elections penciled in for January 2010, will no doubt give opportunities for him and other folks in Baghdad to stir up Arab nationalism to their advantage.

Many believe that out of instability, Prime Minister Maliki can use the Arab nationalist card to unite Sunni’s and Shiites (against the Kurds) and assert greater dominance in the country. This is dangerous. Even in his most vile state, Saddam never stoked Arab nationalism against us. He called us traitors and used the Iraqi nationalism instead.

Saddam did use Arab nationalism to try to impose his dominance throughout the Arab world, using the Iranian and Palestinian cards to serve, with some success, his intended goal. While Prime Minster Maliki has no intentions on trying to dominate the Middle East, he does want to dominate Iraq, and raising Arab, and not Iraqi, nationalism appears to be his tactic.

Unlike Saddam however, Prime Minister Maliki dare not use the Iranian card, as he knows that the Iranians would hurt him. Nor could he sell the Palestinian issue to Iraqis, (or the Palestinians for that matter!); so the only card he has left to play with, to stoke Arab nationalist sentiments in order to assert dominance in Iraq is the Kurdish one. This is a dangerous game that I hope the US government will strongly discourage when Prime Minister Maliki visits the United States next week.

“Foreign Policy” Discussion on Kurdistan Region

2009-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Enlivened by his current travels in Kurdistan, U.S. General Jay Garner (ret.) is back in the news again—this time participating a comprehensive question and answer session with Foreign Policy magazine. He offers up a full description of the many issues facing the Kurdistan Region, complete with his characteristic flair. I highly recommend the read, so be sure to check it out.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/15/seven_questions_jay_garner

Women in Kurdish Society

2009-07-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a conference on promoting the role of women in decision making in government and society.

The conference, arranged by the democratic organizations bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in the city of Sulaimani, was attended by key Kurdish and Iraqi politicians, including KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, and Deputy Secretary General of the PUK Barham Salih. Also in attendance was a lady who is very near and dear to me, the First Lady of Iraq, my very own mother: Hero Ibrahim Ahmed.

Speakers at the conference stressed the need to promote equality between men and women in the workforce and to eradicate violence against women in our society.

Prime Minister Barzani made an important statement when he stressed that we cannot address the issue of equality of women, and violence against women, by passing legislation alone. He affirmed that “the mentality must change.”

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih commented that that so-called honor killing (I call them so-called because there is nothing honorable about killing women) is “an ugly remnant of Kurdish society that requires the people, the government and the judiciary of Kurdistan to work together to eradicate this crime.”

It took a long time for an actual woman to speak at the conference (typical for such events in our part of the world), but it was nice to see more women than men in attendance (in particular sitting in the front rows of the conference hall!!).

It is worth noting that while atrocious crimes are being committed against women in our Region, the reason instances appear higher in Kurdistan than they do elsewhere in Iraq is because they are actually getting reported in Kurdistan. In other parts of iraq, and the middle East for that matter, many of these crimes remain unreported, and covered up. This is not just my view; it is the view of Steffan Di Mistura, the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Iraq and of many NGO’s and women’s rights organizations operating in the region.

This is no excuse for tolerating this despicable crime; rather it is an opportunity to call on our society to stamp out this crime. It is time to call on our government to continue fulfilling its promises to pursue perpetrators of these heinous crimes. It is a call for our village elders to defend the very women who during Kurdistan’s hardest times defended their villages with valor and honor. It is also a call for women’s groups to put their brightest and best forward and break the barriers that block their way.

Just looking at the many brave and competent Kurdish women I know, it is clear to me that there is no shortage of quality, rather a shortage of opportunity. That must change if we wish to call ourselves a democracy.

Another Step Forward

2009-07-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

I highlight earlier a letter to the editor of The New York Times today regarding a recent article that was in err with regard to the development of the constitution of the Kurdistan Region. General Jay Garner, who I’ve mentioned before and who led Operation Provide Comfort, wrote his response today.

The gist of the letter is clear; however, I think it’s important to reiterate that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has worked for decades to draft a regional constitution—one that is intended to serve as a model for tolerance, civil society and democracy in the Middle East. This document is sanctioned under the Federal Permanent Constitution of Iraq, will be passed by the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region.

Everyone involved has worked to maintain a transparent and open process. While we’ve been formally framing the constitution since 2006, the document itself is based upon an evolving draft that was first conceived in 1974!

In the process, we’ve consulted with all major constituencies in the Kurdistan Region, as well as international experts and democratic governments throughout the world. We’ve studied numerous existing constitutions—including those of Canada, Germany and several U.S. states. Moreover, as an addition step, we intend to print approximately 800,000 copies of the latest draft and distribute them to every household in the Region.

Now it appears that the referendum on the constitution will be delayed until later this year. This gives an opportunity for the authors of the constitution, and other members of Kurdistan’s parliament to follow up on the distribution of the constitution and go around the Region and hold town hall style meetings to discuss in greater detail the contents of the constitution with our public. It will be great to see a thorough public debate on another major milestone of Kurdistan’s.

General Garner's Letter to the Editor

2009-07-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Please read this letter to the editor from General Jay Garner. Its important that he reminds people that Kurdistan having its own constitution is mandated by the federal Iraqi constitution!

Furthermore, his message of needing to resolve the issue of Iraq's disputed internal boundaires before the US withdraws is very so very true.

Profesional Press Emerging in Kurdistan

2009-07-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I met today with Deputy Editor, Lawen Sagerma and several capable reporters, editors and photographers of SOMA Digest, an English-language newspaper based in Sulaimani in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. General John Abizaid and a delegation of former U.S. military leaders joined me. SOMA, along with other media outlets and organizations such as the Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Kurdistan office, are forging a promising path for Kurdistan's emerging press, and were all impressed by the young and dedicated staff we met today.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, there are official party, government and independent news outlets, which have been developing since the uprisings of 1991, and more so since the liberation of Iraq in 2003.

Although we have progress to make, I know the KRG, is working to nurture the development of an independent and professional press in our rapidly emerging democracy. The recently passed press law for the Region provides the legal framework for a truly free, independent and professional press to emerge. Now we must ensure that the institutions of State uphold the rule of law, and journalists uphold high professional journalistic standards.

Check out this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w80ZAS9KMs, of Lawen talking about how her paper appeals to the growing English-speaking community in the Kurdistan Region and her outlook for the future.

Kurdistan's Journey towards Transparency

2009-07-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has governed itself for 17 years—following the establishment of the No Fly Zones in 1992. Of those years, 11 were under various types of local, regional and international sanctions; for 4 years, the Region was embroiled in regrettable civil war; the 6 years following were marked by the governance of 2 relatively dysfunctional administrations—which eventually united into one large and overly-bureaucratic body. So what does this add up to? The answer is simple—the safest, most stable and increasingly prosperous part of Iraq!

Although these numbers don’t seem to make sense—particularly for a region marked by strife, conflict, setbacks and a recent national war—the evidence is all there for the world to see. And today, the KRG took a step to provide greater clarity for the global community and for the people of the Kurdistan Region, so that everyone can be confident in how far the Kurdistan Region has come, what its accomplished, and where it is headed.

Earlier this afternoon, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced the government’s strategy for Good Governance and Transparency—a multi-year project developed with assistance from PricewaterhouseCoopers to introduce best governance practices and transparency and ultimately improving how our government serves its people. Compliant with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, it represents a bold step, one that goes further than any regional government in the world, and even some large democracies.

We’ve made our region safe and secure. We’ve overcome our internal conflicts. We’ve established a system to provide improved services for our citizens. Now we’re moving to guarantee that all of this progress is maintained and built upon—because there is no doubt in our minds that there remains so much more for the Kurdistan Region to accomplish.

The KRG’s Good Governance and Transparency Strategy represents tangible evidence that we are not only aware of our shortcomings, but that we are actually doing something about them! While we work to address these shortcomings, we should not lose sight of how much progress has been made in a remarkably short, yet tumultuous period of itme. Today's step forward gives me hope that the next 17 years has even greater potential.

The Fruits of Sacrifice: Progress in the Kurdistan Region

2009-07-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Today we proudly showed Generals Jay Garner, John Abizaid, and other distinguished, former American military leaders, the progress made in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Seventeen years ago, General Garner and then Colonel Abizaid were deployed to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to deal with an international humanitarian catastrophe.

Iraqi forces, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, brutally suppressed the Kurdish uprising in 1991. Millions of Kurds were forced from their homes and into Kurdistan’s mountainous borders with Turkey and Iran. The vivid images displayed across news networks like CNN forced the international community (United States, UK and France) to act in order to prevent this calamity from spiraling beyond control.

Operation Provide Comfort, established by the UN Security Council Resolution 688, worked to bring the Kurds back down from the mountains and to restore order in Iraqi Kurdistan. Garner and Abizaid led this effort—restoring order and providing essential humanitarian services to the many displaced people. The Kurds were able to return to their homes and begin building the foundations of a fledgling democracy.

Today, the heroes of 1992 returned to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). They witnessed first-hand the remarkable progress—socially, politically and economically. Moreover, after talking with Kurdish leaders like President Barzani and Speaker of the Parliament Adnan Mufti, it was clear to everyone involved that none of the successes that Kurdistan sees today would have been possible without that most noble intervention.

To those heroes, and to the thousands of others who not only protected us during the 1990s—through the no-fly zones—but also led the effort to liberate Iraq from the worst kind of dictatorship, we once again say thank you.

While much progress has been made in KRI, we remain concerned about Iraq as a whole—as were starting to see dangerous trends emerging from certain elements in Baghdad. Such trends include reneging on previously agreed upon principles of power sharing, governing by consensus and adhering to a democratically-ratified constitution.

These trends, combined with a lack agreement on a national revenue sharing formula and proper checks and balance within the Iraqi security services, could easily reverse all that has been gained in Iraq during the past 12 months.

It is therefore imperative that the U.S. remain committed to supporting and building upon the great achievements of the Kurdistan Region, and remain strategically engaged at the federal level to ensure that the many outstanding issues get resolved before a complete U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq.

We are hopeful that visits to the Kurdistan Region, such as we saw today by decorated American heroes, will demonstrate what can be done in Iraq when people of shared values and principles work together to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. Our American friends today saw the fruits of America’s sacrifice in Kurdistan, and they—like us—were very proud.

Statement Regarding June 30 U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Major Iraqi Cities

2009-06-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2009 – The following statement was released by Qubad Talabani, the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government to the United States:

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is deeply grateful to the United States and the U.S. military for their role in liberating Iraq, and partnering with us as we build our federal democracy. Thanks to the sacrifices and valor of U.S. and coalition troops, Iraq has achieved many successes, including the drafting and ratification of a permanent constitution as well as executing several relatively smooth transitions of power following national and provincial elections.

Moreover, on July 25, those living in Iraqi Kurdistan will elect members of a new parliament, another step in our journey toward a full democracy in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

This progress, along with the relative stability throughout much of Iraq, though promising, should not lull international observers into a false sense of security. Recently, deadly bombings within Iraq have increased, just days before the June 30 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq’s urban areas. The KRG remains acutely concerned that the departure of U.S. forces has the potential to create an environment easily exploited by extremists and terrorists who desire to foment violence.

Furthermore, critical issues - essential to the stability of our country—remain unresolved, and the current fragile situation could easily degenerate into violence. These include:

1. Universal adherence to the constitution of Iraq
2. Passage of oil and gas revenue-sharing legislation
3. Resolution of Iraq’s “disputed territories” through implementing article 140 of Iraq’s permanent constitution

We implore the Obama Administration to uphold its commitment to a phased, responsible withdrawal from Iraq. The existing Status of Forces Agreement signed between the U.S. and the Iraqi governments sets a firm date for U.S. troops to leave Iraq; however, It is our hope that the U.S. withdrawal will be no sooner than the resolution of these key political issues within Iraq—establishing a foundation upon which Iraq will be able to successfully secure a peaceful future for the entire region.

Speech at Houston Oil and Gas Summit

2009-06-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Please find below my remarks at an Oil and Gas summit hosted by New Fields in Houston Texas in May. My apologies for putting this up late, but given yesterdays historic developments, (Kurdistan exporting oil for the first time in history) the contents of the speech remain relevant...

Speech as given by Qubad J. Talabany,
May 14, 2009,
New Fields Oil and Gas Summit
Houston, Texas

Good morning distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen I’d like to thank New Fields for having me and bringing me to the Lone Star State. As a Kurd, I am delighted to be in Texas, Kurds and Texans share much in common. President George W. Bush once said, “The Kurds are just like Texans. They’re both very proud, tough fighters and have a strong distrust of the federal government!”

The timing of this conference is near perfect: In less than two weeks, crude oil exports shall commence officially on 1 June 2009 from the Tawke Field in Iraqi Kurdistan, at an initial rate of around 60,000 barrels per day. This will be the first new oil to be exported from Iraq since operation Iraqi Freedom. It is also the first of Kurdistan’s newly discovered oil fields to produce and begin flowing through the pipeline to Turkey -- out on the market while returning dollars to the federal treasury in Iraq.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate DNO, who has a representative in this room, and TTOPCO, for leading the way in the development of Kurdistan’s emerging oil sector and reaching a point where they are ready to export from fields they have been developing.

We are very, very proud of this and other achievements we in the Kurdistan Region have made in regards to both oil and gas exploration and to the developments of new fields.

These 60,000 new barrels per day follows the completion of all the metering instrumentation and the tie-in of the field pipeline with the Iraq-Turkey export pipeline at the border town of Fishkhabur. In addition, during the coming month of June, an additional 40,000 barrels per day of light crude oil shall commence (by trucking) from the Taq-Taq field to the newly installed temporary facilities located in South-West Erbil. From there onwards it will be transported through the existing pipeline networks to the Iraq-Turkey export pipeline.

This will be a temporary measure and will continue until a field pipeline is laid between the Taq-Taq field and the Khurmala Station.

Once the Taq-Taq pipeline is laid and further upgrades are made to the Tawke pipeline, the combined exports from these two fields will reach 250,000 barrels per day, with the average API gravity of around 39 degrees.

This historic achievement, accomplished in record time, is just one of the KRG’s contributions to raising oil production and increasing revenue for the benefit of the whole country.

We wish to acknowledge and thank officials of the North Oil Company in Kirkuk for their technical support during the last year to facilitate the tie-in with the export pipeline. As many in this room know, the KRG has been diligent in working with firms from around the world to create win-win-win situations: oil revenues for the national treasury, equitable distribution of those revenues to all citizens of Iraq and profits for those with the fortitude and vision to come to Iraqi Kurdistan and invest in the future.

Of course, not everyone sees it that way. And that is the frustrating part.

Some have criticized the KRG for leading the way and trying to boost oil production. Some have even gone so far as to criticize our contractual models. I am sure however, that those most vocal in criticizing the KRG for entering into Production Sharing Contracts (PSC’s) with International Oil Companies have a skewed view of what the PSC model is actually all about. Some, we fear, wrongly associate the modern PSC’s with the bad concession agreements of the 1930’s and 40’s. To clarify, under our PSC model, Iraq will not be losing sovereignty or control over any of its resources. The contractor takes all the risk, yet the nation reaps around 90 percent of the profits. Furthermore, the PSC model actually incentivizes the contractor to do the best job possible to optimize oil production and thereby maximizing oil production, rather than the Service Contract whereby it matters not to the contractor whether or not the field is fully optimized, as the contractor will get his fee.

In setting up our PSC’s, we examined PSC’s from over 15 countries: from Algeria to Indonesia; and from Vietnam to the North Sea. We looked at the best practices, and formulated our Regions Oil and Gas law and contracts to minimize conflicts between the contractor and the government. Furthermore, we publicized our draft law for international scrutiny. After guidance and interaction from leaders in the oil and gas industry, we modified our draft law and eventually put it before our Regional Parliament, where after 8 intense sessions of parliament specific to the oil and gas law, the parliament of the Kurdistan Region unanimously passed the Regions oil and gas law.

The tragedy for Iraq right now is that according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), "Iraq holds more than 112 billion barrels of oil - the world's second largest proven reserves. Iraq also contains 110 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and is a focal point for regional and international security issues."

Oil is Iraq’s economy. Yet there has been no serious exploration, or development, in Iraq beyond Kurdistan and certainly no new production.

The untapped potential is mind-boggling: While its proven oil reserves of 112 billion barrels ranks Iraq second in the world behind Saudi Arabia, EIA estimates that up to 90-percent of the county remains unexplored due to years of wars and sanctions. Unexplored regions of Iraq could yield close to an additional 100 billion barrels. Iraq's oil production costs are among the lowest in the world. However, only about 2,000 wells have been drilled in Iraq, compared to several hundred thousand wells in Texas alone.

Hovering over all of that bad news is the shadow of grim internal Iraqi politics. As discussed earlier, the nation has yet to formalize an agreement on a national hydrocarbons and revenue sharing laws, two crucial pieces of legislation that would ignite oil and gas development as well as bring back into Iraq into the 21st century.

As Dr. Bahr-Al-Uloum spoke at length about the Hydrocarbons law, I will focus more on the necessity to pass a revenue sharing law.

We believe that fair and transparent revenue sharing is an absolute necessity to bind all of Iraq’s diverse ethnicities and sects together in a new country.

We have pledged, and demonstrated our promise to share revenues with the rest of Iraq. In fact, we have agreed that revenues gleaned from oil exported from Kurdistan will be returned the national treasury, but we ask that the disbursements of these revenues to the regions and provinces have necessary and transparent oversight to ensure equitable and timely distribution.

We have a diverse land, and a federal Constitution. Yet some in Iraq find it hard to acknowledge that centralized planning has failed us. Why should Iraq, continue pursuing policies of centralization that only generates further inefficiency and corruption, while potentially paving the way for another dictator to emerge with absolute power?

It has been this centralized system that has totally mismanaged the oil sector in Iraq.

Despite years of rebuilding, and investments of billions of dollars, petroleum production continues to decline and fall short of targets. The story of Iraqi petroleum remains one of great promises unfulfilled. The Iraqi oil industry has not even come close to matching its 1980 peak of exporting 3.5 million barrels a day.

Just to look at Iraq today, one would never know that it's an oil giant. Instead, it is a country nearly paralyzed by an energy crisis. Everywhere, drivers sit in endless lines of cars to buy gasoline. Electricity comes and goes. Homes lack fuel for cooking. Refineries operate at less than 30% of capacity. All of this, in a country that is possibly the only one in the world that is capable of flooding the world with cheap oil.

Quite frankly, it is unacceptable. When oil prices reached historical highs last year, Iraq was unable to capitalize. Oil does not do us any good sitting in the ground. There has to be a better way.

Iraq’s leaders must overcome the nostalgic nationalist sentiments of the past, and look to the future. We must incorporate modern practices, new technologies and partner with industry leaders from countries like the United States. We must work to boost production, and disperse revenues gleaned from the sale of Iraq’s oil, equitable, and transparently to all of Iraq’s citizens. That after all, is what Iraq’s Constitution calls for.

The future of Iraq however, will rest on how our Constitution is obeyed.

The Iraqi Constitution is the law of the land. We Kurds respect it and embrace it and follow it. We expect – and perhaps we politely insist – that others in our country respect it, embrace it and follow it. Not just when it is convenient to follow it, but always. In fact, a true test of any democracy is following its Constitution and laws when it is not always so convenient.

The Iraqi Constitution must be the unifying force for our new nation but the document is only as good as the institutions of state that exist to uphold those ideals.

The Constitution, while far from perfect, is the only national compact Iraq has. Our Constitution, like Americas, is full of holes and is open for interpretation. It allows for amendments to be made. But it is still the only law of the land, and it must be respected.

But while Iraq has a Constitution we still lack a shared vision of what Iraq is and how it should be governed. There exist today two fundamentally opposed views about the way forward. 1) Where Iraq will be governed by a strong central authority in Baghdad, 2) Where power is substantially devolved to the regions and provinces as outlined in the Constitution.

Needless to say, the leadership in Kurdistan, the Texans of Iraq, has long supported federalism, as the way forward.

We understand that democracy is an evolutionary process, both in Iraq and elsewhere.

The concepts of democracy, pluralism and devolving power are new for many in our part of the world. Power was wielded against most of us for so long, that we are fearful of letting anyone else have it. We think our best interests are in holding all power, when in reality our strength – and our brilliance – will emerge from a sharing of power with mutual respect and mutual vision. In the end, just as in the United States, our Iraqi Constitution must prevail.
Again, I want to thank you for having me here today.
I want to invite you to Kurdistan, come see the potential for yourselves. Come visit the real green zone It’s actually green as well. The potential for greater cooperation with Iraqi Kurdistan for the benefit of everyone is limited only by the imagination.

Thank you very much and best wishes to you all.

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The Kurdish Lobby

2009-05-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

Much has been written of late in newspapers across Kurdistan about the Kurdish lobby, or lack thereof. Before we start analyzing whether or not one exists, we should take a step back and ask ourselves if we know what one is or not!

We should also stop comparing ourselves to the Jewish lobby or the Armenian Lobby, as these lobbies have been active in the US for well over half a century.

Nowhere does grass roots advocacy affect policy more than in the US. Sure enough, if you get enough people out on to the streets of Europe, you will make a splash in the news, or even generate some sort of temporary intervention, but in the US, effective grass roots advocacy can actually change policy.

But a lobby is not something you can pick off the shelf at Wal-Mart, or buy with enough Franklin notes. No, a lobby requires hard work, dedication and sacrifice.

An effective lobby in the US requires a community that believes in the cause that they are lobbying for. This community needs to be united on the core issues. Moreover, this community needs to be organized; and be ready to dip into their pockets, contribute, donate and spend their hard earned cash on their efforts and advocacy.

It is unfair to say that there has not been any grass roots advocacy in the US, as some Kurdish Americans have said publicly. During the Anfal, and later during the exodus in 91, Kurdish Americans, such as Dr. Najmadin Karim, Hassan Jaff, Asad Khailany, and others (please forgive me if I missed your name!!), through established organizations such as the Kurdish National Congress of North America (KNC) did well to bring to the attention of US policy makers the plight of the Kurds. This was especially difficult at the time as the US had excellent relations with Iraq, and they viewed the Kurds as nothing more than a band of rebels.

But with the advent of the political party representations in the US, and subsequently the establishment of first, two KRG offices in the US, and later in 2006, the unification of the KRG offices, the Iraqi Kurdish interface with the US took on a more formal and structured feel. This, for a variety of reasons has created distance between the work of the Kurdish officials, and a-today-less-active Kurdish Diaspora in the US. This must change, and we must make that change happen.

Furthermore, we must manage our expectations. AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) is powerful because they are enormously wealthy, and very well organized. They are able at any given time, to fly into DC influential members of their organization, from any state, to meet with their representatives on the Hill. Their ability to do this, and fund raise for the a fore mentioned Senators and Congressmen make them formidable lobbyists.

The Armenians are less grand in their strategy, but equally effective. They use effective grass roots lobbying, in strategically targeted communities to let their respective members of congress know their clout when it comes to fund raising, or getting out the votes. What they lack in wealth or size (of community), they make up in spirit, hard work. Their focus on youth driven activities in Universities, Colleges and in placing interns in important congressional offices and think tanks in DC also makes them highly effective.

I regret to say this, but we must be true to ourselves: we neither have the size and wealth of the Jewish lobby, nor do we have the exceptional dedication or organization of the Armenian lobby; but as a good friend once told me, there are two times to plant a tree: 25 years ago, and today!

So today, we must plant the seeds to generating a grass roots advocacy campaign in the US that will compliment the work of the KRG office in DC. This will require the youth to lead the way, as it is the youth who are in colleges and universities. It is the youth who speak today's “lingo”, who can effectively use the multitudes of social networking internet sites to gather momentum and can start working at a grass roots level in their communities. They can even even get involved in politics, whether in their universities or later in their city councils, and why stop there?

But in order to be effective, we must overcome the resentment that some in the Diaspora have towards the political leadership in Kurdistan. There will be other platforms and avenues to put pressure on Kurdistan to change, modernize and reform, and in no way do I advise people from refraining to demand reform in Kurdistan. Armenian Americans are not entirely happy with the slow pace of political and civil society reform in Armenia, and they frequently let their government know their thoughts, but when it comes to defending their nation’s interests, they stand by the soil and flag of their country. When it comes to preserving Kurdistan, and strengthening her alliance with the US, we must also put forward a united front. We must put Kurdistan first.
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If anyone is interested in helping lay the foundations of a Kurdish American lobby in the United States, please contact me on qubad.talabany@krg.org

Here goes!

2009-04-12T21:35:00.001-07:00

Well, after much fretting, I have decided to enter the world of blogging!

I don't expect to be prolific, nor will I use this site to attack people with differing opinions to mine. I may however, occasionally use profane language (sorry kids), and may also occasionally rant. I do promise though, to be honest, both with myself, and with you.

I will start by saying that what I intend on publishing, may not reflect the views of my government (the KRG), my political party (the PUK) or any members of my family!

Watch this space.....but don't hold your breath.