The British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, presented an oral report to the Commons this week on the fight in Syria and Iraq against Daesh, "a movement dedicated to medieval, obscurantist barbarism." He gave a very good account of British strategy but the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga was not initially specifically cited.
Jack Lopresti MP, the Chairman of the APPG on the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, who was wearing his Kurdistan flag badge, rectified this with the following question: "[Hunt] knows well that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the valiant Peshmerga were essential allies in defeating Daesh on the battlefield. We all appreciate that the ideology of Daesh has not yet been defeated. Given the Kurdistan Regional Government’s vital and positive role in challenging continuing extremist ideologies and upholding security in the region, will he increase his efforts to strengthen the KRG in Iraq and help them achieve a full and fair political settlement with Baghdad?"
Hunt replied that the UK is currently helping to train the Peshmerga and that Alistair Burt, the Minister for the Middle East was in Baghdad and Erbil just two weeks ago where he met President Salih and Prime Minister Mahdi to talk about that important reconciliation and inclusion of the Kurds in the reconciliation process. I'd add that Burt also met Kurdistani political leaders in Erbil.
Another Conservative MP, Philip Hollobone, took a wider historical perspective on the Kurdish question: "...British Foreign Secretary, [Hunt] is an international statesman. One hundred years ago, his predecessor was drawing the borders of all the countries we are talking about in this discussion this afternoon. In the treaty of Versailles 100 years ago, the Kurdish people were in effect ignored by the western powers. One hundred years on, after their valiant efforts against Daesh, will [Hunt] assure the House that we will not abandon the Kurds again and that we will help them to achieve if not independence, at least autonomy in Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran?
The Foreign Secretary replied that this was "worthy of serious reflection. The truth is that we have seen what important allies the Kurds have been in this battle against Daesh. Were we to let them down now, it would send a terrible signal about our commitment to our allies for any future conflict in which we might be engaged. With respect to reflecting on what my predecessors did 100 years ago, it tells any Foreign Secretary that they do need to approach the job with a degree of humility."
After all, Hunt made valuable points about the continuing danger of Daesh and the need for measures to prevent its re-emergence. He said that Daesh has now been driven back to an isolated enclave in eastern Syria but MPs should not mistake territorial defeat for final defeat as its operatives are turning to guerrilla tactics and forming more conventional terrorist networks. Hunt concluded that the coalition should press on with the military campaign, even as we employ every diplomatic and humanitarian lever to address the conditions that led to the birth of Daesh in the first place.
Hunt praised Nadia Morad and the cause of the Yezidis. Labour's former shadow Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn, also asked about the potential for the United Nations to agree an international tribunal where cases concerning the genocide against the Yezidis may ultimately be brought, so that the individuals who murdered people in cold blood and raped and tortured them can finally face the justice that they deserve.
Hunt agreed that unless we are able to demonstrate justice for these atrocities, we will not persuade people that as a world, we have sat up and taken notice of what has happened. He said the UK strongly supports the UN's work but admitted that finding evidence that can be traced back to an individual perpetrator is extremely challenging, but that does not mean that we should leave any stone unturned in this process. The KRG, I would add, is urging assistance to collect and preserve evidence and an international tribunal and that effort deserves help.
Saluting the bravery of the Peshmerga is not only a matter of gratitude, though their sacrifice needs to be saluted, but also because they remain vital partners in the continuing struggle against Daesh ideology, and to stabilise Iraq. My fear is that if they are not always on the map they can more easily move out of sight and out of mind.
The brief debate, which covered much ground and not just the position of the Kurds to be fair, is a reminder that visible understanding of and solidarity with the KRG and the Peshmerga continues to matter as the UK and others work to help defeat Daesh in cyberspace and ideologically.
The KRG should always be seen as a major partner in this struggle against fascism and Kurdistani concerns and interests are highly relevant. One of the reasons for the rise of Daesh was that it secured support in Sunni communities that felt more alienated from Baghdad than Daesh. Reconciliation in Iraq, including the full implementation of the federal constitution plus decentralised governance and economic reconstruction in Mosul, are not only important for Kurdistani rights but for Sunnis too. A strong Kurdistan can also provide a better base for companies commuting from Erbil and Duhok to help rebuild Mosul.
I'd also add that Kurdistan's commendable secularism, religious moderation and tolerance, support for ethnic minorities, and advancing women's rights all provide a beacon of decency in the Middle East.
The Secretary-General of the Peshmerga recently said, in an interview in the Iraq Oil Report, that the Peshmerga and Iraqi Army have set up separate defence lines with a 5 kilometre no-man’s land, which Daesh can exploit along a 700 km line from Khanaqin to Sinjar. However, talks about coordination and cooperation between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army in the disputed territories of Diyala, Saladin, Kirkuk, Makhmour, and east and west of Mosul seem to be progressing well.
Kurdistan is, therefore, a vital part of the political, economic, and security equation and needs to be included in debates and analysis of the globally important struggle against Daesh and its poisonous ideology.
Gary Kent is the Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). He writes this column for Rudaw in a personal capacity. The address for the all-party group is appgkurdistan@gmail.com.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.