Kurdish nationalists ate now once more locked in conflict with the Government of Irag, after the collapse of a four-year-old armed -truce between the two sides.
The 2% million Kurds, who make up a quarter of the population of Iraq, have been engaged in an independence struggle for decades. But in March 1970 they agreed to end hostilities after a tirm promise from the Iraqi Government that Cheir national rights would be recognised 'within the framework of the Iraq Republic'.
It was oot long, however, hefore the Jobev dansate SaOO a end, The extent of Kurdish sovercign ty was to be decided under the terms of the aTemMA MEuns O dO C 458305. Soon Kurdish leader General Barzani was STAKnE TuC tamtamncaeta barisuue ol 'attempting to infhucnee this by promoting an "Arabisation" propratinc in the (mainly Kurdish) Kirkuk region, which contains some of lrag's most important OITICIOS AUTONOMY DECREE On 11 March this yeat, Lhe Lraqi Goveroment-an albance of the Ba'uth Party and the fragi Communist Party -Issued ait autonomy decres, which the Kurdish nationalists were given fiftoen Lay's to accept.
This doctee falls far short of Kurdish demands. Altbough it finally introduces ETE BOEMBC OPAEHAMUZISOI EL WEL tho Kurds a cerlain amount of administrat ive and legislative autonomy, it leance all Barzani-leads Kurds in armed revolt nal decision-making powers in the hands of the Baphdad GoverrmnenL Thus it is the prorogative of the latter to sipolt the leader of the autonamous Kurdish Gorernment, and lo dismise Jum as well Moreover, the central Govern.ment innists on maintanie exchny conlro. ol -KUTISESES AHERHS Barzani's response wus rightly to TEELT ULIE ABIT DEUP08s. SOPTITIR veaiCnEsTUaKu! antd to suninton his followees to neins. the military repression of the Kands in the namo of 'anti-imperialist narional unity", and so strengtbons the bold of Tragi masses. Indood, by hitchang itself to the bandwapon of the Hanth, the CP is only paving the way lor its own datruction (chis ts procisely the pattern of whut happened in Sudan in 1971, or Indeed what happened in trag Itself after the fall of Kasem in 1963).
To counter this anholy alliance, the Kurdish nationalists aru mistakenly w'ooing the Cailed Sistes H9sygau has chen gone so far as to promise the Americans oil pozcould be channelled through Iran).
SELF-DETERMINATION Justiflestion for romaining new tral in this corllict What is st stake is te riuit ol the appressed Kurdish people to selt determination, and defenec of the old Marxist idea that 'a nation which op presses another can never insetf be free'.
the small but important fonces of chu Arab Left. In Oetober 1969, de Popular Domocratic Front Foc tho Liberation of Palestine (PDFLP) doclared its support lor tbe Kurdish Uberation mosemcor, and recognised it us a distinet component of the revolutionary niovoment in the Arab Tast Since those heady days tho PDFLP has undergonc a marked opportunist degenerarion, even going so fur as to issuc a joint statcmont with the Lragi Beath! Hut by lighting against the stroam, by SyriL IRAQI KURDISH PEOPLE! ALAN ADLER
cessions in cschange for milicary ald (which Nevertboliss, this carmot be usod as a Tus wil be a particularls vital lost for NAME (British section of the Fourth International!
97 Caledonian Rd., London N.1.
7 would like more information about the IMG and its activities fixed on 7 May 1974, the anniversary of the imprisanment of Major General Grigorenko ( who has been incarcerates in a mental hospital since 1969]. On that day we wauld urge a worki-wide initiative of protests, meetings and petitions in solidarity with Major General Grigorenko and ail the orher victims of politically motivatod incarceration in mental hospitals and prisons.
*On the second day, 27 Novemher 1974, which is the aniversary ol the arrest of (Czech dissidents] Sabotu and Muller, and on the third day, 29 March 1975, which is the anniversary of the Imprisonment of [Soviet dissident] Vladimir Bukowsky, we propose similar en-deavours.
The appeal is signed by Pavel Litrinc (on behalf of the Soviet Initiative Group for Human Rights); Ken Coares und Chris Farley (on behalf of the Bertrand Rusel Peace Foundation): Jiri Petikan (for the colective of Listy, the journal of the Crechuslovakian Socialist Oppositioni; and Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharuv.
The IMG will be taking part in the activity on Grigorenko Day, and in the evening will be sponsoring a public meeting in the Smalt Hall ot Conway Hall, in Red Lion Square, Hed Weekly 19 Apeil 1974 Page 7