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THE fifth estate: The Forgotten People
Story Update> Printer Version

BroadcastMarch 26, 2003

STORY UPDATE

The Kurds call their soldiers the Peshmergas - "those who embrace death". For them, the war with Iraq was just the latest battle in a decades long war they have waged against Saddam Hussein.

But this time they didn't fight alone. They had the support of the U.S. Special forces.

The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction are no longer a threat. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been captured. Yet there are still many things at stake along the northern front of Iraq.

The Kurds ultimate objective is to reclaim their homeland that Saddam took from them and to avenge the tens of thousands of Kurds he slaughtered over fifteen years ago. (see the attack on Halabja)

The Kurds's dream of reoccupying their historical capital, the city of Kirkuk, which is surrounded by Iraqi oil fields, has finally been realized. Kurdish Peshmergas and U.S. special forces moved into the strategic oil hub of Kirkuk on April 10, 2003.

Neighbouring Turkey has threatened to send its troops into Iraq if the Kurds declare an independent state. They fear a backlash from the Kurds living within their own borders.

The Kurds have threatened a border war with Turkey if the Turkish troops enter northern Iraq.

Sorting out which turf belongs to whom will be a major undertaking in northern Iraq. For now, the Kurds have five members on Iraq's governing council and remain part of Iraq.

In October 2003, the U.S. administration asked Turkey to supply some peacekeeping troops for Iraq and Turkey offered to send in 10,000. The new Iraqi governing council vetoed the idea fearing a war in the north. Both the U.S. and Turkey abandonned the plan. (Read Kurd Sell-Out Watch from Slate)

Kurdish controlled areas of Iraq have been a target for suicide bombers. In February 2004, a state of emergency was declared after two suicide bombings killed at least 56 people and injured as many as 235. It was the deadliest attack inside Iraq for months.

Shortly afterwards the U.S. asked the Kurds to disband the peshmerga saying there was 'no place in an independent, stable Iraq for armed forces that are not under the control of the command structure of the central government.' (CBC.ca: Suicide bombers kill 56 Iraqi Kurds)

So far the Kurds have refused to do so. (Read Kurd Sell-Out Watch from Slate)

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CBC: the fifth estate - The Forgotten People
Broadcast March 26, 2003 on CBC News: the fifth estate
UPDATED in February 2004

The Chemical Attack at Halabja - The U.S. Iraq Alliance
One Man's Battle to Stop Iraq
Transcripts & Resources