Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Kurds to have national anthem
Politics
In the ongoing row over Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan, raising the Kurdish flag instead of the Iraqi one, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has now said that a national anthem for the region will be introduced. Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki ordered Iraqi flags to be raised across the country and told the Kurds to fly the Iraqi flag until a symbol that everyone in Iraq could agree on was designed. Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish President of Iraq, supported Barzani's decision but asked him to wait for the new design.
COMMENT: This latest action comes at a time when Barzani is threatening with independence for Kurdistan. This will not only cause further friction between the Kurds and Sunni and Shia Arabs, but also minorities such as the Turkomen. The Kurds have fought for independence for decades, they will not give up now. If Kurdistan gets independence, the Shias are likely to push harder for a federal state in the south with increased fighting between Shia factions for supremacy. In addition, the Sunni Arabs will react badly as they will stand to lose revenue from the oil-rich north and south. Politically, it could be detremental with the different ethnic and religious groups falling out just as they are approaching a delicate balance. Talabani will be put in a particularly difficult position as he is Kurdish but also the Iraqi President. COMMENT ENDS.
