Iran. Following the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi
Kurds and Shi’ites again tried unsuccessfully to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
Saddam’s military and his minority Baath
Party brutalized the Kurds and Shi’ites for
their rebellion.
In 1990-91, Saddam’s air force gassed
entire Kurdish villages, indiscriminately
killing men, women and children. Consequently, the United States, Turkey, France
and the United Kingdom established two
no-fly zones in 1991, one protecting the
Kurds in the north and the other protecting the Shi’ites in the south from Saddam’s
air force.
With the protection of the no-fly zone,
Iraq’s Kurds have achieved quasi-independent status from Iraq’s government
in Baghdad. Although this status falls far
short of total independence, the Kurds see
the possibility of full autonomy in the future. They have increasingly functioned
independently of the central government
in Baghdad, assumed greater roles in
Neal G.
Lineback
KURDS OF IRAQ
e
Riv
three major cities and is the center of
Iraq’s major northern oil fields. Much of
the Kurdish population was driven out by
Saddam in the 1980, but many returned
since 1991 to reclaim their property. While
Arbil (2.3 million) and Mosul (1.0 million)
are mostly populated by Kurds, Kirkūk
contains numerous Sunnis and Shi’ites.
It is becoming increasingly clear to
the U.S. administration and military that
the division of Iraq into three parts may
become a U.S. exit strategy. These three
parts—the Kurdish North, Sunni Center
and Shi’ite South—could simply become
Of the three major cultural groups in
autonomous regions under a larger Iraqi
Iraq, only the Kurds have lived in relative
umbrella. However, Iraq’s central governpeace since the U.S. invasion. Compared
ment has failed to govern in the daily civil
to the strive tearing apart the Sunni and
violence that embroils Baghdad and its
Shi’ite populations, the Kurds have been
environs, making balkanization, or devoinsulated from the daily bombings, kidlution, of the country into three separate
nappings, assassinations and gunfights afindependent entities a greater possibility.
fecting the rest of the country.
Devolution, should it occur, likely will
Much has been written about the Kurds,
carry with it extreme population shifts,
who occupy considerable portions of Iraq,
open warfare between the cultures and
Iran, Syria, Turkey and Armenia,
continued regional conflict for
Iraq: A Country of Division
and a small part of Azerbaijan.
many years to come. DevoluMore than half live in Turkey, 25
tion always is accompanied by
T U RKE Y
Supergiant Oil
percent in Iran and 17 percent in
the mass exoduses of minorities
Fields
Iraq. These countries have had
from newly established territoOil field of 5 billion
Mosul
barrels of oil in reserve
difficulty assimilating the Kurdries, with horrendous economic
ish culture, which has often led
and personal results.
Kirkuk
©2006
to open conflict between the difIn the event of a breakup,
S Y RIA
fering cultures. At the moment,
however,
the Kurds should be
Tikrit
however, Iraq’s Kurds are conreasonably insulated. With its
Samarra
I RA N
tent to stand on the sidelines in
fairly uniform cultural compoBaqubah
the Iraqi conflict.
sition, its police, military and
Baghdad
Fallujah
The Kurds have sought a selfgovernmental infrastructures
Tigri
governed homeland for their
in place and its recent history of
s
Hillah
IRAQ
culture for more than 80 years,
semi-autonomy and democracy,
r
often warring with the countries
the Kurdish North may be the
Eu
phr
ates R
where they live. Turkey and
best prepared of the three Iraqi
Major Ethnicities
iver
of Iraq
Iraq are particular cases where
regions to self-govern.
Basra
Sparsely Populated
Kurdish rebels have used brutal
Turkey may strongly opPredominately Sunni
tactics to unsuccessfully achieve
pose the independence of Iraq’s
Predominately Kurd
their desired ends.
Kurdistan, however, because it
KUWA I T
Predominately Shi'ite
SA UDI
In the case of Turkey, Kurdwill encourage Turkey’s Kurds
A RA BI A
Mixed Cultures
ish rebel leader Abdullah Ocaalso to seek independence,
C. Knoll
Source: TIME 11/13/2006
Geography in the News 11/24/2006
lan led a terrorist operation
adding to long-term regional
involved in the deaths of an esconflict. Northern Iraq’s oil retimated 37,000 people over a 15sources will be envied by the
Sources: GITN 671, “Turkey’s Kurdish Problem,” April 11, 2003;
year period. The media called
Sunnis because most of Iraq’s
Joe Klein, “What Baker Should Tell Bush,” Time, Nov. 13, 2006.
him bebek’ katili or baby killer,
oil is located in the north and
because of his tactics against the
south of the country—not in
government that often killed innocent bytheir own security and assisted the United
Sunni territory.
standers. His reign of terror ended in 1999
States and the United Kingdom in internal
This outcome of the current Iraqi conflict
with his capture in Nairobi, Kenya. Turkintelligence matters.
has long been predicted by knowledgeable
ish Kurds, however, some living across the
Consequently, Northern Iraq’s Kurds
Iraq watchers, who best understand the
border in Iraq, continue to harass the Turkhave evaded much of the recent strife that
cultural and ethnic chasms that prevail in
ish government using terrorist techniques.
has embroiled the Sunnis and Shi’ites.
that part of the world.
Beginning in the 1960s, Iraqi Kurds
However, there are still occasional assasAnd that is Geography in the News™. Demade several major efforts to obtain insinations and bombings around Kirkūk
cember 1, 2006. #861.
dependence or at least autonomy for their
(ker-KOOK). Compared with daily life in
(The author is a Professor Emeritus of
territory. Their efforts failed in 1975 and
Baghdad, life in northern Iraq is almost
Geography at Appalachian State University,
again in 1988 as the Kurds became pawns
peaceful.
Boone, NC. University News Director Jane
in the regional conflict between Iraq and
Kirkūk (400,000) is one of the North’s
Nicholson serves as technical editor.)
Geography
In The
News™
©2006 Maps.com