MKO’s access to the Qandil Mountains

Kurdishaspect.com – By Baqi Barzani

According to Iranian media sources, the White House had in a message called on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to allow the elements of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) access to the Qandil Mountains in return for an end to Turkish army attacks on PKK strongholds.

Although many officials in Baghdad and South Kurdistan, including spokesman of Pishmarga Ministry, Jabbar Yavar, Iraq-Governor of Arbil, Nozad Hadi, rebuffed the reports, dubbing it fabrication, one can not recant the US dynamic cooperation with the Iranian Oppositions in Iraq, especially after 2003, including the MKO.

Following the surrender of 7, 000 members of the group to the US Special Forces in 2003, the US intelligence community heavily relied on military, intelligence and logistic support of the group to confront Iranian terrorist activities inside Iraqi territory, and map out any plausible future attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Despite listing the group in FTC (Foreign Terrorist Organization), the group was never meant to be undermined or dismantled in any form.

Over 2,000 pieces of military equipment were seized from MKO by the US forces in Iraq. Some supporters of MKO were recruited as Farsi linguists in Camp Ashraf. Both the US and Iranian intelligence apparatus were closely monitoring the activities of the group. Iran attempted hard to put pressure on the Shiite-led Iraqi government through its proxies and agents to terrorize its members and expel them out of Iraq. Some of the group adherents did not brook the situation in Camp Ashraf in Baghdad, defected and returned to Iran, passing huge amount of highly-classified information to the regime.

"With respect to Iran, there is a clear opportunity for the Iranians” to demonstrate some willingness to engage meaningfully with the international community," Hillary Clinton said in her first remarks since becoming the US Secretary of State.

In 2008 the Bush administration meted out some $400 million for covert operations against Iran, a significant portion of it was diverted to the MKO. The EU has lifted ban on MKO in January, and lately an appeals court in the US ruled that the State Department should review the designation of the group, a vivid indication that the group is being prepared for some special assignments in Iran.

The organization is an Iranian opposition group having emerged in 1960s to oppose the Shah of Iran, capitalism, and western imperialism and later fighting the ideology of the Islamic revolution, which does concern us as Kurds as much. However, the role that MKO played and the horrendous crimes it committed against Kurdish citizens of South Kurdistan, especially their collaboration with Saddam in massacres and genocides, hold us ethically liable to disallow them any access to our Kurdish mountains.

What MKO did, it even outstripped shah’s SAVAK (National Intelligence and Security Organization) in terms of its persecution of its opponents.

Kurdish Regional Government should press charges on moral grounds against MKO for joining Saddam's army during the Iraqi-Iran war (1980-1988) and helping the dictator in suppressing Kurdish 1991 uprisings and massacre of Iraqi Kurds.

MKO is responsible for numerous acts of terror, violence, assassination attempts against Kurdish civilians and government officials in South Kurdistan.

MKO and its affiliates owe the Kurdish nation on official apology.

47 journalists are in prison in journalists’ day

Sunday, July 25 2010

Kurdish Info - 24 July is a holiday for journalists in Turkey since censorship was abolished 102 years ago today. Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD) asked PM of Turkey that if he knows about 47 journalist who are in prison for writing against government and 700 journalists as well who are currently being tried due to the same ‘crime’. On the other hand, celebration of the Journalists’ Day generally seems tarnished since no freedom of expression in Turkey, said head of ÇGD.

Human Right activist Rıdvan Kızgın dies

Sunday, July 25 2010

Rıdvan Kızgın, as known undounted activist for human rights, lost his life because of long cancer. He had being treated in the hospital in Diyarbakir since last year. He was chair of Human Rights Asociation Bingöl Branch for years. There are 107 investigations, 67 lawsuits and prison sentences for 5 years for Kızgın. He was also father of DIHA reporter Rojda Kızgın. Kızgın’s funeral was held in Diyarbakı by participation of thousands of loving including mayor of Diyarbakır and various NGOs, trade unions, journalists, party leaders and members as well.

In Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Batman, families of disappeared devoted their 76th meeting to Rıdvan Kızgın and Erkan Gumuştaş, who set on fire himself in prison a couple days ago and died last night.

A Kurdish little boy gained Gold Medal in Gymnastic

Saturday, 24 July 2010

SAQEZ,-Eastern Kurdistan, -- A Kurdish boy secured the first place in gymnastics competition in Iran. Kejwan Golami, 8 years old, in gymnastics competition in Iran could win a gold medal and sit in the first place.

Golami from Saqez in Eastern Kurdistan participated in a race which was between 30 counties in Iran and amongst 60 competitors; he was the first and wore the Gold Medal.

In spite of the fact that the Kurdish regions in Iran are the most deprived areas in the country, the Kurd do always acquire the best places in competitions.

‌4 Kurds taken to an unknown prison in Iran

Saturday, 24 July 2010

SALMAS, Eastern Kurdistan, -- The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have arrested 4 Kurds and calumny accused them of murdering Khoy’s Judge.

Bashir Chwartaq from a village in the city of Salmas in Eastern Kurdistan, Akhani, Kamil Shahloee and Akbar Shahloee, who are also from Salmas, were arrested 7 month ago charged with working with a Kurdish Political party and of killing Wali Haci Qolizadeh.

Regardless of the hard attempt of the families of these four people for the last 7 months of their arrest, there is not any information either about their place or about their situation. However there is a strong possibility of keeping them under cruel and spiteful torture.

Wali Haci Qolizadeh was the Judge of Khoy, a city in Eastern Kurdistan, who was murdered in front of his house on Nov 2009. Just after his murdering HRK took responsibility for the killing and announced that they killed Qolizadeh because of his decision for the execution of Fasih Yasemani, Kurdish political activist hanged on 6 January 2010 in Khoy prison.

Blatant violation of human rights in Iran

Saturday, 24 July 2010

Iran -- Human Right Organisations have recently announced that Iranian regime has violated human right since July by the minimum of 2359 just in less than a month.

Each year the Iranian Authorities have violated human rights of various groups such as national, workers, students, religion except Shia’h (a branch or group of Islam and official religion in Iran), prisoners, teachers, women, journalists and children with different excuses.

The report demonstrates that since this month (July) Iranian regime has violated the human rights of more than 182 workers, 324 students, and 121 political and social activists, issuing 29 executions which done by Iranian courts, 44 the worst torturing of prisoners. Furthermore, at least 9 times shooting civil which many times cost the people’s live, 178 times imprisonments and ignorance of minorities, 92 times imprisonments of religious people, 20 executions which one was in public, cutting 6 prisoners’ hands for stealing have been mentioned in the report.

In addition hundreds of people have been arrested and more than 4 Baluch were injured after an explosion which was happened in Zahidan a city in Baluchistan, 32 teachers have fired in Bahashti university of Tehran, 4 were exiled by Iranian authorities and Basij raped a girl in Tabriz.

The human right organisations declared that the report has just illustrated a few parts of the violation of human rights in Iran at this month.

Urmieh Lake will dry up soon

Saturday, 24 July 2010

URMIEA, - EASTERN KURDISTAN, -- Urmiea Lake in Eastern Kurdistan is in danger of being dried up. Michel Mouser, one of the top members of the international green savers, proclaimed that the current ecological condition of Urmiea Lake is at risk and if that continuous, this Lake will dry up soon.

According to Mihr agency, one of the official Iranian news agencies, the ecological situation of Urmiea Lake is in hazard.

Mouser as well criticised the Iranian authorities for ignoring the natural life in the west of Iran which is the Kurdistan part, asked them to sort out this matter immediately otherwise, in a short time we will lose this Lake.

Iran requests Iraq to fight PJAK

Saturday, 24 July 2010

TEHRAN, Iran – Hussein Zolfoqari, the leader of Iranian army, has stated that PJAK’s guerrillas are the biggest issue for Iranian Authorities who are in the artificial borders of south of Kurdistan.

Hussein Zolfeqari continued and alleged: “if Iraqi government have any requests from us, they must first solve the problems we face from their border.” He also announced that there are many PJAK guerrillas’ in both East and South of Kurdistan.

He stated: “due to the reason that Kurdistan region, in the north of Iraq, is not under control of Iraqi government PJAK’s guerrillas are settled there.”

Zolfaqari mentioned that Iran does not have any difficulties in north of Kurdistan since both Iran and Turkey have co-operated well against the Kurds especially the guerrillas.

The Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) was founded in 2004 as the result of the systematic and continuous oppression of the Kurdish nation by the Iranian government. PJAK upholds the libertarian ideology of Apoism which advocates an ecological-democratic society with gender equality. PJAK’s main goal is to democratise Iranian system and to create a democratic con-federation for the long- oppressed Kurds.

Its initial objective is to limit and change the authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to democratise it in four fundamental areas; the nation, society, citizenship and to evolve the state into a self-governing institution able to deliver public services and to maintain public security.

For the past 6 years PJAK has been the most influential organisation of the Kurdish population in the Eastern Kurdistan and has the strongest popular support in this part of the Kurdistan. Three particular dynamics forces namely women, students and the youths have been increasingly joining PJAK with the aims of transforming their society. Women constitute more than 48% PJAK’s membership from the bottom to the leadership of the organisation.

Amputation of 5 people’s hands

Saturday, 24 July 2010

HEMEDAN, Eastern Kurdistan – According to Elena website, an official website of Islamic Republic of Iran, hands of five prisoners were amputated by the Iranian Authorities in Hemedan’s prison, under the charge of stealing. The Islamic punishment for the act of stealing is hand amputation.

The Iranian regime utilizes its power to suppress and silence the people who oppose with their policies. This vicious regime always tries to threaten people by using the most lethal classic ways such as amputating human’s bodies, stoning to death, hanging and giving long sentences instead of eliminating the economics, political and social problems.

In conjunction to these inhuman policies few months ago Human Right Organisation has announced that these punishments are against all international human right.

Turkey Prosecutes War and Peace!

By Qassim Khidhir

The Kurdish Globe

Message of peace goes undelivered

The Turkish government's refusal to respond to peaceful discourse with the PKK Peace Group sends them home early with nothing to show for their efforts.

The PKK Peace Group left Turkey and returned to Iraq. "The peace process was sabotaged by the Turkish state," said the group upon their arrival to Iraqi Kurdistan Region. As they arrived at the Makhmur Refugee Camp, the group held a press conference in front of the UN office there. The group noted that due to prosecutions and pressure from the Turkish state, circumstances were no longer suitable for them to stay in Turkey. "Our initiative for peace was not responded to by the Turkish side," said the group's spokesperson, Gülbahar Cicek. PKK members who came from Qandil Mountains (a PKK stronghold) stated that they will not go back to the mountains to fight the Turkish army, but they will stay in Makhmur where they will continue their endeavours for peace.

"Erdoğan [the Turkish Prime Minister] has changed his attitude, which was moderate at the beginning. But he later tried to manipulate our return to Turkey and launch it as surrender," said Cicek. She added that another peace group was supposed to come from Europe, but due to the approach of the Turkish government, the plan was suspended.

The group mentioned that although they sent letters to the Turkish President, the head of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Chief of General Staff in order to explain the reasons for their return to Turkey, they received no response. They further stated that one of their aims was to reach Turkish people and deliver their peace message, but due to the atmosphere created by Turkish authorities their attempts failed and remain limited to within the Kurdish region.

In October 2009, eight members of the PKK, and 26 refugees including four children from the Makhmur Camp returned to Turkey as a response to a call from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The aim of sending exiles back to Turkey was to show sincerity on the part of the PKK in solving the Kurdish conflict in Turkey; it was also a test for the Turkish state to show whether they really have a new approach to the problem as they promised.

Although the decision by authorities not to prosecute the peace group-as happened to other peace groups in 1999--was seen as a gesture of reconciliation by the Kurdish side, the government's approach hardened toward the PKK and Kurds. Police used excessive and disproportionate violence against Kurdish demonstrators, and hundreds of Kurdish children were arrested, sent to prison, and charged with terrorist crimes merely for throwing stones at police. The group members are also charged with disseminating propaganda for PKK, and if found guilty they face up to 20 years in prison.

The leader of the PKK told the BBC it is willing to disarm in return for greater political and cultural rights for Turkey's Kurds. Murat Karayilan said he would order his fighters to lay down their weapons, under the supervision of the UN, if Turkey agreed to a ceasefire and met certain conditions. His demands included an end to attacks on Kurdish civilians and arrests of Kurdish politicians in eastern Turkey. "If the Kurdish issue is resolved in a democratic way through dialogue, we will lay down our weapons, yes. We will not carry arms," he said. But his offer of peace was accompanied by a threat. "If the Turkish government refuses to accept that, we will have to announce independence."

Court settles legal question of Kosovo independence, but not the political issue

KurdishMedia.com24/07/2010

CSMonitor - By the Monitor’ s Editorial Board / July 22, 2010

The International Court of Justice in The Hague upheld Kosovo’s declaration of independence. That will likely embolden separatist movements around the world. But after independence, then what? Recognition is a political, not a legal matter.

A ruling Thursday by the International Court of Justice upholding independence for tiny Kosovo in southeast Europe may well inspire separatist movements around the world.

Twirl a globe, and your head will spin at the number of groups that crave independence. Although the ruling is nonbinding, it is bound to give legal encouragement to Chechens, Kurds, Basques, Tibetans, and a host of other peoples from Africa to Asia seeking to break out on their own.

By virtue of that, the ruling by the United Nations court in The Hague is bound to cause great consternation and possibly conflict within countries trying to preserve their territorial integrity and sovereignty in the face of resistant populations.

Those countries include international heavyweights such as China and Russia, smaller democracies such as Spain, Greece, and Romania, and regions like the Middle East, where many of the Kurds who live in multiple countries want to form a single “Kurdistan.”

The International Court found that because there is no international law preventing declarations of independence, Kosovo’s formal declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 “did not violate general international law.”

But declaring independence and gaining recognition from the global community are two different things.

In wake of the court’s opinion, a pronouncement of independence might now have legal footing, but turning such a declaration into statehood is very much a political matter.

Will a newcomer to the global stage attract widespread recognition? How about foreign investment or loans from world financial institutions? Might it have the standing to join international treaties?

The answers to those questions should be “yes” in the case of Kosovo. This Balkans backwater, populated almost entirely by ethnic Albanians and once a part of the communist-era Yugoslavia, was pushed to declare independence two years ago by a history of violent suppression by Belgrade – seat of the Yugoslav, and later Serbia-only, governments.

As a result of “ethnic cleansing” directed by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosovic, a Serb, Kosovo became a target of atrocities and fighting that finally caught the serious attention of the international community in 1998.

In March 1999, NATO began a bombing campaign that forced Yugoslav troops to retreat from Kosovo and halted a mass exodus of frightened Albanians. NATO took over security for the impoverished region.

UN attempts at a final settlement reached a stalemate. Serbs refused to give up Kosovo, which was the cradle of their civilization and home to a Serb minority in the north. And Kosovo Albanians refused anything less than independence.

The stalemate prevented Kosovo’s economic and political development, and after it finally went solo, Kosovo was recognized by 69 countries, including the United States and most countries in the European Union. Kosovo needs recognition by 100 countries to gain full statehood. Since Thursday’s ruling, the US has rightly urged other nations to now fall in line.

Ideally, people need to learn to live together, whether they come from different ethnicities, races, religions, or politics. Even with Kosovo’s independence bolstered, Albanians and Serbs would be much better off economically and politically if they found a way to heal their wounds.

But this is a slow process, and a political one. The International Court may have set a legal precedent today for those who want to declare independence. But after the declaring is over, there remains the politics of building a state, and learning to live with your neighbor and the global community at large.