Washington, September 6 — Declassified US State Department documents have shed light on the complex relationship between the US and the Iraqi Kurdish movement from 1962 to 1975, revealing a history of requests for support, secret cooperation, and eventual termination of aid. The documents, released through the Office of Historical Records of Foreign Relations, include correspondence, diplomatic reports, internal memos, and confidential files, providing a detailed account of the interactions between US officials and Kurdish representatives.
The first recorded contact between the US and the Iraqi Kurdish movement occurred on June 20, 1962, when Kamran Badr Khan and Jamal Abdullah, identifying as representatives of Mullah Mustafa Barzani, met with US State Department officials to request political and humanitarian support.
The Kurdish representatives asked Washington to raise the Kurdish issue at the United Nations, provide moral and humanitarian support to Kurds affected by Iraqi army attacks, and at least not oppose UN discussion, but the US responded that it could not support the Kurdish movement or back their autonomy demands.
US officials advised the Kurds to resolve their issue through agreement with the Iraqi government, warning that US intervention or official sympathy could worsen their situation, a stance that would evolve over time as the Kurdish side’s requests shifted from political appeals to requests for financial and military aid.
Secret Cooperation and Termination of Aid
By 1972, the relationship between the US and the Iraqi Kurdish movement had become covert, with the US transferring money, weapons, and intelligence to forces loyal to Mullah Mustafa Barzani, but this cooperation was short-lived, ending in March 1975 following the Iran-Iraq agreement. The documents, drawn from the State Department’s Foreign Relations of the United States series, offer a primary-source view of US-Kurdish relations during this period, tracing the evolution of the relationship and the US positions and responses at each stage.
A significant aspect of this history is the technical reality of how the US-Kurdish relationship was conducted, with secret cooperation and the transfer of resources, highlighting the complexity of the situation.
Access to Historical Records
The declassified documents are now accessible to the public, offering a primary-source view of US-Kurdish relations during this period, and the original records can be accessed through the US State Department archives. As the US administration navigates current geopolitical challenges, understanding the historical context of US-Kurdish relations is crucial, and these documents offer a valuable resource for policymakers and researchers alike.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how the release of these historical documents influences current US policy towards the Kurdish region, and how the technical reality of US-Kurdish relations continues to evolve in response to changing circumstances.
