APPG visit to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq highlights the mutual benefits of working together
Left to right: Toby Bell, John Slinger MP, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Baroness Hodgson and Gary Kent
4 min read
With external help to normalise its relationship with Baghdad, and by supporting economic and social reform, we can help maximise the Kurdistan Region in Iraq's role as a beacon of stability and moderation in the Middle East – and bolster our domestic security in turn
Whilst some apply a short-sighted zero-sum approach to global affairs, the recent visit to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq by the eponymously-named APPG, of which I am chair, highlighted the importance of intelligent self-interest – and how the win-win in our dealings with others is more vital than ever.
I saw this first hand leading the delegation comprising Conservative peer Baroness Hodgson, adviser Gary Kent and my staffer Toby Bell as we met the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and other senior ministers, the opposition leader, NGOs and British diplomats and military.
We paid homage to the spiritual home of the Yazidi people at Lalish and learned of their continuing misery following ISIS’ genocidal invasion, during which time thousands of women and girls were abducted as sex slaves, with all too many still missing, scattered wide and far.
A common message we heard was how the federal Iraqi government in Baghdad mistreats the KRI and undermines its ability to properly fulfil basic state functions and prosper. Baghdad has substantially underfunded the KRI since 2014 and public salaries are missing or sporadic, which is hugely destabilising.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s oil pipeline from Kirkuk to Turkey has been shut for two years, depriving it of over $20bn. A recent deal between Baghdad and BP was conducted without reference to the KRG, despite the Kirkuk territory continuing to be disputed by Baghdad and Erbil (KRI’s capital).
This has real world consequences for the UK. Parts of the capital echo the self-confident, accelerating development of the Gulf – as does the gleaming new British International University that is partnered with the University of London.
But the same poor relations between Baghdad and Erbil, which suppress economic development, also affect the attractiveness of the economy for foreign direct investment (FDI) by British companies.
The lack of economic prospects is a push factor that drives many young people into the hands of the people smugglers, many of whom end up in small boats in the English Channel
Reverse this, and high-tech companies in constituencies like mine might be more willing to venture into their market, providing a much-needed boost to UK growth and helping the KRI economy diversify and grow.
That’s in our intelligent self-interest because the lack of economic prospects is a push factor that drives many young people into the hands of the people smugglers, many of whom end up in small boats in the English Channel. We visited Hiwa Qarani the mayor of Ranya, a town from which young people often leave for the UK. He enthused about the partnership deal with the UK to increase their security package, following the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit in November last year, but a flow of UK FDI would also reduce the flow of migrants.
As we witnessed in a refugee camp near the capital, a healthier Baghdad-Erbil relationship would also help support the KRG in its Herculean efforts to manage the massive burden of looking after refugees from Syria, and internally displaced persons from Mosul, just as global aid reduces.
We also visited the British military base in Erbil and were briefed on their work to help professionalise the Peshmerga. No-one doubts their fearsome military skills, but a unified command structure under government rather than party control would signify further positive change.
The Kurdistan Region in Iraq was initially able to establish itself as a political entity free from Saddam Hussein’s repression thanks to John Major’s government and the USA establishing a safe haven through a no-fly zone. My former boss, the late Ann Clwyd MP, did much to bring this about.
Most recently, the KRI played a decisive role in routing the fascist death cult of ISIS but they are being hampered by Baghdad.
External help to normalise this relationship with Baghdad, and support for economic and social reform, can help maximise the KRI’s role as a beacon of stability and moderation in the Middle East. Moving from a ‘they need us’ posture to ‘we need each other’ will help us overcome challenges, benefit from opportunities, and contribute to regional stability: a win for the Kurds, and for us too.
John Slinger is Labour MP for Rugby and chair of the APPG on the Kurdistan Region in Iraq
