BRITAIN’S POSITION TOWARDS KURDISH ISSUE IN IRAQ 1961-1975

Abstract

The Kurdish Army movement in Iraqi Kurdistan during 1961- 1975 has an especially importance in contemporary history, because of their fighting against a successive Iraqi government for fourteen years to gain the national rights of the Kurds in Iraq. And because of the Kurd's struggle against the Iraqi Government, they attracted the attention of the countries that have interests in Iraq, and thus the Kurds got a great influence in the international policy as general and for the British policy towards the middle east in general and especially in Iraq, with consideration of the British role and their historical presence in Iraq. In addition, the influence of the British policy to the fate of the Kurds in the Middle East after the second war and especially to the Iraqi Kurdistan during the Monarchy ruling Iraq. After the revolution of July 14 – 1958 in Iraq, the British lost their influence with the fall of the monarchy in Iraq and the announcement of the Republic of Iraq, as a result of the denial by the new system in Iraq to the national rights of the Kurds in Iraq and also for not reaching to a peaceful solution to the Kurds issue in Iraq. The Kurdish Army movement erupted in September in 11- 1961 by Mullah Mustapha Barzani and he tried to gain the support of the British political and material and as a result of the deteriorate of its relationship with Abdulkarim Qasim, Iraq as has always been accused Britain of providing financial support for the Kurdish movement in Iraq without any giving any evidence, perhaps this is due to the history of the occupation and the British Mandate in Iraq after the first world war. In addition with the big influence that British government has in the period of Monarchy.But on the reality, the British policy was always preferred to deal with the Iraqi government to maintain their oil interest in Iraq, and always tried to avoid any obstacles or problems in order not to harm their relationship with the Iraqi government, but on the contrary , the British Government always tried to improve their relationship with the Iraq, and sometimes made her material and military aid to eliminate the Kurdish government, but this didn’t them to exploit the Kurds in Iraq for their economics interests about petrol, in addition , they always afraid if Iraq had enjoyed internal peace it will give Iraqi Government ambitious to interfere to the Arabian Gulf. and this area is very important to the British`s interests. And this explains that the Kurdish army was the double effect for British policy in Iraq and in the Arabian Gulf. So many calls from the Kurds leaders and even from within Britain to the British Government to provide political and material aid during this historical period to the Kurdish issue, the response by the British Government falls under this policy towards the Kurdish movement in Iraq.