August 31 Treachery: How US Documents Reveal KDP's Betrayal of Kurdish People

Reports 01:59 PM - 2024-08-31

Erbil Province

A Kurdish researcher uncovers previously unknown information concerning the August 31 treachery by digging into the records of the CIA and 42nd US President Bill Clinton. She discusses the US' directive for the Ba'ath troops to be sent back from Erbil to Baghdad. The records indicate that the justifications provided by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for deploying Ba'athist troops to Erbil lacked basis, and they characterise this event as treachery by the Kurds against the Kurds. 

 

New York Times: Barzani betrayed the Kurds

Political and Social Researcher Shinyar Anwar revealed previously unknown information, stating that August 31st represents a betrayal by the KDP and it is documented in CIA records and is characterised as a betrayal perpetrated by the Kurds against their own people. 

Shinyar claims that on August 31, 1996, in the archives of the CIA and 42nd President Clinton, it was indicated that the Kurds would become enemies towards one another if they did not have enemies. At that time, The New York Times reported that Barzani, the man who betrayed, requested assistance from the US, while the Los Angeles Times stated that Kurdish betrayal destroys a nation. 

In addition, the researcher notes that the US documents show the killing, looting, kidnapping, and disappearance of civilians in Erbil on August 31, with a significant number of people still missing. She declared that the data clearly demonstrates that the justifications provided by the KDP for bringing the Ba'athists to Erbil lack validity, and the Americans did not believe the KDP. 

A record from Clinton and other sources indicates that "A strong message was conveyed to Saddam Hussein and Barzani, urging them to swiftly evacuate Saddam's troops from Erbil." Moreover, it was mentioned, "A Kurdish leader betrayed the Kurds on August 31. A viewpoint that openly embraces the concept of betrayal is incapable of governing." 

"August 31 is seen as a betrayal by the Kurds and a breach of the Security Council resolution by the international community,” Shinyar stated.

 

The KDP is proud of its treachery

The KDP has not yet evaluated its own actions following the August 31 betrayal. Furthermore, it persists in openly and unabashedly promoting this betrayal for the benefit of narrow party interests. 

Rozhan Shahid Hama Rash, a former member of the Kurdistan Parliament, told PUKMEDIA: "August 31 represents an unmatched act of treachery. The KDP sent the military forces of the dictatorial Ba'athist regime to seize control of the capital city, Erbil."

She further said: "Following this enormous act of treachery, rather than apologising and reflecting, the KDP continues to arrogantly celebrate this betrayal for the benefit of narrow party interests."

 

The masses of Erbil will push the corrupt with their votes

 

In response to the statement made by the KDP's Political Bureau, which alleged that the betrayal on August 31 was "pushing the corrupt with the corrupt," Sherzad Shekhani, a prominent writer and journalist from Erbil, expressed his optimism on his Facebook page that the PUK will successfully remove the corrupt from power by the support of the Erbil population, rather than relying on the military forces of the enemies of the Kurds and Kurdistan. He emphasised that "a heinous defeat awaits the KDP, greater than what happened in Kirkuk and Nineveh."

Shekhani further says: "By committing all these betrayals, the KDP has proven that it is neither a party, nor democratic, nor Kurdish."

Today marks 28 years since the KDP betrayed the people of Kurdistan on August 31st. They deployed the army of the collapsed regime and Baath tanks to the Kurdistan Parliament, forcibly displacing thousands of Kurdistan residents, taking their money and property, and executing hundreds of Peshmerga from the PUK, the residents of Erbil, and members of the Iraqi opposition parties who were present in Erbil at that time. 

 

 

PUKMEDIA