http://rudaw.net/english/interview/21062016
In an interview with Rudaw, former US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey says, “The United States is not going look favorably on a breakup of Iraq unless it is absolutely unavoidable,” citing in the meantime Kurdish concerns about the turmoil in the wider Middle East and their right to choosing their own future.
“Given the risks of Iranian encroachment on Iraq as a whole, given the possibility of the breakup of the country, given the possibility of ISIS and the form it will stay in, the option to find one’s own future has got to remain in the back pocket of any Kurdish leader.” Mr. Jeffrey says. “But the decision to take that option is a very very serious decision both for Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq.”
Speaking to Rudaw’s Washington correspondent Rebaz Ali, the former ambassador who served in Iraq 2010-2012 believes that “Even if Kurdistan is independent it doesn’t go away from Iraq. Iraq is still there.”
Mr. Jeffrey acknowledged that Iraq is in deep trouble and has become dysfunctional, but saying that the US did not create these troubles.
“We didn’t create the dysfunctionality of Iraq,” he says. “We didn’t create the dysfunctionality of Syria, of Egypt or many other countries in the region.” Adding that the US tried to fix the situation in Iraq but failed.
“The American effort to fix all of that was a failure.” Mr. Jeffrey said. ““We expended a great deal of money and effort. I don’t think we made it worse. But we didn’t fix it the way over the decades we fixed, with the people of those regions, South Korea, Japan, and Eastern Europe. Those are positive examples, the Middle East obviously has negative examples.”
Speaking on the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS), Mr. Jeffrey blamed the political situation in the Middle East, the policies of the former Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki and, the United States for not acting in time, especially in Syria.
In an interview with Rudaw, former US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey says, “The United States is not going look favorably on a breakup of Iraq unless it is absolutely unavoidable,” citing in the meantime Kurdish concerns about the turmoil in the wider Middle East and their right to choosing their own future.
“Given the risks of Iranian encroachment on Iraq as a whole, given the possibility of the breakup of the country, given the possibility of ISIS and the form it will stay in, the option to find one’s own future has got to remain in the back pocket of any Kurdish leader.” Mr. Jeffrey says. “But the decision to take that option is a very very serious decision both for Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq.”
Speaking to Rudaw’s Washington correspondent Rebaz Ali, the former ambassador who served in Iraq 2010-2012 believes that “Even if Kurdistan is independent it doesn’t go away from Iraq. Iraq is still there.”
Mr. Jeffrey acknowledged that Iraq is in deep trouble and has become dysfunctional, but saying that the US did not create these troubles.
“We didn’t create the dysfunctionality of Iraq,” he says. “We didn’t create the dysfunctionality of Syria, of Egypt or many other countries in the region.” Adding that the US tried to fix the situation in Iraq but failed.
“The American effort to fix all of that was a failure.” Mr. Jeffrey said. ““We expended a great deal of money and effort. I don’t think we made it worse. But we didn’t fix it the way over the decades we fixed, with the people of those regions, South Korea, Japan, and Eastern Europe. Those are positive examples, the Middle East obviously has negative examples.”
Speaking on the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS), Mr. Jeffrey blamed the political situation in the Middle East, the policies of the former Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki and, the United States for not acting in time, especially in Syria.
