The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is deeply concerned about the possibility of the northern Iraqi region being used as a launch pad for Iranian Kurdish militias seeking to take advantage of the US and Israeli offensive on Iran, a senior KRG official told CNN.
“(It’s) very dangerous, but what can we do? We cannot stand against America,” the official said, expressing concern about the potential for retaliation by Tehran. “(We are) very frightened.”
Responding to a CNN report that the CIA was helping arm Iranian Kurdish militias for a potential ground offensive against Iran, the official said the CIA plan had been set in motion a few months ago.
“The CIA support for the Iranian Kurdish groups began a few months before this war,” the official said. “As far as I know, there is no training, no military action, nothing on our side.”
Iran still noticed and, according to the official, has warned the KRG about allowing opposition groups to use its territory as a launch pad for a potential ground incursion.
Fuelling concern inside the Iraqi Kurdistan government is also the lack of clarity on the part of the US administration about their objectives for the war.
“One day (US President Donald) Trump says we will overthrow the regime, the next day he says something different. The policy is not clear,” the official said. “The uncertainty surrounding the long-term objectives of US policy – particularly when American officials send mixed signals – fuels concern that Kurdish sacrifices could once more go unprotected.”
“Kurdish people have long regarded themselves as friends and allies of the United States. They remain deeply grateful for America’s historic support at critical moments,” the source said. “However, Kurdish history also carries painful memories of broken assurances – moments when US commitments were reversed, leaving the Kurds exposed to massacres, repression and grave injustices.”
“There is no doubt that the Kurdish people overwhelmingly oppose the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They view it as oppressive and destabilizing, and they would welcome meaningful US support aimed at ending its malign influence,” the official said. “Yet they also fear being abandoned once again.”