Democratising Iraq (2): Facing Saddam’s Legacy in Kirkuk

Saddam’s ethnic cleansing and ‘Arabization’ policies have left a difficult legacy in Kirkuk. Hamid Majeed Mousa, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party, is head of a government committee charged with achieving a democratic settlement in Kirkuk. He has been insistent that “the humanitarian aspect must also be taken into consideration in all the cases, without resorting to repression, and employing the principle of mutual agreement in the cases of dispute…When we talk about the return of Kirkuk people to their homes, we mean those who had been really resident in Kirkuk and were forcibly deported as part of ethnic cleansing. When we talk about the return of Arabs who were settled by the previous regime in Kirkuk, we mean those who were settled with the aim of “Arabization” and not for job purposes, or those who had resided in Kirkuk for the purposes of work, business, etc. I therefore stress the need to return those forcibly deported. As for the Arabs who had been settled in Kirkuk, their problem cannot be resolved by expulsion, but rather through amicable agreement, proper compensation and finding suitable place. (AJ) (hat tip Political Affairs).