The afternoon of March 16th, 1988 was marked by a massacre in Halabja, a small town in Southern Kurdistan. At the conclusion of the Anfal Genocide administered by Iraq, the occupying state maintained its primary focus: the decimation of Kurds and Kurdish territory. The bombardment of Halabja with chemical warfare agents and incendiary ordinance was a large step towards death to the stateless. As clouds of gas fell to the ground, the deceptive scent of apples snaked its way from house to house. As reported by the Kurdish Center for Studies, the mustard gas and cyanide generated mass confusion and instant death for 5,000 curious Kurds.

The Massacre of Halabja is a singular event in the demolition that was the Anfal Genocide. The subjection of Kurds to death between 1987 and 1989 was largely identity-based. Under the rule of the Iraqi Ba’ath Party, politicians Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan al-Majid articulated a plan to administer brutal civilian attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq upon increased calls for Kurdish autonomy. The immeasurable damage caused by the campaign can only be remediated by an independent and formally recognized Kurdish state – bringing utmost glory and prosperity to martyrs of the Anfal’s destruction.

The Council on Foreign Relations finds that Kurdistan possesses a population of well over 30 million, yet it remains a stateless nation with minimal sovereignty. Its territory spans across Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria, often leaving Kurds exposed to conflict from all four borders. The wreckage of the Iraq-Iran War displayed the vulnerability of stateless Kurds suffering in the crossfires. With both countries adamant on regime and territorial expansion, little attention was paid to the Kurdish towns that were bombarded along the way. Despite unjust arrests, economic blockades, and military violence, the Kurds, lacking any international recognition, were forced to endure the cost of war with little global concern. Gradually, the door was left open for the terror that was the Anfal Genocide.

As Iraq’s dispute with Iran came to a close, the Ba’ath Party fixated itself on the eradication of Iraqi Kurdistan. Led by Secretary General Ali Hassan al-Majid, party representatives devised a plan that defined Kurdish towns as prohibited regions. Consequently, all Kurds inhabiting these towns were held to a “shoot-to-kill” policy, allowing for lawful murder at the hands of Saddam Hussein’s military. With troops surrounding the Kurdish-controlled region, civilian Kurds suffered immensely. Death became a familiarity as they endured sniper attacks, aerial bombing, and chemical warfare. The carnage was celebrated by Baathists and ignored by Western officials. At the time of the genocide, fatal violence on Kurds was an applauded tactic and was deemed acceptable through a lack of condemnation and action.

Amidst indiscriminate attacks on Kurdish land, Iraqi Kurds relied on culture and customs to maintain resiliency. This includes a common proverb that has been repeated for generations: “No Friends but the Mountains”. It is a sorrowful statement that emphasizes the lack of true allies to the Kurdish resistance, a reminder that Kurds have minimal protection outside of themselves and the mountains that surround their desired territory. At the time of the Anfal Genocide, Kurds were desperate for intervention from the West, but their pleas were ignored. The atrocities felt by Kurdish communities during the Iraq-Iran War were never denounced by the West and its largest institutions. As a result, the Ba’ath Party felt empowered to carry out large-scale Kurdish extermination during Anfal. The stagnancy of the West led the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to overcome the destruction of 90% of Kurdish villages, the disappearance of countless civilians, and the murder of 182,000 Kurds.

Ultimately, it is the lack of statehood that left Kurds susceptible to the wrath of Anfal. To prevent any further identity-caused death, the creation of an independent Kurdistan is crucial. In previous years, internal attempts to achieve Kurdish statehood have been curtailed by its occupying countries. In 2017, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq held a referendum vote on Kurdish independence. An overwhelming 92% of voters in the region voted in favor of Kurdish statehood as bordering countries denied its results. Namely, Iraqi officials urged external states to deter from trading with the KRG. Additionally, Iraq sought military support from Iran and Turkey, utilizing its statehood to deny another nation’s sovereignty.

Although the Anfal Genocide lasted only 2 years, its memory echoes a centuries-long disdain for Kurds among its occupying countries. The autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq poses a unique scenario. Despite possessing a certain degree of sovereignty, its history is plagued by repressive policies imposed by the Iraqi government. The wreckage of Anfal exemplifies oppression faced by Kurds while emphasizing the necessity of an independent Kurdistan. In a society that prioritizes the preservation of human rights, the protection of Kurds is dire.

For years, the Kurds have been calling for a free Kurdistan. Finally, it is time for the world to respond.

Aheen Hajibadri is a third-year student studying Government and International Politics at George Mason University and is a first-generation Kurdish-American.

References:

Council on Foreign Relations. (2019, October 10). The Time of the Kurds. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/time-kurds

Human Rights Watch. (1993, July). Refworld | Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal campaign against the Kurds. Refworld. https://www.refworld.org/docid/47fdfb1d0.html

Klain, K., & Hintz, L. (2017, December 19). A series of miscalculations: The Kurdish referendum and its fallout - Iraq. ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/series-miscalculations-kurdish-referendum-and-its-fallout

Kurdish Regional Government. (n.d.). Anfal Campaign and Kurdish Genocide. KRG Representation in the US. https://us.gov.krd/en/issues/anfal-campaign-and-kurdish-genocide/

Shirnekhi, D. (2019, October 24). Shirnekhi: No friends but the mountains. Yale Daily News. https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2019/10/24/shirnekhi-no-friends-but-the-mountains/

Ufheil-Somers, A. (2016, October 21). The Kurds between Iran and Iraq. MERIP. https://merip.org/1986/07/the-kurds-between-iran-and-iraq/

Ya’qoube, L. (2023, June 26). The Halabja Massacre: 35 years later. The Kurdish Center for Studies. https://nlka.net/eng/the-halabja-massacre-35-years-later/