Iraq: Kurdish Autonomy (Hansard, 5 February 2004)

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, first, perhaps I may express the sincere condolences of Her Majesty's Government to the Kurdish community in Iraq for the death of more than 60 people and injury to many more, which was caused by the two appalling suicide bombings last Sunday. This has been the first opportunity to do so in your Lordships' House.
The proposed new constitution for Iraq is due to be drafted by the constitutional convention, which will be elected by elections in March 2005. One of the issues the constitutional convention is likely to address is that of federalism, including the status of the northern provinces.

§ Lord Greaves
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer and associate myself, Members on these 798 Benches and the whole House with her comments on the bomb outrages at party headquarters at the weekend.
Do the Government believe that it will be possible to achieve an appropriate level of autonomy in the northern provinces of Iraq to satisfy on the one hand the demands of the Kurds and on the other hand to allay the fears of people in the rest of Iraq and in surrounding countries? Does she believe that such an arrangement will have to be entrenched in a federal manner in the new constitution for it to have any permanence?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, that is an extremely difficult question. Her Majesty's Government have made it clear that we support the territorial integrity of Iraq. The issue of federalism is for the Iraqis to decide over the longer term as part of the constitutional convention. We are of course talking to Jeremy Greenstock and Mr Paul Bremer, who during the past month have been holding discussions with all parts of the Governing Council to try to clarify the position individuals have on federalism in order to deal with the wording of the transitional administrative law.
Of course we recognise that the Kurdistan regional government and the Iraqi Kurdistan assembly have played an important part in administering and legislating in the areas that have been outside the control of the central government since 1991. We believe that that sort of arrangement should pertain during the transitional period.
As to the longer term, that is an issue for the Iraqi people to determine in the way I have indicated.

§ Lord Howell of Guildford
My Lords, perhaps I may associate Members on these Benches with the condolences and sympathies the Minister mentioned about the bombing massacres in Arbil and Kirkuk, which are appalling.
On the future of Kurdish land, aside from independence, which would not be welcomed by any of the surrounding countries, and given that most of us want to keep Iraq whole on a federal or confederal basis, there are two models. One is that Kurdish Iraq should continue with quasi autonomy, rather on the basis it has been for the past few years. The other is that it should be administered and divided into provinces on non-ethnic lines. That proposal was put forward by our American friends. Which of those two would we favour, given that ultimately the decisions will have to be taken inside the new Iraq?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords the noble Lord is right and I thank him for the point he made about territorial integrity. It is important that we have cross-party understanding on these issues.
We recognise the point the noble Lord made about there being a number of different federal models that can be discussed and we are endeavouring to do that. We believe that any kind of federal model should be drawn on geographical, not on ethnic, lines.
799 We support democratically elected local, provincial and regional administrations empowered to represent the local population in the national institutions. We support those with devolved authority and budgets where they are practical and appropriate to local circumstances. I return to the point I made in answer to the noble Lord, Lord Greaves: this is a matter for the Iraqis. It must be an Iraqi debate dominated by Iraqi views.

§ Lord Wallace of Saltaire
My Lords, we recognise that it is fundamentally a matter for the Iraqis themselves, but the surrounding states have strong feelings on the issue of Kurdish autonomy. Do the Government hold the view that it is a matter for the Iraqis only, or will the views of surrounding states be taken into account?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I know that surrounding states have strong views. I recently discussed them in Syria, but the Turkish and Iranian Governments also hold strong views. Of course we are keen to involve neighbours, but as good neighbours supporting the political and economic process in Iraq. We encourage the group of three neighbours that I just mentioned, but also Egypt and Bahrain, which currently chairs the GCC, to engage with the governing council if they want to express those views.
There is a world of difference between being a good neighbour in consultation and being an interfering neighbour meddling from outside.

§ Lord Greaves
My Lords, does the Minister consider the moves currently under way to unite the two separate regional administrations in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq to be a useful step forward, or not?

§ Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
My Lords, I find it difficult to answer that question in the light of what happened last weekend. The reason that I stress that is that there is a body of opinion that what happened last weekend is likely to accelerate that process, or even a process of discussion across the borders with other Kurdish communities. The impact of horrors such as last weekend's suicide bombing, which was no doubt intended to damage the Kurdish cause, often makes people stronger and more determined to be united. We must give the Kurdish hierarchy some time to settle— after all, many important people were killed last weekend and see how the Kurds want to determine their future direction.