(Carter, W, 2012) Mustafa Barzani

1 March of 1979 is well-remembered day by the Kurdish nation. It was the day in which the Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani passed away. A historical overview by Azad Dewani: As a resumption of the 1931 rebellion led by Ahmed Barzani, Mustafa Barzani revolted in 1943 against the Iraqi government, but his lightly armed men faced the might of RAF resulting in the failure of his rebellion in 1945 (Bois, 1966, p. 152). In 1958 Barzani, as head of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), returned from exile and launched another rebellion in 1961 calling for the autonomy of Iraqi Kurdistan (Gunter, 2004, p. 23). The rebellion picked in 1970 when the Iraqi regime invited Kurds for negotiations over autonomy. However, both the Shah of Iran and the US Administration under President Richard Nixon regarded such an agreement as a step to strengthen the resented Baath regime of Iraq (Galbraith, 2006, p. 147). Therefore, both the Shah of Iran and the then U.S. National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, persuaded Barzani to resume fighting (Ibid.). Barzani, depending on the support of the Shah and the US, resumed fighting

the Iraqi government in 1974 as it was not willing to resolve the problem of Kerkuk (Galbraith, 2006, pp. 147-148). Soon, the Shah abandoned supporting Kurds as he reached in March 1975 a satisfied agreement with Iraq regarding the disputed areas of Iran-Iraq border (Karsh, 2002, pp. 8-9; Galbraith, 2006, p. 148). Like Barzanji, Barzani requested the US protection for Kurds (OShea, 2004, p. 18). However, the US administration showed indifference and agreed with the Shah in abandoning Kurds. This was the major reason for the failure of the Kurdish rebellion (Ibid.). Part of Azad Dewani (2010). A historical background for the Kurdish question.