Iraqi Kurdistan Project

About CPT Iraqi Kurdistan

CPT has held a presence in Iraq since October 2002, six months before the beginning of the U.S. led invasion in March of 2003. The team responded to the drumbeat of war, the "shock and awe" bombing of Baghdad, the ongoing U.S. occupation, a hostage situation, and a deteriorating security situation as Baghdad descended into chaos.

The primary focus of the team for eighteen months following the invasion was documenting and focusing attention on detainee abuses and basic legal and human rights being denied them.

In November 2005, four CPT personnel were taken hostage, resulting in the murder of CPTer Tom Fox and the freeing of the remaining three CPTers in a military operation in March 2006. Following an evaluation phase, CPT relocated its violence reduction work to the Kurdish north of Iraq in late 2006.

The team now works toward accompanying displaced persons home by living in conflicted border regions and documenting human rights violations against civilian populations.

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Through the Looking Glass

More videos from Iraq Kurdistan

CPT Iraqi Kurdistan Blog

Reports on events and profiles of local peacemakers....   [MORE]

Report: Cross-Border Bombings

"Where there is a promise, there is tragedy: cross-border bombings and shellings of villages in the Kurdish region of Iraq by the nations of Turkey and Iran," details the destruction of northern Iraqi village life by Turkish and Iranian attacks over the past two years. Written because regional and world powers, rebel groups and Kurdish Regional Government have dismissed the villagers—mostly shepherds and farmers—their lives, their futures, their lands, their children, as irrelevant to the 'larger' agendas of the parties involved.  Read the FULL REPORT.

 

Profiles of Courage

Mullah Kameron Ali Khwarham

CPT Iraq blog

Aram Jamal Sabir

CPT Iraq blog

Khalid Qadir Mohammed

CPT Iraq blog

Taban, Arke Saru

CPT Iraq blog

Mahmud, Kanispi

CPT Iraq blog

Mahmud, Kani Spi

IRAQI KURDISTAN REFLECTION: "…live justly and peaceably with all creation."

May 14th, 2012
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The organizers hoped that the Green Festival would bring some of these issues to the attention of the Kurds of Suleimaniya.  And they were successful.  Around 2000 people left their leisurely stroll around the park to listen to Kurdish and American music and look at the displays.  They were able to see that the ubiquitous 250-millilitre water bottle could be threaded onto a wooden frame to create a green house.  They heard from high school students that wind and solar power might work well in the region.  They saw the advantages of placing trash into receptacles that would go to the dump.  They took in the beauty, through nature photographs and paintings, of their region, which reminded them that they must find ways of preserving it.

IRAQI KURDISTAN: April Update

May 10th, 2012
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In the regional capitol of Erbil/Hawler, the team conducted an action at the entrance to KRG Parliament facilities with banners, posters, and a flyer with a message and a photo of Internally Displaced Persons in the riverbed camp they were forced into last spring.  At the Turkish and Iranian consulates, also in Erbil/Hawler, the team explained that suspending attacks on villages for the entire year would be a courageous and compassionate response by powerful governments to the challenges they recognize in the continuing struggle to secure their national sovereignty.

Kurdish MPs were reminded that "Iranian shelling destroys village life" and "Turkish bombing murders people" and encouraged nonviolently to take action to protect their people

IRAQI KURDISTAN REFLECTION: Warmongering and the KRG/Iranian border

April 24th, 2012
in:

The whole world knows that war is a terrible thing.  Every nation on the earth has witnessed first hand the truths of war.  Yet even with these first hand experiences, governments claiming to represent the best interests of their people are still willing to inflict war on others.
 
Currently the war drum is beating against Iran.  Pundits and politicians, backed by various lobbies as well as Israeli and European allies are calling for it.

IRAQI KURDISTAN REFLECTION: I am afraid of bombing. (And there is shelling too)

April 9th, 2012
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[Note: Remember to sign up for the 24-hour prayer-a-thon for peace to support displaced Colombians.  In coordination with the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia (DOPA), the Colombia team is seeking prayers from all over the world over the course of a full day. Click here to sign up for an hour, alone or with a group, between 6:00 pm Saturday 14 April 6:00 Sunday 15 April 2012.  Light a candle, sing, meditate, read a story, or just sit quietly in the presence of God.]

Me: I like the colour blue. What colour do you like?

Boy: I like the colour black.

Boy: I like the colour yellow.

Me: I like to go walking for fun.  What do you do for fun?

Boy: I like to swim.

Girl: I like to play guitar.

Me: I am afraid of very loud thunder. What are you afraid of?

Girl: I am afraid of snakes.

Girl: I am afraid of bombing.

Teacher: (And there is shelling too)

 

The Iraqi Kurdistan team had made the three-hour trip to Sunneh, in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan to teach English.  Not exactly the mandate of CPT, but we see these monthly trips as a way to become acquainted with some of the eighty pupils in the school.  We would like them to be part of a video narrating their life in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, telling what it is like to be part of a village that is shelled every year from a country on the other side of the mountains.

IRAQI KURDISTAN UPDATE: January-March 2012

April 6th, 2012
in:

Anniversaries
Courtney and Firla supported Salah other activists and family members in creating a Valentine’s Day action to remember the five young men from Suleimaniya killed during the sixty-two days of demonstrations last year. The action took on a hearts and love theme and moved throughout the city to the spots where each was killed. Other civilians and media joined the action as it progressed. Later, Courtney was recognized quite often as the team traveled because his guitar playing and peace songs were featured on KRG TV.

 http://cpt.org/cptnet/2012/02/20/iraq-blood-and-roses%E2%80%94-valentine-five-who-died

17 February was the anniversary of the first day of the demonstrations. Moorhead Thiessen, Courtney, and Firla attended a vigil at the grave of the young man killed on that day in 2011. Then Courtney and Firla joined one of CPT’s partners to observe the activity in the main city square. A number of anonymous people on Facebook had called for people to gather there. However, no organized demonstrations took place because the security forces were out in large numbers. They arrested people seen to be waiting to protest and beat many with batons, especially those with cameras.  Firla and Courtney were in the company of Federation of Civil Societies member, Fallah, who was able to stop them from pulling out their cameras. Team members witnessed the beating of a journalist friend but were unable to intervene.  The media reported that all persons arrested were released later that day.

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Iraq delegation - Kurdish north Thu, 10/04/2012 Wed, 10/17/2012