Former Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader Masoud Barzani who resigned from office following a failed secession bid said Erbil would have to revise its relationship with the U.S. in an interview with Washington-based NPR radio.
“I can say we have - we are going to have a very serious revising of the relationship [between Erbil and Washington],” said Barzani.
A military initiative launched by Baghdad following the illegitimate Sept. 25 independence referendum enabled the swift recapture of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk as well as several other parts of Iraq that were disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.
“They were using the American weapons, Abram (ph) tanks and the others that the American government gave to the Iraqi army to use them in the fight against Daesh. But they used it against the people, and the Americans stayed silent. That was not expected as well,” he added.
When asked about the impact of Washington’s stance against the referendum, Barzani said: “Absolutely this is not going to leave a positive impact on the public opinion in Kurdistan because the love, the hope and the trust that the people have in the U.S. has declined and is decreasing day after day.”
A letter from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Barzani dated Sept. 23 outlines an offer for U.S.-and-UN-backed support in dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad. An excerpt from the letter follows:
