Abdulselam Jassim, who served as a general in Saddam Hussein’s army, claimed that northern Iraq was offered to Turkey in 1992 but was declined by the administration at the time.
“If Turkey had established a security corridor in the region in the 90s, maybe today’s prospects could have been different. Qandil must be cleared of terror and Turkey must remain permanently in the region,” Jassim said, adding that the Iraqi army was forces to withdraw from the region between 1991 and 1993.
Jassim resisted against the U.S. invasion of Iraq for many years and was forced to live overseas for an extended period of time. He shared his evaluations in an exclusive interview with Yeni Şafak daily.
The Baghdad administration sought to place a permanent force in northern Iraq to quell the terror threat.
“Turkey missed a great opportunity. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliates filled the void caused by the Iraqi army’s withdrawal,” Jassim said, adding that the foreign and defense ministries of both countries had serious discussions regarding the matter.
“Iraq was not the sole target of the U.S. invasion. They chose Iraq as the center to wage permanent chaos across the region. Barzani, Talabani, PKK, Daesh, Hashd Shaabi and the foundation of all terror groups were built then. They acted deceitfully regarding northern Iraq and supported terror centers against Turkey,” Jassim said.
“The U.S.’s roadmap started to crystallize with Iraq’s invasion. First, they transformed Qandil, Sinjar and Mahmur into a safe haven for the PKK. Mahmur, which was previously a small village, became a logistical center for the PKK. Sinjar turned into a point on the terror front between Syria and Iraq. Qandil’s geographical location enabled it to become the PKK’s headquarters. The current occupation and demographical changes in Iraq and Syria are advancing in line with the plan determined early on during the Iraq invasion,” continued the former general.
Northern Iraq’s Qandil Mountains have been a haven for PKK terrorists over the past few decades. Considered as the main base of the PKK, which control checkpoints and entrances to the mountains, the structuring in the area is used for cover and concealment by terrorists.
“The structuring of the PKK in the region, with Qandil being the priority, was supported by the U.S., the Peshmerga and Iran. All Iraqi puppet administrators appointed by the U.S., especially Paul Bremer, provided diesel, weapons and monetary support to the PKK. After Saddam's complete overthrow, this support evolved into much different dimensions. The U.S., Iran, Talabani and Barzani were not honest. Eventually in Syria they attempted to transform this terrorist organization into a state,” Jassim said.
Turkey has initiated a military operation in northern Iraq to clear the region of PKK terror, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Monday.
“We’ve started anti-terror operations in Qandil and Sinjar. We’ve destroyed 14 important targets with our 20 aircraft,” he said.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
