US concerned about 'backsliding' human rights in Kurdistan Region: Consul General

Rudaw’s Shaho Amin spoke with US Consul General Irvin Hicks Jr. on Monday, discussing a broad range of issues such as Washington’s relations with the Kurdistan Region, its stance on the ongoing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil, the provision of services for Yazidis to return to Sinjar, as well as unification efforts of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces amid tensions between the Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties. Hicks particularly emphasized on America's concerns about backsliding in human rights and minority treatment in the Region, as well as a rise of "intolerance and bigotry." 

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Transcribed by Julian Bechocha

Rudaw: Hello. I like the way you speak Kurdish, though you have been here since August, but still you try to speak Kurdish, which is very good.

It is a lovely language.

Thank you. Very good. Yeah, I know you are very good in languages.

I am learning Sorani slowly. 

Very good. So, you have been here since August 2022. Do you have any message to express to Kurdish nation, to Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG]?

Well, I would particularly like to have an opportunity to express some thoughts and share with the people of Kurdistan the various accomplishments and engagements the US government is involved in. I put together some notes and if you permit me, I would like to speak directly too. Thank you.

Go ahead

So I would just like to say it has been a pleasure to be with you this morning and to thank you for the invitation to talk about the US government’s strong and enduring relationship with the Kurdish people. As Consul General, I and the consulate team are proud of the partnership we have established with the KRG, members of the civil society, representatives from the media, and leaders of Kurdistan’s business economy. As the largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Iraq - $3.4 billion since 2014 - we, the United States, continue to see opportunities to bolster our diplomatic, military, cultural, educational, and trade relations with the people of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. But we are also concerned about backsliding in the areas of human rights, gender-based violence, the rule of law, equal treatment for women, equal opportunities for members of Kurdistan’s minority community, as well as the tolerance and respect for Kurdistan’s diverse religious community. 
The United States and the people of Kurdistan share common values that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Included in these values are freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and the right to assemble to hold one’s government accountable peacefully. You have heard me often say that a house united shall always prosper. 
I am proud of the Consulate’s initiative to attract American trade and investment in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. We will host an American trade mission in June, and as of yesterday, we established the American Chamber of Commerce network in partnership with the Chambers of Commerce for Erbil, Duhok, Sulaimani, and Halabja, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce Kurdistan. This AmCham network will serve as an advocacy group to promote and also to identify trade and investment opportunities between America and American and Kurdish business leaders throughout Iraqi Kurdistan as well as throughout Iraq. 
Finally, I would like to congratulate the KDP and the PUK leadership for last week’s signing of the Terms of Reference of the Peshmerga Memorandum of Understanding [MoU]. The collaboration between the PUK and KDP highlights the importance of establishing a strong and effective Peshmerga and the United States looks forward to even more progress on the Memorandum of Understanding. We also look forward to the KDP and PUK settling their differences so that we can continue to deepen and expand US-Iraqi Kurdistan relations. I would also like to congratulate Kak Bashdar Hassan Ismail and his legal team for receiving the Department of State’s 2023 Human Rights Defender award. 
The US government’s engagement, friendship, and partnership in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region remains strong, and we are expanding our relationship with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region by building an $800 million new consulate compound, increasing the number of senior VIP visits from Washington DC, bolstering the capabilities of the Peshmerga, collaborating with like-minded consulates to promote human rights, freedom of the press, and equal rights for women and minority groups, providing $2.3 million to repair the Yazidi temple in Lalish, continuing our support of more than $28 million for the reconstruction and stabilization in Sinjar, supporting the KRG’s digitization initiative to improve government services, attracting American trade and investment missions and business groups to Kurdistan, identifying programs to address renewable energy and climate change challenges, expanding the US government’s educational and cultural exchange programs, donating $650,000 to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, broadening our media and journalism training programs, and ensuring that our diplomatic engagements and programs include Sulaimani, Halabja, Duhok, as well as Erbil. I have been in Kurdistan as Consul General for just five months, and the list of initiatives I have just highlighted dispels any notion that the US government is withdrawing from the IKR, from Iraq, or from the region. In fact, we are doing the opposite. Thank you very much.

Okay. According to what you said in your statement, I may ask some questions now. I want to know - how do you see the relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States? 

So I see the relationship is strong. it is collaborative. it is a relationship built on a partnership, capital P. But there are also concerns, and those very grave concerns as it relates to human rights, as it relates to the issues I have just highlighted on women empowerment issues, on the treatment of minority groups, tolerance for different minority groups, as well as religious communities, and we have raised these issues in our diplomacy with members of the KRG to highlight these concerns. We see this as backsliding, and we stand ready to assist the government in terms of addressing these issues, but as friends, because we are not only partners, we are also friends. As friends, there are times when you may not like what your friend has to say, but because we are true friends, it needs to be said, and these are being said through quiet diplomacy, and we stand ready. As for an example, speaking with a senior official last week, we are looking in terms of how we can assist with training and in bolstering the judiciary. 

I see. Okay. Recently, we have noticed a decrease in the number of senior officials visiting from USA. Why? 

I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment, indeed. In fact, In my five months, I can share with you that we have had five VIPs per month over the five months that I have been here, and these VIPs have included senior State Department officials, such as the Assistant Secretary, Barbara Leaf. We recently had also visits from the White House, such as Brett McGurk. We have had senior officials who came in for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement with the Peshmerga. We have had members of Congress, 3 or 4 delegations from Congress come through, and I will share with you as an experienced diplomat, it is highly unusual to have a consulate boosting these numbers of senior-level visits, at best, maybe one or two for a consulate because senior-level visits typically take place at the embassy where our ambassador resides. But, because of the unique relationship, the partnership, the friendship, the IKR receives a lot of VIP visits, and I can tell you, I know that because I might as well have a seat at the airport because I spend a lot of time welcoming these visits, and it is great to have this attention. 
It is great to have such high-level attention and visits - but the notion that there has been a reduction, I can tell you, my staff and I, we do not see that at all. 

Okay, good. Does the United States still support strong IKR within the unity in Iraq?

Absolutely. Thankfully, my boss, Ambassador [Alina] Romanowski, has played a key role in improving the relationship between Baghdad and also the KRG. I note that President Nechirvan [Barzani] has made several recent trips. The Prime Minister was there a couple of weeks ago. These are very good signs in terms of there being a relationship with the Prime Minister [Mohammed Shia’ al-] Sudani, looking forward to having a collaborative and constructive relationship, addressing some very difficult issues, such as the one on the issue of hydrocarbon law. So on the issues of Sinjar, having the discussion, dealing with IDPs, as well as the refugees' issues, there are such many very difficult issues that need to be addressed - militias, the attempts by ISIS [Islamic State] to return and resurrect itself. All this stems from having an effective collaborative relationship between the KRG and Baghdad, and we are very optimistic to see that there is a positive development in that direction. 

Okay. The election has been delayed in Kurdistan, while all the political parties show that they are really keen on conducting the process this year, but still there is no proper agreement between them. How do you see the delay of the election in Kurdistan? 

Well, we always welcome elections because elections are an opportunity for the people to decide their leadership. The timing of that is up to the people of Kurdistan. We are respectful of that. What we do look forward is that the elections be held in a transparent, in a fair, and in a way that there is no question as to the legitimacy, the veracity of the process. But, we look to the people of Kurdistan as to the timing and look forward to seeing them when the elections will take place, because democracy also thrives in electoral process. 

Yes. Mr. Hicks, in your statement, you particularly put focus on freedom of speech, rights for minorities, for everyone in Kurdistan. How do you assess the situation of human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, media, and rights for women in Kurdistan?

As I highlighted in my remarks, what we are seeing are disturbing backsliding in these areas. In certain parts of the region, seems to be aspects of intolerance, of bigotry, of rhetoric that is not helpful for a strong and unified Kurdistan, and as an example of that, we at the US Consulate created that we call the Consulate General Coordination Group. We have 15 like-minded members of other consulates where we are amplifying our concerns about backsliding in the area of human rights, and we are having these conversations with members of the KRG, particularly concerned about the detention of reporters. So, the abuse of individuals who are protesting peacefully - these are things that we have highlighted in our human rights report, which is not as ideal as we would like it to be - and we will continue to raise these issues. As I highlighted, for Kaka Hassan Ismail we received the Secretary of State’s Human Rights Defender’s award, it’s a reflection not necessarily on the court cases that they are defending, but on the importance of having in society legal representation that is fair, and that the due process for all - guilty or not guilty - that is not for us to assess. 

But now, do you have any plans to promote these issues in Kurdistan?

Well, we were working with - as I highlighted earlier - with one senior member of the KRG last week who asked us to, if we were able to provide assistance to help bolster the judiciary here in terms of the rule of law, so we are in conversations with the KRG on how we can be helpful. We have excellent programs where we have times, experts who come to a country and provide and share the American experience. Let me highlight the United States, we are not talking that we are perfect at it, but we are constantly striving to improve, and we also have programs where we send cultural change programs, we send delegations to the United States to observe and to learn about the judicial process in the United States, so that’s just one example of focusing on human rights. 

Okay. I want to talk about some issues between Baghdad and Erbil. The Iraqi Federal Court has made several decisions against the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and meanwhile, the Iraqi government is depriving the funds to the Kurdistan Region. Kurds keep calling for constitution implementation. How do you see this situation?

As you know, there is a delegation in Washington right now - the foreign minister - and as I highlighted before, my boss - Ambassador Romanowski - has played a very important role in helping establish positive relationships between the KRG and Baghdad. I would say that this is the first important piece to address some of these very challenging issues, such as the one on the court decision. So we are waiting to see the results from the visit. We will continue to work behind the scenes to encourage and to build the good relationships or the constructive relationships. We are very gratified to see, there are delegations from the KRG that are going into Baghdad for discussions on these very challenging issues ahead, and that is what we will continue to contribute for the dialogue to address these difficult issues, yeah.

Mr. Consul, recently the rate of American dollars has been suddenly been raised and this affected negatively Iraq and Kurdistan markets and economically people are suffering. Do you have anything to share on this issue?

Well, I want to first highlight that the US government does not want to influence the Central Bank of Iraq in terms of the availability of dollars. The issue that has come to afford has been a process over the past two years, and what is taking place is that you have certain individuals, certain regional partner individuals in the region, you have certain criminal activity that are using the banking system to launder money and for other illegal means which is undermining the economy in the IKR, so this process here is to push these elements out, to have transparency, to not have illegal activities being enabled by the banking system, and there are current discussions with our Department of Treasury on how to establish a way forward, recognizing that there are current challenges in terms of availability and I would say see what comes back from the foreign minister’s visit and to see whether those discussions have taken place. But I would just want to highlight that this process was in discussions for over the past two years and it is because in particular parties in the region who have been using and exploiting the banking system to funnel illegal money and undermining the IKR economy. 

The Iraqi foreign minister stated that the United States has concerns regarding the laundering of dollars from Iraq to Iran and Syria. 

I would just highlight that those are part of the discussions, but I am waiting to see the result of those discussions, so I will not comment beyond that. 

Okay. Now the United States helping to renovate the temple in Lalish and America wants to support Yazidis to go back, particularly the IDPs to Shingal, and still the former United States minister, I think it was foreign minister, saying there are obstacles in front of this process because some militias belong to Iran are not helping us and put in barriers in front of our plan. What do you have to say to it? 


Well, I would say that the first piece is, as we already talked about, the relationship between the KRG and Baghdad. That is a starting point to have the Sinjar agreement back, placed back in terms of one of the priorities. There are many priorities facing us, challenges facing the government both in Baghdad as well as in the KRG. But the memorandum of understanding that we have established with the Peshmerga is a critical piece to this, and the process is having a Peshmerga, so you currently have a 70 unit, an 80 unit, and to be able to make them a joint unit, an effective unit, I kind of say a 150, not a 70, 80. That will have an effective force to push out these militias, to push to have safety and security in these regions here, and that will result in displaced persons and other refugees returning to their homes, so this is why the Peshmerga MoU is such a critical piece. We just recently had signatures between KDP and PUK on terms of reference that will advance the MoU. But that is just one step, and we are looking forward to even more progress on this because it is a critical piece to the overall puzzle that includes IDPs as well as it deals with the issues of refugees in the country. But in areas where there is not security, having that strong and effective joint Peshmerga is very important to the process. 

Germany recently recognized the ISIS atrocity against Yazidis as a genocide. In America, do you have any plan for that? Do you have something to promote this? 

Well, we will continue, as I highlighted in my overall remarks, the amount of support that we have and continue to provide the Yazidi community. My visit to Lalish a couple of months ago provided me with greater insight into the importance of having the strong Peshmerga under the MoU, to have these areas where the Yazidi community feels safe to return, and we will continue to provide the very essentials for quality of life of the funding that we have been doing. It is a very important piece. The Yazidi community has suffered greatly as a result of ISIS in its attempts to engage in genocide, and we remain committed to enabling and providing for the community. At the same time, we are looking forward to have this joint Peshmerga so they can have a strong force that will encourage members of the Yazidi community to return back to Nineveh. 

Okay. Does the US have any concerns regarding the rise of political Islam in the Kurdistan Region?

One of the things that I enjoy most about serving in the Middle East is great respect for Islam and its traditions, particularly for its tolerance and its sense of community. What is of concern to the United States are individuals, and we have those individuals in the community in the United States who are full of hate, who are intolerant, who are seeking to blame others. Instead of being part of the community, they have been dividing the community, and that is the particular concern here. They may not call themselves ISIS, but some of their rhetoric is similar to ISIS. As a community, we need to make sure that these voices do not gain influence and infect our community, the global community, as well as here in the KRG.

Mr. Irvin Hicks, it was nice talking to you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you indeed.

 

CORRECTION: A previous version of the transcript mistakenly quoted the consul general as saying 33 or 34 delegations of Congress had visited. The actual number is 3 or 4. The transcript was corrected on February 18, 2023.

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