Seyed Reza Ghazvini Gharabi: Any unrest and instability in the western and northwestern border regions of the country leaves its mark on trade, exchanges, and investment. Insecurity leads to the weakening of the local economy, and consequently, poverty and unemployment
Seyed Reza Ghazvini Gharabi, a researcher on Iraqi affairs, in an interview with a correspondent of Iranian Kurdistan Human Rights Watch regarding the significance and various dimensions of the official announcement by the Iraqi government prohibiting the activities of Kurdish militant groups, stated: “This issue has considerable positive aspects for Iran. In past years, the northwestern regions of the country, which are close to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, have been a hub of insecurity and terrorism against Iran.”
He said: “Terrorist and separatist groups such as KOMALA, PJAK, and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan- PDKI have engaged in numerous terrorist and criminal acts against local people and Iranian border guards. Following the security agreement between Iran and Iraq in March 2023, these actions have noticeably decreased. The President’s visit to Iraq last year also accelerated the implementation of the agreement, and positive developments occurred at that time, including the relocation of some terrorists to bases further away from the border areas with Iran. The new directive from the Iraqi Supreme National Security Council regarding the prohibition of the activities of Iranian Kurdish terrorist groups and the 10-day ultimatum given by the security forces of Sulaymaniyah Governorate to these groups to evacuate their headquarters is also a significant and noteworthy action.”
This expert on Iraqi affairs added: “Naturally, this will put pressure on the terrorists and weaken their actions against the country, just as it will consolidate security in the Kurdish regions of the country. If this security continues, the country’s security focus will also be directed towards other areas and regions. These groups have played a significant role in instigating unrest in the Kurdish regions in recent years. Furthermore, weakening these groups, relocating them to distant areas, and disarming them will drastically reduce the capacity for their exploitation by countries opposed to Iran.”
Gharabi, stating that the experience of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group’s cost-free presence and crimes in Iraq should not be repeated with these groups, clarified: “The MKO established itself in Iraq in 1986 and, in addition to planning terrorist and destructive actions against Iran – which were supported by Saddam’s regime and even some Western governments like France – committed significant crimes against the Iraqi people as well. During the 1991 uprising against Saddam, this group played a destructive security role against Shiites in the south and Turkmens in areas such as Tuz Khurmatu and the Akrad.”
Gharabi continued: “Due to pressure from the Iraqi government and some popular groups, the MKO was eventually expelled from Iraq after leaving its bases. However, unfortunately, no legal action was taken against them by either the Iraqi or Iranian sides. Perhaps the significant volume of challenges and problems in Iraq, as well as the then-US support for this group in Iraq, led to the Iraqis’ lack of desire or ability to take legal action against this group. However, I believe Tehran should expand the scope of its actions regarding these groups through serious demands and cooperation with the Iraqi side.”
This expert on Iraqi affairs stated: “Disarmament, relocation of headquarters, and the prohibition of activities are part of these actions; however, legal actions against these groups, all of whom are present in Iraq, could be very important and hold the leaders of the terrorist groups accountable.”
Gharabi said: “On the one hand, Iran can announce a general amnesty for members and forces of these groups who have no private plaintiffs and whose hands are not stained with anyone’s blood, with the aim of creating divisions within these groups and weakening them. This also happened with the MKO terrorist group. From the time of the fall of Saddam’s regime, Iran granted amnesty to members of the MKO who had no private plaintiffs or evidence against their involvement in crimes against the Iranian nation.”
He emphasized: “This led to the separation of hundreds of members from this group, some of whom returned to Iran and their families, while others went to European countries. The oral and written memoirs of these individuals alone will become documents and tools for further pressure on terrorist groups. Naturally, this requires serious attention from Tehran and the cooperation of Baghdad and Erbil authorities.”
This expert on Iraqi affairs added: “The regions bordering Iran and Iraq in the Kurdish provinces of both countries have significant capacities in commercial fields. Naturally, any unrest and instability in the western and northwestern border regions of the country leaves its mark on trade, exchanges, and investment. Insecurity leads to the weakening of the local economy, and consequently, poverty and unemployment.”
In conclusion, Gharabi stated: “These issues are among the factors that terrorist groups everywhere exploit to recruit new forces. Without a doubt, establishing sustainable security in the regions in question, while creating the conditions for improving economic conditions, will drastically reduce the grounds for the recruitment of young people by terrorist and separatist groups and will even lead to the elimination of the regrettable phenomenon of the abduction of teenagers by these groups for their exploitation in their ranks.”
