The Kurdish Experiment in Democracy: 1992-1994

The Kurdish Experiment in Democracy: 1992-1994

Denise Natali

MESA

With the encouragement of the West and overestimation of their own political capabilities, Iraqi Kurds conducted a popular uprising against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in March 1991. The success of the uprising was short-lived, and after one month, the central government in Baghdad retaliated against the North⁷ militarily, forcing nearly two million Iraqi Kurds to flee to the mountains of Turkey and Iran. The refugee crisis that ensued brought world attention and assistance to displaced Kurds never before realized in Kurdish history. Repatriation of refugees to Iraqi Kurdistan created an environment immersed in humanitarian relief activities. United Nations (U.N.) organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and relief agencies soon established operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, where many remained for the next four years. U.N. supported ...