“ISIS brought a war and heartbreaking tragedies to Kurdistan and the region, and the savagery and threat of that organization reached many parts of the world in a short period of time,” Barzani said in a speech at the annual Sulaimani Forum.
“Among all of its savagery, the ISIS abduction of our Yezidi women and girls was the most horrific to us. Though we have so far been able to free 2,426 of our women, girls and children, many more are still sadly held hostage by ISIS,” he said.
The prime minister thanked the coalition forces, in particular the United States, for coming to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) assistance at that critical moment.
“Among all of its savagery, the ISIS abduction of our Yezidi women and girls was the most horrific to us. 
“But the real threat has been faced off by the Peshmerga on the ground,” he explained.
“The Peshmerga is the only force that has the trust of all people in the region and the world. And it is for the same reason that Arab, Christian, Turkmen, Bahai and Mandaean refugees seek shelter in areas under Peshmerga and KRG control,” he said, urging coalition partners to “help professionalize the Peshmerga forces, and help it progress and grow stronger.”
Barzani said that ISIS could be defeated at one point but wrong policies practiced in the region would make the rise of similar groups in the future more likely.
“Unfortunately, policies pursued and practiced in the surrounding areas of Kurdistan, the growing sectarian strife, show that the emergence of groups such as ISIS and even more savage is not unlikely,” he said.
“Therefore, it is important that the Peshmerga role in protecting regional and global security is valued.”
Barzani said that, in addition to the war on ISIS, a refugee influx of 1.8 million and the turmoil in neighboring Syria, Baghdad’s policies towards Erbil have made the economic situation ever more severe.
“The Iraqi government continued to withhold the budget of Kurdistan Region’s civil servants and Peshmerga forces, who are according to the Iraqi constitution part of Iraq’s own national forces,” he said.
“The coalition partners and international community did not do anything either to make Iraq commit to its obligations towards the Kurdistan Region, in particular the Peshmerga forces,” he noted.
The prime minister said that Erbil was deprived of Baghdad’s cash reserves and international loans at a time when oil, its main source of revenue, are at an all-time low.
“It is similarly unfortunate that in this time of crisis no country has given the Kurdistan Region any financial support,” he said.
Policies pursued and practiced in the region, the growing sectarian strife, show that the emergence of groups such as ISIS and even more savage is not unlikely, “At a time when Kurdistan has turned into the forefront of the war against terrorism and home to its refugees, the people of Kurdistan expected the world to help their country. But unfortunately that has not happened yet. But we stress once again to the whole world that the people and Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan need your support in this war and economic crisis.”
He threw the blame at Baghdad for making all efforts at a workable deal futile despite Kurdish insistence.
“The people of Kurdistan and our friends testify to the fact that the Kurdistan Regional Government has in the last several years done all it could and traveled to Baghdad numerous times with initiatives and gestures of goodwill to solve the disputes with Baghdad, but unfortunately our efforts bore no result.” Barzani said to his foreign and Iraqi audience.
He said that Baghdad was not living up to its responsibility as a state towards one of its regions.
“And now before all the respectable Iraqi officials and leaders present here today, we say it again that we want an agreement with Baghdad,” he said.
Barzani stated that all previous formulas and models of governance in Iraq had failed and a new model was now needed for the whole region but with direct Kurdish participation and voice in any redesign of the Middle East.
“Now, and likewise in the future, Kurdistan is in an important position and can play a vital role in protecting the regional and global security. Therefore, any redesign of the region will not succeed without the participation of the Kurdish people and taking into account their interests, because the Kurdistan Region is a central pillar for the region’s stability.”
