ABSTRACT

Kurds are the largest minority in the world in a geographic area encompassing territories in Turkey, Iraq,
Iran, Syria, and Armenia. Kurds experienced cruelty under the rule of the Turkish and Iraqi government
when these states deprived the Kurds from being an independent state. The Kurdish genocide during the
Iran-Iraq war and the discrimination of the Kurds led by Kemal Attatuk shows how their rights as a human
has been violated. They have been promised to possess a land of their own and to have their own state
but why it does seems so hard for the Kurds to achieve it. Why are they driven away from the territory
that was given to them? Their experiences under these states motivated them to struggle more for
sovereignty.

The Iraqi-Kurdish conflict began when Mahmud Barzanji attempted to secede from the central Iraqi
government. The struggle of the Kurds in claiming their independence led to several revolts that took
thousands of lives. Recently, people living in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence
for the Kurdistan Region but again, unfortunately, been cancelled by the Iraq’s prime minister.

Here, the famous Kenneth Waltz’ concept of level of analysis was used in examining the long-term conflict
between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish in three levels; individual, societal and international. Also,
it scrutinized who are the major players in the conflict and what made the Kurds to push more through
autonomy and what made the Iraqi government to hinder the autonomy which the Kurds are fighting for.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, we have considered the Three-Level concept of analysis by Kenneth Waltz in analyzing the
Iraqi-Kurdish conflict. We outlined the conflict occurring in three levels. Firstly, the conflict occurs
between two different individuals, the Iraq and the Kurds wherein the central Iraqi government hinders
the autonomy of the Kurds for the reason of being threatened to what the Kurdistan nation could do when
they become a state. Secondly, the conflict occurring in the society which involved the two parties in
Kurdistan namely, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and
the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) wherein they clashed because of natural resources (oil
reserves). Lastly, the international conflict which involved the United States and other Kurdistan’s
neighboring countries which occurs because of the territorial dispute over borders and the political
dispute between Hussein and Khomeini. US became the Kurd’s powerful ally in advancing their movement
against the central Iraqi government.

Looking back at the discussion in the previous page, we have found out that in reality, Kurdistan will never
be called a state no matter how hard the Kurds will try to fight and cry for their independence from the
central Iraqi government. The very reason is that the conflict is within them, an intra-state conflict. Kurds,
perceived as people who are scattered among the states: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia, do not
have their unified language, religion, etc. that binds them together. Try to look at their societal conflict.
There is a rivalry between the Kurd’s parties. How could they strongly stand for what they want if their
enemy is their selves? Another factor is the Kurd’s neighboring countries; Turkey, Iran, Syria and Armenia
who decided to agree opposing to give the Kurds a chance to establish an independent Kurdish state.
Kurds should always remember that ‘same feather flocks together’. These are all Arab countries who will
never let an uncertain identity like Kurds to step on them. Kurds should bear in their mind that politics is
dirty. These Arab countries once need the Kurds because they saw something which would benefit them
and them to advance their power. However, we have no reason to conclude that Kurds should stop from
fighting what they want.