KDP and PUK leaders accused of oil and gas trading with the ISIS enemy

By Hasan Dawary:

ISIS war criminals at work

Just two weeks ago three brothers belonging to one family were killed by ISIS when Peshmarga forces liberated Zumar. Almost immediately the President of Kurdistan, Masud Barzani, issued a decree that no more than one brother in a family can be allowed onto the front line at the same time. Yesterday a report was published by a new South Kurdistan website, Cawigal (‘Eyes of the Nation’), giving the names of senior Kurdish figures who stand accused of trading oil, gas and vehicles with ISIS. This report is based on several weeks of investigation by local journalists, with input from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Perhaps the most shocking claim is that the three brothers were killed by a Katyusha rocket launcher installed on a Toyota double cabin pickup truck which had been supplied to ISIS by a Kurdish merchant from Erbil.

At the top of the list of people accused of trading in oil and gas with the ISIS enemy are two step-brothers of the president – Nehad and Hemdad Bazani – both of whom hold leading positions within the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and are well-known in Kurdistan for having done lucrative business with the Iraqi regime in the past. Next on the list is Aras Sheik Changi, a cousin of Jalal Talabani, who controls the PUK-owned company Nokan and is accused of buying oil from ISIS. Aras joined Talabani in the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) in the 1980s and, after about one year, Talabani sent him to abroad – that was his contribution to the Kurdish struggle.

Number three is Mahmud Sangawi, the PUK  leader in Jalawla.  Fourth on the list are two family car companies in Erbil, Sardar and Bakhtyar Yahya. Both companies are accused of selling vehicles to ISIS.

A surprise is the name of the son of owner of the Asia Cell telecom company – his son’s company is accused of involvement in buying oil and gas from ISIS. There are others named from Kirkuk, including the police chief Sarhad Kadir, the PUK leader Rizgar Ali and a relative of Najmadin Karim, the Mayor of Kirkuk.

These revelations tell us that those in the cockpit for the last two decades, managing this nation in the south of Kurdistan, were Mafia-like and traitors to the hopes and aspirations of the people. The two dominant parties already had a very bad image with the public and this story is making it much worse.  The Barzani and Talabani tribes and families are the greediest of all. Imagine if, during the Second World War, ordinary people on the blitzed streets of London had learned that the brothers of Winston Churchill were doing business deals with Hitler’s Nazi party! I don’t expect any significant reaction from the Opposition Gorran party on this issue because Nawshirwan Mustafa recently became ‘one of them’ and has had several closed meetings with Barzani, without revealing anything to the press. We have the most weak, unhealthy opposition in the south of Kurdistan.

The president of Kurdistan has a duty to investigate the allegations and issue a full statement about what is going to be done. The PUK should abandon its corrupted leaders whose corruption has destroyed the popularity of the PUK. Firsat Sofi, an MP on the KDP list, told the Xabat newspaper yesterday that the KDP leadership has promised that anybody trading with ISIS is going to be treated as a terrorist. That is what needs to happen. It is obscene that, while the sons, daughter and fathers of this nation are shedding their blood on the front line, members of the elite are making money out of this tragedy.

This report is an extremely serious matter affecting the lives of ordinary Peshmargas on the front line. The individuals and companies named need to provide a full explanation. If they don’t, it means they don’t care about our people and anyone trading with ISIS will be considered to be traitors.