TEXT OF GENERAL MULLA MUSTAFA BARZANI'S LETTER TO SECRETARY KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-173-7-14-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: November 2, 1974
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part2013/01/09 : LOC-HAK-173-7-14-7
2 November
ON-FILE NSC
RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
MORI PER
CO2852304
State Dept &
OSD review
completed
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Henry A. Kissinger
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
SUBJECT: Text of General Mulla Mustafa Barzani's
12_5.2;retartKikliRREC__
1974
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Letter
1. We are transmitting to you below the text of the letter from
General Barzani which was shown to ou in Tehran. We are also including
the most recent list of ordnance requirements which the Kurds submitted
to the Iranians and which was shown to you in Tehran.
2. Barzani is in a very difficult positiou_begausellmot defend
the Rawanduz:BAIDAran_area. which is now the objective of a concen-
trated Iraqi attack lest he lose the only supply line to Iran over
which supplies can be moved in large quantity. It is also his head-
quarters area and its loss would be a tremendous blow to Kurdish morale.
We estimate that if Barzani loses this area he could at best continue
military operations against Iraq_only on a drastically reduced scale
? with the chanc a sl nificant_proportion of his supporters would desert
him.
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1 it would be unwise for Barzani 25X1
at this juncture either to make a public declaration-Id-autonomy or to
announce&qjQyJnillent in
kurdistant
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5. The text of Barzani's letter follows:
"Dear Mr. Secretary:
"Once again we find it necessary to present to you in
this memorandum the serious situatian in which our people
find themselves and the military, political and economic
problems which the circumstances of an aggressive war has
imposed on them. We are hopeful that our situation will
merit careful consideration by your government, that our
problems will be studied and understood and that we will
consequently be helped in any way possible.
"Fully backed by the Russians, the Iraqis have for
? more than seven months been waging a war of genocidal
? proportion on Kurdistan. In addition to the active
participation of thousands of Russian experts, pilots and
other Soviet officers, material Russian support and the
continuous flow of arms and ammunition has given the Iraqis
an immense superiority in weaponry and war power, a superiority
from which our forces have and continue to suffer greatly. For
example, in the last two months and a half we have suffered
about 1200 casualties killed and wounded on the two fronts of
?Oal'at Dizah and Rawanduz alone. It is on these two fronts
that the Iraqis have concentrated most of their troop
strength of 30 infantry brigades, 6 battalions of special
forces all of which is being supported by 400 pieces of
artillery and mortars, 600 tanks and hundreds of aircraft.
The major and final aim of attacking from these two fronts is
of course the occupation of our central position Balak, a place
where most of our headquarters are located. This is a fact
that has forced us into a frontal battle with the Iraqis on
those two fronts as it is evident that we cannot afford to
lose this area. Through continuous military pressure the
Iraqis have managed to advance and control some key positions
on both fronts and from where Galala, in the immediate vicinity
of which are located our headquarters, is being shelled by
their long-range artillery. This is something that has not
happened during the entire history of our movement. Further-
more, 95 per cent of the casualties we have taken are the result
of air raids and artillary and tank shelling. That is not to
say that while achieving this the Iraqis have not suffered very
heavy casualties which can be placed at about 6,000 killed and
wounded.
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"Mr. Secretary, this being the situation and in order
to be able to effectively defend ourselves we see that we
are in yrgent need for some sophisticated anti-air and anti-
tank weapons al on with lon -ran e artillery units all of
which must be su icient y suppliedmith_ammunition. These
weapons are also needed as the key supporting element in the
counter-offensive which we must launch in order to ease off
and push back the immediate Iraqi military pressure which we
now feel. We have attached for your consideration a list of
these urgent needs.
"Aside from the military pressure, we also find ourselves
in a serious and rapidly deteriorating economic condition
whereby we have close to 400,000 refugees who have lost their
homes and property. This is in addition to the 100,000 who
are being cared for by the Red Lion and Sun Society through
the kind help of the Iranian Government. The economic
situation is dangerously worse in areas neighboring the
Turkish border which is closed to us. With the advent of
winter the conditions in these areas are rapidly approaching
a critical stage and unless some efforts are spent in persuading
Turkey to open her border, at least for humanitarian purposes,
and until large quantities of humanitarian help reach the
population in these areas, famine will soon be the real and
immediate danger. We are hopeful that your government will
extend the urgently needed aid either directly or throqgh the
efforts of American philanthropic organizatfons.
"Mr. Secretary, on the political level the Iraqis are now
taking specific measures to implement what they call their law
of autonomy as they already have formed legislative and
executive bodies for that purpose. As superficial and
unsatisfactory as these bodies may seem to the bulk of the
Kurdish people, these measures could nevertheless deceive
the uninformed particularly in the outside world. On .our side
we therefore must have an alternative _either in the form of
declaring autonomy for our people in Iraqi Kurdistan, or 12y
offering the people of Iraq a recognized Iraqi formation in
.our area. In order to fairly and squarely face our people and
the Iraqipopulation in general, one of the above steps must
be taken as a political alternative.
"These Mr. Secretary are briefly the main issues which
we hope will be studied by yourself and jointly with our
Iranian friends as 10 certainly lope also_that you)" government
will do whatever it can to help us in these critical
circumstances.
1. S41
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"We have been and continue to be ever grateful for
what His Imperial Majesty The Shahinshah Aryamihr has
ordered to be done for us and this has always been the
cornerstone in our struggle. We also areAnteful to the
'United States of America for the help it has extended to
us until now, but the demands upon us are greater now and that
is whi-VE-fffirif-necessary o request th-6-gxpansion of that
help in any way fiii4b16 and in the manner which will suit
your policy.
"Iraq is no doubt becoming a real danger for the area
and particularly in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
This is not only because of the fanatical and subsersive
policy of her government, but also because it has become a
bridgehead from which the Russians are penetrating the whole
region and are trying to consolidate their presence and serve
their own interests at the expense and the exclusion of others
particularly your country and her allies. Helping us in our
iii not
aiding an oppressed people,jbut it will AlW count as a major
contribution_in putting a limit to the ever-increasing Soviet
influence in the re ion and in weakenin and finall eliminatin
?the very tool? ich t ey so freely usg_tp_Ileme_thAt_pyrpose.
No doubt Mr. Secretary that you agree that this is a serious
matter worthy of careful consideration by yourself and your
government.
"Please Mr. Secretary, accept our best wishes and
appreciation."
(signed) Mustafa Barzani, October 22, 1974
6. the list of ordnance requirements follows:
"A. 155MM (Howitzer) Artillery
25 Pounder
120MM Mortar (Russian)
120MM Mortar (American)
82MM Mortar (Russian)
B-10 Anti-Tank
106 (Recoilless Gun) Anti-Tank
10,000 shells
10,000 shells
10,000 shells
10,000 shells
6,000 shells
2,000 shells
3,000 shells
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107 (Recoilless Gun) Anti-Tank 3,000 shells
R.P.G. 7 Anti-Tank 5,000 shells
60MM Mortar 10,000 shells
122MM Mortar (Russian) 10,000 shells
122MM Field Gun (Russian) 4,000 shells
30MM Anti-Air 50,000 bullets
Douchka (Heavy M.Gun) 100,000 bullets
14.5 Anti-Air 50,000 bullets
Brno Rifle Ammo 5,000,000 bullets
Russian Kalashnikov 7.62)26MM 2,000,000 bullets
"B. Needed also are as many as possible of anti-tank
missiles (Sager or identical ones), and some sophisticated
anti-air weapons, especially missiles.
"C. There is also need for:
150 pieces of 60MM Mortars
150 R.P.G. 7 Launchers
5,000 Hand Grenades"
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