Mam Jalal as the Leader of Great Turning Points

Asst. Prof. Bestwn Ahmed.

Written by Asst. Prof. Bestwn Ahmed
Translated by Narmeen Othman Mohammad

Today, circumstances are markedly different. The rapid shift in interests has triggered fast-moving and often unwelcome developments across the world and the Middle East. In such conditions, our leaders must be able to adapt to change, to unexpected events and sudden crises, and to read their consequences with wisdom and foresight—so that we may emerge from tensions and conflicts with the least possible damage.

In my opinion, following President Mam Jalal Talabani, the Kurds and Iraq as a whole—and the Kurdistan Region in particular—have experienced a vacuum, or at least a weakness, in political, social, and diplomatic leadership at the domestic, regional, and international levels. There has been a noticeable absence of leaders capable of carefully reading major events and crises, and of analysing with strategic vision, the consequences of political and economic conflicts. President Talabani was such a leader because:

1. He possessed the ability to swiftly defuse and resolve major crises.

2. He had an acute sense for recognising dangers and anticipating the consequences of major events unfolding in the region and around us—or those likely to occur.

3. President Talabani demonstrated remarkable foresight in assessing the demands and interests of powerful states.

4. He was wise and capable in preserving calm and continuity during meetings with major powers on one side, and neighboring countries on the other. On many occasions, their demands were reduced to such an extent that President Talabani could resolve them through a simple visit or a single meeting—preventing them from escalating into major crises like those we face today.

5. President Talabani showed deep strategic insight in understanding the political, military, diplomatic, and economic power, as well as the geopolitical position, of major states and of our neighbors.

6. He never shied away from speaking the truth, yet he did so with tact and diplomacy. He conveyed hard truths to both friends and foes of the Kurds with grace and intelligence—just as he did regarding Kirkuk, where he used data and maps to clarify its Kurdish identity, telling those present: “Just as Jerusalem is sacred and vital to you, so too is Kirkuk sacred and vital to us, the Kurds.” There are many other examples that need not be detailed here.

7. President Talabani was adept at maintaining a balance of power among states connected to events unfolding in the region. As long as President Talabani was present, the Kurds in general—and Southern Kurdistan in particular—were, in every respect, better protected within Iraq and vis-à-vis neighboring countries, under the shadow of his wisdom.

Without doubt, the intelligence and wisdom of a leader can guide a nation towards development and well-being; conversely, a leader can be the reason for a people’s regression, pushing them back by a hundred years.

Today, before the Kurdish household in the south collapses, there is an urgent need for a president and leadership that mirror the thoughtful, wise, political, and diplomatic approach of President Talabani—one that can distance the Kurds and Southern Kurdistan from the sparks of the fire now engulfing the Kurdish house. This must not be done through the language of threats or reckless confrontation with powerful states and neighboring countries, which—without doubt—when it comes to the Kurds, have often united in shedding Kurdish blood and seeking our destruction.