British Forces In Iraqi Kurdistan

EDM number 1091 in 1990-91, proposed by Terry Rooney on 09/07/1991.

That this House notes the increasingly apparent and highly damaging divisions between British and American policy towards the maintenance of allied forces inside Iraqi Kurdistan; notes that the Commander of British Forces in the protection zone, General Robin Ross, has been adamant, in line with British policy, that British troops will stay inside Iraq while talks on democracy and autonomy between the Kurds and Baghdad continue; notes that at a recent meeting with Kurdish leaders the American allied Commander General John Shalikasvilli said that the allies would not remain until an agreement with Baghdad was reached; notes reports that allied troops now expect to be out of Iraqi Kurdistan by 20th July and that the allies intend to allow Iraqi customs officials to operate on the Turkish border, effectively cutting the Kurds links with the Western powers; calls on the Government to keep British troops inside the protection zone until a satisfactory agreement is reached with Baghdad to protect the welfare of the Kurds; and recognises that any failure to assert British policy and to stand up to American pressure to withdraw without such an agreement would betray a failure of leadership on the part of the Prime Minister of historic proportions.

This motion has been signed by a total of 12 MPs.