The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq
For decades, the northern region of Iraq, known as Kurdistan,
was subjected to a brutal onslaught by Saddam Hussein and
a set of economic sanctions, from both the world and Baghdad,
that left it to stagnate and fall behind as the rest of the region
entered the 21st century.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States changed that,
and today the Kurdistan Regional Government operates with
semi autonomy while remaining part of federal Iraq. It has its
own army, the Peshmerga, a flag, a national anthem and
most importantly, representation in Baghdad.
But now, years after the arrival of US troops, Iraqi
Kurdistan is dealing with a new set of challenges, and young
people worry about their futures and complain of corruption
and a lack of infrastructure.
The Kurds are optimistic though, after years of struggle they
finally have the semblance of sovereignty, and for once their
problems are in their own hands.