Author Archives: admin

Sir, Your leading article (“Stand by the Kurds”, May 2) rightly emphasises that democracies should not abandon allies such as the Kurds. They were not actually left in the lurch after their uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991. British people … Continue reading →

The focus on Assad’s use of chemical weapons may lead some to conclude that we are talking about relatively small numbers of people compared to conventional weapons. That misses the point and the possibilities of much larger-scale deaths there and … Continue reading →

Thirty years ago this week thousands of Kurds were murdered by Saddam Hussein’s mustard gas and sarin in the town of Halabja. It’s also the 30th anniversary of the wider “Anfal” Genocide across Kurdistan in which up to 200,000 people … Continue reading →

Debate on Kurdish rights once more took place in the Commons this week with a brief debate at short notice on the recent Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) report on what the FAC Chairman, Tom Tugendhat called “an important aspect of … Continue reading →

“Many Kurds feel imprisoned in a country that they see as not implementing its commitments of equality to them. The FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] must therefore (my emphasis) press for these commitments to be fulfilled. The FCO should press … Continue reading →

The British government this week came under pressure from several parliamentarians in the House of Lords who have visited Kurdistan and Iraq to detail its strategy for protecting religious and ethnic minorities there. The debate was opened by the Bishop … Continue reading →

Baghdad has closed Kurdistan’s airports to international flights, a ban that has just been extended despite its impact on commerce and medical treatment for all Kurds, writes Jack Lopresti MP Letters. Guardian. 16 January 2018 Your report (UK ‘inadvertently helped … Continue reading →

The recent redesignation of the British Consulate-General’s Facebook title from the British Consulate General in the Kurdistan Region to the British Consulate General Erbil worried some Kurds given Iraqi efforts to downgrade the officially recognised Kurdistan Region. APPG Chairman Jack … Continue reading →

Theresa May has had a lot on her hands but has found time to help resolve the standoff between two important allies, the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and the federal government in Baghdad. May is inviting the Kurdistani Prime Minister … Continue reading →

Early day motion 684 PRIME MINISTER’S INVITATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE KURDISTAN REGION Session: 2017-19 Date tabled: 13.12.2017 Primary sponsor: Lopresti, Jack Total number of signatures: 6 Austin, Ian Blackman, Bob Bottomley, Peter Glindon, Mary Halfon, Robert Lopresti, … Continue reading →