Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan
Encyclopedia
The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (Kurdish
: پارتی ژیانی ئازادی کوردستان or Partiya Jiyana Azad a Kurdistanê or PJAK, also known in English as Free Life Party of Kurdistan, Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, and sometimes referred to as PEJAK), is a militant Kurdish
nationalist group with bases in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq
, which has been carrying out numerous attacks in western Iran
, southern Turkey
and the northeastern parts of Syria
where the Kurdish
populations live.
Most experts describe PJAK as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK). According to the New York Times, the PJAK shares the same leadership and logistics of the PKK militants in Turkey, as well as allegiance to its leader, Abdullah Öcalan
, but unlike the PKK fights Iranian government forces rather than the Turkish government ones.
Both groups are members of Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (Koma Civakên Kurdistan or KCK), an umbrella group of insurgent Kurdish
groups. The PJAK (and the PKK), has been designated a terrorist organization by a number of states and international organizations;.
The PJAK'S estimated 3,000 members come from Iran
, Turkey
, Iraq
, Syria
, and the Kurdish diaspora.
. According to the Washington Times, half the members of PJAK are women, many of them still in their teens. The group actively recruits female guerrillas and boasts that its "cruelest and fiercest fighters" are women drawn to the movement's "radical feminism".
PJAK is a member of the PKK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan or KCK), which is an alliance of outlawed Kurdish
groups and divisions led by an elected Executive Council. The KCK is in charge of a number of decisions under the movement, and often, release press statements on behalf of its members. PJAK also has sub-divisions. PJAK's armed-wing has been named by the organization as the East Kurdistan Defence Forces
(Hêzên Rojhilata Kurdistan or HRK). PJAK also has a women's branch, dedicated to serving women's interests within the group and women interests in general, called Yerjerika.
The PKK is also a member of KCK, and according to the New York Times, the PJAK and PKK "appear to a large extent to be one and the same, and share the same goal: fighting campaigns to win new autonomy and rights for Kurds. The only difference is that the PJAK fights in Iran, and PKK fights in Turkey. They share leadership, logistics and allegiance to Abdullah Ocalan
, the PKK leader currently imprisoned in Turkey
." Both the PJAK and PKK, are designated as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of states and supranational organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU,
Like the present PKK goals in Turkey, PJAK leaders say their long-term goals are to establish an autonomous Kurdish region
within the Iran
ian state. PJAK leadership claims that the group's goals are mainly focused on replacing Iran's theocracy
with a "democratic and federal government", where "self-rule is granted to all ethnic minorities of Iran, including Arabs, Azeris, and Kurds".
's Cihan News Agency
claimed that over 120 members of the Iranian security forces were killed by PJAK during 2005.
PJAK killed 24 members of Iranian security forces on the April 3, 2006, in retaliation for the killing of 10 Kurds demonstrating in Maku
by Iranian security forces. On April 10, 2006, seven PJAK members were arrested in Iran
, on suspicion that they had killed three Iranian security force personnel. PJAK set off a bomb on 8 May 2006 in Kermanshah
, wounding five people at a government building.
As early as mid-2006, the Iranian security forces have confronted PJAK guerrillas in many different occasions along the border inside Iran
. Since then, the US news channel MSNBC
claims that the Iranian military has begun bombardments of Kurdish
villages in Iraq
along the Iran
ian border while claiming that their primary targets have been PJAK militants. A number of civilians have died. PJAK claims its guerrillas fight inside Iran, and in August 2007, managed to destroy an Iranian military helicopter
that was conducting a forward operation of bombardment by Iranian forces.
On April 24, 2009, PJAK rebels attacked a police station in Kermanshah
province. According to Iranian government sources, 48 policemen and 4 rebels were killed in a fierce gun battle. Iran responded a week later by attacking Kurdish
villages in the boder area of Panjwin inside Iraq
using helicopter gunships. According to Iraq
i border guards officials, the area attacked by Iran
was not considered a stronghold of PJAK , that appeared to have been the target of the raid. According to the ICRC, more than 800 Iraqi Kurds have been forced from their homes by the recent cross-border violence.
On 16 July 2011 the Iranian army launched a major offensive against PJAK compounds in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq
. According to the Revolutionary Guards dozens of rebels have been killed. According to the state-run IRNA news agency on 26 July, PJAK militants were killed in clashes in several towns in West Azerbaijan province. Kurdish media reported that at least five Revolutionary Guards were killed. The Iranian government blames the PJAK for sabotage attacks on gas pipelines and ambushing its troops, according to Reuters
, aid agencies say shelling by the Revolutionary Guard has "killed some civilians and forced hundreds to flee their homes" in the area. The Revolutionary Guard denies the charge.
On August 8, 2011, during a lull for Ramadan in the Pasdaran offensive, PJAK leader Haji Ahmadi, told an interviewer his group is prepared to negotiate with Iran and maintained that Kurdish issues need to be solved through “peaceful means”. Haji Ahmadi acknowledged that in some cases compromise is inevitable and indicated that PJAK is willing to lay down its arms. He said fighting may not help Kurds secure political and cultural rights in Iran. However, the Guards resumed their offensive on September 2 and rejected any ceasefire call by PJAK, saying the Kurdish rebels have no choice but to lay down arms or leave the border areas. On 19 September Iran's ground forces commander, Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, told the Vatan-e-Emrooz
newspaper his forces would finish off armed Kurdish Iraqi-based rebels in the "coming days."
In September 2011, PJAK announced it had reached a cease-fire with the Iranian government, brokered by members of Iraq's Kurdish regional government. As of early November 2011, the cease-fire was still in effect, and refugees created by Iranian shelling inside Iraq were hoping they might be able to return to their villages in time for winter.
On April 18, 2006, US Congressman, Dennis Kucinich
sent a letter to US president George W. Bush
in which he expressed his judgment that the US is likely to be supporting and coordinating PJAK, since PJAK operates and is based in Iraqi
territory, which is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government
.
In November 2006, journalist Seymour Hersh
writing in The New Yorker
, supported this claim, stating that the US military and the Israel
is are giving the group equipment, training, and targeting information in order to create internal pressures in Iran. According to French journalist Thierry Meyssan
, author of 9/11: The Big Lie
, American support for PJAK is a part of the US strategy to reshape the greater middle east.
The United States
government and PJAK officially deny cooperation. In one of the first actions of the Obama administration, PJAK was declared a terrorist organization, freezing any assets the PJAK has under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting American citizens from doing business with the organization.
In an interview with Slate magazine
in June 2006, when PJAK spokesman Ihsan Warya was paraphrased as stating that he "nevertheless points out that PJAK really does wish it were an agent of the United States
, and that [PJAK is] disappointed that Washington hasn't made contact." The Slate article continues stating that the PJAK wishes to be supported by and work with the United States
in overthrowing the government of Iran in a similar way to the US eventually cooperated with Kurdish
organisations in Iraq
in overthrowing the government of Iraq during the most recent Iraq war.
In August 2007, the leader of PJAK visited Washington, DC in order to seek more open support from the US both politically and militarily but it was later said that he only made limited contacts with officials in Washington. One of the top officials in the PKK made a statement in late 2006, that "If the US is interested in PJAK, then it has to be interested in the PKK as well" referring to the alliance between the two groups and their memberships in the Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK).
by German Police. Haji Ahmadi, however was released shortly afterward without the German government giving any details about the reason he was arrested or released.
Before his release, the Iranian government asked Germany
to extradite the leader to Iran
. Germany
turned down Iran
's request saying Haji Ahmadi is a German citizen.
Families of individuals killed by the PJAK in Iran
demonstrated in front of the German Embassy in Tehran
after his arrest, asking for the extradition and punishment of the group leader.
Iran became angry about the Germans' decision to free Haji Ahmadi, considering that the group had caused unrest in towns near the Iran-Iraq border and had killed civilians in those regions.Iran
's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news conference in Tehran "The European countries, despite chanting the slogan of defending human rights, are practically supporting terrorism," and "There are many clues showing that Europe has become a safe haven for terrorists."
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
: پارتی ژیانی ئازادی کوردستان or Partiya Jiyana Azad a Kurdistanê or PJAK, also known in English as Free Life Party of Kurdistan, Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, and sometimes referred to as PEJAK), is a militant Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
nationalist group with bases in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, which has been carrying out numerous attacks in western Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, southern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the northeastern parts of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
where the Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
populations live.
Most experts describe PJAK as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party
Kurdistan Workers Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
(PKK). According to the New York Times, the PJAK shares the same leadership and logistics of the PKK militants in Turkey, as well as allegiance to its leader, Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
, but unlike the PKK fights Iranian government forces rather than the Turkish government ones.
Both groups are members of Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (Koma Civakên Kurdistan or KCK), an umbrella group of insurgent Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
groups. The PJAK (and the PKK), has been designated a terrorist organization by a number of states and international organizations;.
The PJAK'S estimated 3,000 members come from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and the Kurdish diaspora.
Policies and structure
The present leader of the organisation is Abdul Rahman Haji AhmadiAbdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi
Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi commonly known as just Haji Ahmadi is an Iranian Kurdish militant leader. He leads a group called the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan , an armed group fights against the Iranian government for the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region inside Iran. He lives in Cologne,...
. According to the Washington Times, half the members of PJAK are women, many of them still in their teens. The group actively recruits female guerrillas and boasts that its "cruelest and fiercest fighters" are women drawn to the movement's "radical feminism".
PJAK is a member of the PKK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan or KCK), which is an alliance of outlawed Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
groups and divisions led by an elected Executive Council. The KCK is in charge of a number of decisions under the movement, and often, release press statements on behalf of its members. PJAK also has sub-divisions. PJAK's armed-wing has been named by the organization as the East Kurdistan Defence Forces
East Kurdistan Defence Forces
East Kurdistan Defence Forces is a PJAK armed-wing sub-division, which largely operates against the Iranian military....
(Hêzên Rojhilata Kurdistan or HRK). PJAK also has a women's branch, dedicated to serving women's interests within the group and women interests in general, called Yerjerika.
The PKK is also a member of KCK, and according to the New York Times, the PJAK and PKK "appear to a large extent to be one and the same, and share the same goal: fighting campaigns to win new autonomy and rights for Kurds. The only difference is that the PJAK fights in Iran, and PKK fights in Turkey. They share leadership, logistics and allegiance to Abdullah Ocalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
, the PKK leader currently imprisoned in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
." Both the PJAK and PKK, are designated as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of states and supranational organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU,
Like the present PKK goals in Turkey, PJAK leaders say their long-term goals are to establish an autonomous Kurdish region
Iranian Kurdistan
Iranian Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds and has borders with Iraq and Turkey. It includes Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, Ilam Province and parts of West Azerbaijan province....
within the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian state. PJAK leadership claims that the group's goals are mainly focused on replacing Iran's theocracy
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
with a "democratic and federal government", where "self-rule is granted to all ethnic minorities of Iran, including Arabs, Azeris, and Kurds".
Armed conflict and arrests
IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
's Cihan News Agency
Cihan News Agency
The Cihan News Agency is a Turkish news agency based in Istanbul.The agency, established in 1994, is part of Feza Media Corp, which also owns Zaman newspaper and AKSIYON, a weekly news magazine...
claimed that over 120 members of the Iranian security forces were killed by PJAK during 2005.
PJAK killed 24 members of Iranian security forces on the April 3, 2006, in retaliation for the killing of 10 Kurds demonstrating in Maku
Maku, Iran
Maku is a city in the West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 41,865, in 10,428 families.It is situated from the Turkish border in a mountain gorge at an altitude of 1634 metres. The Zangmar River cuts through the city. The common languages in Maku are Kurdish and...
by Iranian security forces. On April 10, 2006, seven PJAK members were arrested in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, on suspicion that they had killed three Iranian security force personnel. PJAK set off a bomb on 8 May 2006 in Kermanshah
Kermanshah
Kermanshah is a city in and the capital of Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 784,602, in 198,117 families.The overwhelming majority of Kermanshahi people are Shi'a Muslims...
, wounding five people at a government building.
As early as mid-2006, the Iranian security forces have confronted PJAK guerrillas in many different occasions along the border inside Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Since then, the US news channel MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
claims that the Iranian military has begun bombardments of Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
villages in Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
along the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian border while claiming that their primary targets have been PJAK militants. A number of civilians have died. PJAK claims its guerrillas fight inside Iran, and in August 2007, managed to destroy an Iranian military helicopter
Military helicopter
A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion...
that was conducting a forward operation of bombardment by Iranian forces.
On April 24, 2009, PJAK rebels attacked a police station in Kermanshah
Kermanshah Province
Kermanshah Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. The province was known from 1969 to 1986 as Kermanshahan and from 1986 to 1995 as Bakhtaran.-Counties:...
province. According to Iranian government sources, 48 policemen and 4 rebels were killed in a fierce gun battle. Iran responded a week later by attacking Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
villages in the boder area of Panjwin inside Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
using helicopter gunships. According to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i border guards officials, the area attacked by Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
was not considered a stronghold of PJAK , that appeared to have been the target of the raid. According to the ICRC, more than 800 Iraqi Kurds have been forced from their homes by the recent cross-border violence.
On 16 July 2011 the Iranian army launched a major offensive against PJAK compounds in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. According to the Revolutionary Guards dozens of rebels have been killed. According to the state-run IRNA news agency on 26 July, PJAK militants were killed in clashes in several towns in West Azerbaijan province. Kurdish media reported that at least five Revolutionary Guards were killed. The Iranian government blames the PJAK for sabotage attacks on gas pipelines and ambushing its troops, according to Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, aid agencies say shelling by the Revolutionary Guard has "killed some civilians and forced hundreds to flee their homes" in the area. The Revolutionary Guard denies the charge.
On August 8, 2011, during a lull for Ramadan in the Pasdaran offensive, PJAK leader Haji Ahmadi, told an interviewer his group is prepared to negotiate with Iran and maintained that Kurdish issues need to be solved through “peaceful means”. Haji Ahmadi acknowledged that in some cases compromise is inevitable and indicated that PJAK is willing to lay down its arms. He said fighting may not help Kurds secure political and cultural rights in Iran. However, the Guards resumed their offensive on September 2 and rejected any ceasefire call by PJAK, saying the Kurdish rebels have no choice but to lay down arms or leave the border areas. On 19 September Iran's ground forces commander, Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, told the Vatan-e-Emrooz
Vatan-e-Emrooz
Vatan-e-Emrooz is a daily Persian-language newspaper managed by Mehrdad Bazrpash . Its publication is started just before Iranian presidential election on spring 2009. The newspaper is belongs to conservative parties and is a supporter of Ahmadinejad...
newspaper his forces would finish off armed Kurdish Iraqi-based rebels in the "coming days."
In September 2011, PJAK announced it had reached a cease-fire with the Iranian government, brokered by members of Iraq's Kurdish regional government. As of early November 2011, the cease-fire was still in effect, and refugees created by Iranian shelling inside Iraq were hoping they might be able to return to their villages in time for winter.
Relation to United States government and military structures
According to Iranian PressTV new agency, in early August 2011 US military officials met in Iraq with members of PJAK and promised them with weapons and financial aid. Iranian officials have stated that PJAK attacks come "with the support of America and the Zionist regime".On April 18, 2006, US Congressman, Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
sent a letter to US president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in which he expressed his judgment that the US is likely to be supporting and coordinating PJAK, since PJAK operates and is based in Iraqi
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
territory, which is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government
Kurdistan Regional Government
The Kurdistan Regional Government , , is the official ruling body of the predominantly Kurds-populated Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq...
.
In November 2006, journalist Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters...
writing in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, supported this claim, stating that the US military and the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is are giving the group equipment, training, and targeting information in order to create internal pressures in Iran. According to French journalist Thierry Meyssan
Thierry Meyssan
Thierry Meyssan is a French journalist and political activist.He is the author of investigations into the extreme right wing , as well as into the Catholic Church Thierry Meyssan (born 18 May 1957 in Talence, Gironde) is a French journalist and political activist.He is the author of investigations...
, author of 9/11: The Big Lie
9/11: The Big Lie
L'Effroyable imposture is the original French title of a highly controversial 2002 book by French journalist and political activist Thierry Meyssan. Its English edition is entitled 9/11: The Big Lie....
, American support for PJAK is a part of the US strategy to reshape the greater middle east.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government and PJAK officially deny cooperation. In one of the first actions of the Obama administration, PJAK was declared a terrorist organization, freezing any assets the PJAK has under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting American citizens from doing business with the organization.
In an interview with Slate magazine
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
in June 2006, when PJAK spokesman Ihsan Warya was paraphrased as stating that he "nevertheless points out that PJAK really does wish it were an agent of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and that [PJAK is] disappointed that Washington hasn't made contact." The Slate article continues stating that the PJAK wishes to be supported by and work with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in overthrowing the government of Iran in a similar way to the US eventually cooperated with Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
organisations in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in overthrowing the government of Iraq during the most recent Iraq war.
In August 2007, the leader of PJAK visited Washington, DC in order to seek more open support from the US both politically and militarily but it was later said that he only made limited contacts with officials in Washington. One of the top officials in the PKK made a statement in late 2006, that "If the US is interested in PJAK, then it has to be interested in the PKK as well" referring to the alliance between the two groups and their memberships in the Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK).
Arrest of Haji Ahmadi, the group leader
In March 2010 the leader of PJAK, Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi, was arrested at his residence in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by German Police. Haji Ahmadi, however was released shortly afterward without the German government giving any details about the reason he was arrested or released.
Before his release, the Iranian government asked Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to extradite the leader to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
turned down Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's request saying Haji Ahmadi is a German citizen.
Families of individuals killed by the PJAK in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
demonstrated in front of the German Embassy in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
after his arrest, asking for the extradition and punishment of the group leader.
Iran became angry about the Germans' decision to free Haji Ahmadi, considering that the group had caused unrest in towns near the Iran-Iraq border and had killed civilians in those regions.Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news conference in Tehran "The European countries, despite chanting the slogan of defending human rights, are practically supporting terrorism," and "There are many clues showing that Europe has become a safe haven for terrorists."
See also
- Kurdistan Workers PartyKurdistan Workers PartyThe Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
- Abdullah ÖcalanAbdullah ÖcalanAbdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
- Kurdish peopleKurdish peopleThe Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
- Iranian KurdistanIranian KurdistanIranian Kurdistan is an unofficial name for the parts of Iran inhabited by Kurds and has borders with Iraq and Turkey. It includes Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, Ilam Province and parts of West Azerbaijan province....