Exploring Duhok, Zaxo, and Amedi in Kurdistan

“A key to the Iraqi Kurds’ success in 2005 was preparation.” In Paris, former US ambassador and constitutional expert Peter Galbraith reflects on how Kurdish negotiators entered Iraq’s post-2003 talks with a clear programme and a disciplined team. Preparation, he argues, shaped outcomes. Their 2004 plan limited Baghdad’s powers and spelled out what would remain federal. If a subject fell outside that list, Kurdistan law would prevail. The region’s parliament would be able to amend or cancel Iraq