Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

PUK

12/12/2006

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Under the leadership of Sunni Kurd Jalal Talabani, the PUK formed in June 1975, initially becoming a rival combatant to its parent but is now a partner. Like the majority of Kurdish religious, political, and militant groups, the PUK seeks to establish an independent Kurdish state based on a blend of Marxist and Islamic ideals.

Kurdish Muslims are indigenous to a region commonly referred to as Kurdistan. It is composed of northwestern Iran, northeastern Iraq, eastern Syria, and eastern Turkey. Estimated at about 30 million people, the Kurds are one of the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world.

During the 1980s, the PUK was involved in numerous kidnappings of foreign nationals. Their stated purpose was to curb foreign support for Saddam Hussein's government and his oppressive policies towards them. The PUK also launched frequent and effective attacks against Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War as a result of the group's alliance with the Iranian Shi'a mullahs. But being duplicitous Muslims, the PUK also formed an alliance with the Sunni-Pakistani Taliban and then entered into talks with the Iraqi government regarding an agreement to help repel Iranian troops in return for autonomy. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Syria, who at the time was a Ba'athist ally of Iraq, was one of the principal supporters of the PUK. They provided safe sanctuary for Jalal Talabani after he was exiled from Iraq for his cooperation with Iran.

During the Gulf War of 2003, the PUK officially supported the US-led coalition in its overthrow of Saddam Hussein. However, at the same time, PUK Muslims were conducting jihadist missions against American troops, killing many of them. Recently PUK militia have allied with coalition forces, and have been involved in the execution of fellow Kurds who were active in fundamentalist Islamic groups such as Ansar al-Islam. Kurdish Islamists opposed the PUK's socialist secular leanings because they sought to establish an Islamic state for Kurds.

Appointed by the United States as a member of the interim Iraq governing council, Jalal Talabani held the presidency of that group during the month of November 2003. In June 2005, Jalal Talabani, Secretary General of the PUK, was appointed President of Iraq by the Iraqi Provisional Council. As such, the terrorist leader gained control over the region's police force, schools, tax collectors, and U.S.-equipped army.