Masrour Barzani
Encyclopedia
Masrour Barzani is a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party leadership, son of the current Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani
, and director of intelligence and security in Iraqi Kurdistan
. The KDP is one of the three main Kurdish
parties in Kurdistan, and is a member of the current coalition government.
He joined the Kurdish
resistance fighters, known as Peshmerga
or “those who face death", in 1985 at the age of 16. As such, he was an active participant in the infamous Battle of Khwakurk against Saddam Hussein
’s army in 1988. He also participated in the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein
after the first Gulf War and filmed both events.
Despite this irregular childhood given the tumultuous nature of the Kurdish
resistance, Barzani was able to complete his high school education in Iran. After seeing peace restored to the region in 1992, he went to London for a year-long course in English. Having successfully completed this, he continued on to receive a bachelor’s degree with honors in International Studies from the American University
in Washington, D.C.
During his time in Washington, Barzani was actively involved in improving understanding of the Kurdish
plight in America
. He also established a Barzani Scholar-in-Residence program at American University
, in order to continue these efforts into the future.
In 1998, he returned to Kurdistan and was elected by the KDP's 12th Congress to the Central Committee. Later that same year he became part of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Leadership before receiving his current appointment as the General Director of the Protection and Intelligence Agency.
Barzani is married and has two children, one son and one daughter. He is fluent in Kurdish
, Persian
and English
in addition to understanding Arabic
.
Under his stewardship, women have been officially added to the Kurdish
security services and many can now be seen publicly serving as guards outside government buildings.
He was a vocal critic of many of the proposals found in the Iraq
Study Group, authoring a Washington Post op-ed on the subject.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901279.html He has also appeared in several television interviews on security-related matters.
Masrour Barzani has also been credited with working to ensure that veterans of the Kurdish struggle who are members of his father's political party receive their pensions.
In a January 2010 interview with the Jamestwon Foundation, Masrour Barzani said that the Iraq
i Constitution has laid out a clear solution for the status of the city of Kirkuk
and other disputed areas.
Massoud Barzani
Massoud Barzani is the current President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Barzani was born in Mahabad, Iran, during the rule of the Republic of Mahabad...
, and director of intelligence and security in Iraqi Kurdistan
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...
. The KDP is one of the three main 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...
parties in Kurdistan, and is a member of the current coalition government.
He joined 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...
resistance fighters, known as Peshmerga
Peshmerga
Peshmerga or Peshmerge is the term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. Literally meaning "those who face death" the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan have been in existence since the advent of the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s, following the collapse of the Ottoman...
or “those who face death", in 1985 at the age of 16. As such, he was an active participant in the infamous Battle of Khwakurk against Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
’s army in 1988. He also participated in the 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
after the first Gulf War and filmed both events.
Despite this irregular childhood given the tumultuous nature of 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...
resistance, Barzani was able to complete his high school education in Iran. After seeing peace restored to the region in 1992, he went to London for a year-long course in English. Having successfully completed this, he continued on to receive a bachelor’s degree with honors in International Studies from the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
During his time in Washington, Barzani was actively involved in improving understanding of 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...
plight in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also established a Barzani Scholar-in-Residence program at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, in order to continue these efforts into the future.
In 1998, he returned to Kurdistan and was elected by the KDP's 12th Congress to the Central Committee. Later that same year he became part of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Leadership before receiving his current appointment as the General Director of the Protection and Intelligence Agency.
Barzani is married and has two children, one son and one daughter. He is fluent in Kurdish
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....
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in addition to understanding Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Under his stewardship, women have been officially added to 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...
security services and many can now be seen publicly serving as guards outside government buildings.
He was a vocal critic of many of the proposals found in the 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...
Study Group, authoring a Washington Post op-ed on the subject.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901279.html He has also appeared in several television interviews on security-related matters.
Masrour Barzani has also been credited with working to ensure that veterans of the Kurdish struggle who are members of his father's political party receive their pensions.
In a January 2010 interview with the Jamestwon Foundation, Masrour Barzani said that the 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 Constitution has laid out a clear solution for the status of the city of Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
and other disputed areas.