David L. Phillips is a visiting scholar at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Human Rights. He has worked as a senior adviser to the US Department of State and the United Nations Secretariat. He has held academic positions as a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies and as a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. He has also served as executive director of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations' Center for Preventive Action, director of the European Centre for Common Ground, project director at the International Peace Research Institute of Oslo, and president of the Congressional Human Rights Foundation. We contacted the Professor Phillips to discuss Mr. Masoud Barzani’s visit, the President of Kurdistan Region, to Washington, and he replied to our questions in an exclusive interview to Gulan Magazine as the following:

* Since the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, it is the first time that United States invites Barzani to white house, this is while Iraq is passing through a very delicate and fragile situation. According to your opinion: what is the importance of Barzani's visit to white house and how do you interpret the visit?
- The invitation is a signal of the importance of the Kurdistan Region and the willingness of Obama Administration to work with the President Barzani to solve problems that affect Iraq’s peace and stability.

* All the expected bad scenarios, for Iraq after the withdrawal of US forces, are happening and the political process is tremendously in danger. To what extend this situation of Iraq is threatening the future of the country and the whole area?
- The Iraqi Kurds are America’s first and best friend in Iraq, there significance will not be forgotten; nor will to the realization of Iraq’s interest that the country survive whole free.

* Currently Prime Minister, Nuri Al-Maliki, shares conflict with Allawi on one hand and with Kurdistan region on the other hand. The reason refers to ignoring the agreement which has shaped the Iraqi government and everyone describes Maliki as Authoritarian. Do you think if Maliki turns to become dictator and autocrat there will be sectarian war and violence in Iraq?
- Iraqi Kurdistan has never established independence as its official policy, Iraqi Kurds negotiated the constitution as a conflict resolution strategy for Iraq, but the constitution still the basis for solving problems, and Iraq should work together based on constitutional commitments to support encouragement from the United states, so that the country could move forward based on those understandings.

* Iraqis have already passed through the undesired experience of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. We all know that dictatorship can only rule in Iraq through using force and oppressing the different elements of the country. So, to what extend there is the risk of dictatorship taking place in Iraq again?
- The level of support by the United States in the future will be consisting with the level of support by the United States in the past regarding to implementing the constitution.

* The relations between Kurds and Baghdad are collapsing, Kurds have already made it clear that they no longer accept the autocracy and dictatorship of Maliki, and have also asked for returning back to dialogue and implementing constitution as soon as possible, but Maliki is not likely to do that. If the third aspect does not get involved, how long Kurds can go further with Iraq?
- Nobody wants the Iraqis to solve their dispute through violence; the constitution represents a negotiated settlement on the way forward. I understand your concern because Prime Ministers Maliki and the central government have not shown a good will towards Kurdistan Region, nor have fulfilled their commitments that were agreed in previous negotiations. It is important for president Barzani to make his case to the president Obama, and to reiterate the KRG’s commitment to a negotiated nonviolent solution to the issues that divide the Iraqis.

* There is the probability that if Maliki doesn't resolve the problems, Kurds, Sunnis and part of Shiite will withdraw from the government. But some observers think that, even if Kurds and Sunnis withdraw from the government but Maliki will not step down from the authority. So, don't you think that Iraqi political process will fail if Kurds and Sunnis withdraw from the government?
- If you are looking for a military guarantee, the United States are not going to provide one, nor might suggest that the United States should provide one. The United States will use its leverage and its influence in order to encourage the Iraqis to fulfill their current obligations, and that is what to be conducted by Iraqis and among Iraqis. And it has been an agreement on what is necessary to fulfill the commitments in the constitution.

* All the probabilities lead us to pessimistic outcomes. To what extend the failure of the Iraq will harm US interests in the Area and how far United States are prepared to intervene so as to resolve the problem?
- Of course the Kurds feel frustration at the unwillingness of Prime Ministers Maliki to implement the existing agreements. The Kurds have suffered over many decades and generations to realize their national aspirations, those aspirations are defined at the constitution, and if Iraq is committed to the rule of law it will fulfill its constitutional obligations, if the central government refuses to fulfill its obligations then the Kurdistan region must persevere in its governance to achieve a nonviolence negotiated solution, so that the aspiration of Kurds to be realized within a federal democratic republic of Iraq, with a centralized government and control at local levels.

* Last Question: If Maliki doesn’t resolve the problems Kurds, Sunni’s and part of sheet’s will withdraw from the government but some observers think that even if Kurd’s and Sunnis withdraw from the government Maliki will not step down from authority so, don’t you think that Iraqi political process will fail if Kurds and Sunnis withdraw from government ?
- I don’t think that they should withdraw from the government, they can express their grievances by non-cooperation with the government, but the new Iraq solves its problems through dialogue, and the old Iraq problems were solved through violence. We live in an era where the Iraqi Kurds were the champions in that chain, and they must continue their commitment to peaceful negotiations as the way of solving problems.
Last Word: The United States looks forward to welcoming president Barzani to Washington, his visit will be a celebration of the friendship between Americans and the Kurdish people, and an opportunity for the United States government to recommit diplomatic support and the realization of the goals that the Iraqi Kurds struggled for over many years.

Transcription: Mahmud Samih