Gulan: to what extent are optimistic about Maliki’s dismissal from office?

Stevenson: I am very optimistic, and indeed welcome the appointment of Dr. Haidar Al-Abadi as prime minister, and the necessary dismissal of Nouri Al-Maliki, and I congratulate President Mas’um, the new Iraqi president for his great courage and appointing Haidar Al-Abadi, and refusing to listen to the protest from Maliki. Maliki has become almost desperate in his effort to become a prime minister for the third term even deploying thousands of supporters on the streets of Baghdad, and sending out some of his military supporters to control the streets because he is desperate to hold on to the job of the prime minister because he knows once he leaves the post and is no longer prime minister, he loses the immunity from prosecution that comes with the post prime minister and he could face and should face charges of crimes against humanity, a war crimes of embezzlement, corruption and of bringing about the situation that has led to the fracturing of Iraq in recent months.

Gulan: so do you think he will not use violence to maintain his position?

Stevenson: I know Nouri Al-Malik will use every kind of opportunity to maintain his grip on power including violence. We have seen in the past when he was prepared to use violence against Sunni provinces in almost a genocidal campaign and he is using excuse of the fact that he is trying to fight the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, he uses this as the excuse that he is one that he is trying to mobilize the Iraqi military against ISIS and pretend that he was trying to provide weaponry and help to the leader Kurds in the KRG area to fight ISIS. In order that he can try to maintain his grip on power, and try to pursued the international community that he should remain in power. The problem is there would not be the current crisis involving the Islamic State and the insurgency and the civil war that is breaking out, if hadn’t been for his mismanagement of Iraq, his corruption, and his violent aggression against anyone except his own Shiite supporters.

Gulan: how do you see the role of Peshmerga fighting ISIS?

Stevenson: the Peshmerga has put up a very brave and courageous fight against the Islamic State, and the Islamic State are one of the most brutal, horrible, and terrorist organizations that have ever come to being in the Middle East, even Al-Qaida has distanced themselves from the brutality of the Islamic State who seems to be more keen on murder and bloodshed that is trying to bring peaceful coexistence to any part of the territory that they are trying to conquer. So the Peshmerga has very bravely confronted them, but unfortunately the Peshmerga do not have available the extent of arms and weaponry that the Islamic State has captured from the offenses against the Iraqi army, so confronted by modern weaponry and modern rockets and grand missiles, it has been extremely difficult for the Peshmerga to manage to hold territory. That is why the west know the Americans and the British need to start arming Kurdistan and the Peshmerga to enable them to have modern weapons at their disposal that they are able to fight back effectively because we know how brave and courageous the Peshmerga soldiers are, so they need to be given modern tools and modern weapons to enable them to fight back in an evenhanded way, and we need American air strikes to slow the advance of the Islamic State and give the Peshmerga chances to fight back properly.

Gulan: to what extent is European Union going to support the Kurdish region directly by arming them?

Stevenson: the European Union is appalled at the fate of the Yazidis who have forced to flee to the mountains where they are facing either death at the hands of the Islamic State or death by starvation and dehydration because there is no food or water on the mountains for these people. This is an appalling situation and the EU is very keen to see that these people are rescued. Similarly, the plight of the Christian minority where have been driven out of their key cities and towns in Nineveh, this is something that is causing great concern in the European Union. The EU knows from many speeches and articles for I have made and listen and many speeches in the European parliament that have been made that the KRG has provided a safe haven for refugees from Syria, from the rest of Iraq during the insurgencies, and hundreds of thousands Kurdish and Christian refugees and we cannot let the Kurds to deal alone with these and to be victims of the Islamic State, we must provide the KRG with all possible support and recognition of the fact that they have offered the hand to the Christians and offered a safe haven for the past ten years to tens of thousands of refugees from that region.

Gulan: how far is the EU going to support the KRG to prevent genocide of Christians and Yazidi minorities?

Stevenson: the only possible way in the short term is to support the American policy of using air strikes, to support the British and Americans in providing food, water, and tents for the refugees, for the Yazidis and the Christians who are requiring help and to provide modern weapons to the Peshmerag to enable them to fight back effectively against the Islamic State. This is what the EU know must do and I am sure that this is what the majority of EU member states will support this policy.

Gulan: As you know President Barzani shows his determination to fight the terrorist to the last breath, so how do you see this position of President Barzani?

Stevenson: we regard President Masoud Barzani as a loyal chief, as the most formidable leader in all of Iraq and one of the most reverend and formidable leaders in the Middle East. If anyone can lead the people of Kurdistan to freedom and defeat the Islamic State, it will be President Masoud Barzani.

Gulan: How could the EU support the KRG in terms of economy because despite this terrible situation, Maliki has cut the Kurdish share of Budget for eight months?

Stevenson: the first thing we have to do is continue our support for the new Prime Minister Dr. Haider Al-Abadi and our support for President Mas’um in holding out against Maliki and insuring that Maliki is forced out of office because then the new Prime Minister, which could support him in forming a cabinet that is clear of the influence of foreign forces particularly the Iranian regime, and that is a cabinet which represent all the people of Iraq and not simply a sectarian cabinet; we should then support the complete cleansing of the army so that it becomes a national fighting force in Iraq and then we should support the only army of the Peshmerga with modern weapons and supporting the air strikes by America against the Islamic State. This is the only way that we will then see the Iraqi army able to fight back in the rest of Iraq against the Islamic State and the Peshmerga able to defend their territory and recapture these cities and towns that they are lost to ISIS.

Gulan: anything to add at the end?

Stevenson: I have visited Erbil on many occasions and saw Kurdistan and Erbil as the shining example of how peaceful coexistence can lead to economic prosperity, to the creation of jobs. Erbil was almost like a dynamic western city, and to see Erbil and Kurdistan threatened by the ISIS terrorist is a shock to me and a shock to everybody in Europe, and we send all of our support and best wishes to President Barzani and to the people of Kurdistan, and you could be sure that we will stand behind you to make sure that you will win the fight against the Islamic State.