Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq, has been a prominent figure in the fight for Kurdish autonomy. Born on August 16, 1946, in Mahabad, Kurdistan, Iran, Barzani has dedicated his life to the Kurdish cause.

Early Life and Career

Barzani was born to General Mustafa Barzani, the chief of the military of the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad, and Hamayil Khan. He joined the Peshmerga, a Kurdish fighting force, in 1962 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 1970, he was part of the Kurdish delegation that negotiated a peace accord with the Iraqi government, which granted some autonomy to the Kurdish region.

Leadership and Conflict

In 1979, Barzani became the president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party after his father’s death. He has since been a key figure in the fight for Kurdish independence, leading the party through various conflicts and negotiations with the Iraqi government. In 1994, he led a war against the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a rival Kurdish faction, which ended with a peace agreement in 1998.

Recent Developments

In 2014, Barzani announced that the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas in northern Iraq were part of the Kurdish autonomous region. He has also been a key figure in the fight against ISIS, meeting with US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in 2016 to discuss the next steps in the fight against the terrorist group.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.