Zoom in of craggy mountain to reveal town of Duhok
The Kurdish city of Duhok in Northern Iraq has seen little peace. Throughout the 8 year war with Iran the city was regularly shelled, and this house was destroyed by an American bomb during the Gulf War. There were no military targets evident in Duhok.

Mullah calling to prayer
Zoom out of Rashid Mustaffa
Rashid Mustaffa lost his wife and eldest daughter in the explosion. His ten children were injured

After they hit me with bomb and I feel that I am very tired and I cannot lie with these childrens because we have no more eating no more milk for these children, cannot see my children because all of the them cry and cry and I also cry.

And then for a few short days it appeared that a new order and hope had arrived in the city of Duhok. On the 14th of March the Kurdish people rose up against Sadaam. The constant fear and suspicion had been erased. Sadaam's brutal reign had been beaten.

But the ‘Intafada' as the Kurds came to call their revolution was a deceptively easy battle. The war-weary Iraqi army had all but lost the will to fight. The Gulf War had weakened the Iraqi command structure. During the Iran/Iraq war Sadaam had armed all Kurdish males, making the rebellion even easier.

The Pershmerger had been given enough guns for this war.All men had been given guns by the Iraqi regime. Then when the opportunity came we worked together and have almost completed the battle we planned.

So far the Kurds had little need to use their guns. With massive desertions from the local Kurdish military forces, the remaining Iraqi's simply packed their bags and left leaving much of their hardware behind. There were few Kurds in the Iraqi army who would fight against their own people.

We were in the artillery division, when we heard on the radio that the Pershmerger had taken Duhok, six of us, of the same rank, contacted the Pershmerger. All six of us were Iraqi officers. We are now with the Pershmerger.

The destruction evident, throughout the city, might seem the aftermath of major battles. It is in fact the work of jubilant Kurds destroying all signs of Sadaam. The officials from these party offices escaped long before the building was ravaged. They suspected a rebellion was about to occur. Shortly before the uprising an official Iraqi security document was distributed. It indicates some of the reasons behind the mass exodus of the local population a few days later. It instructs the security forces to eliminate 95% of those rising against Sadaam and the Bath Party.

The hated security police responsible for implementing such instructions were eagerly sought out and captured. Here incarcerated in there own prison, they await an uncertain fate.

When questioned about the Pershmerger about the security police document, Iraqi police captain, Valin Mustaffa, admitted knowledge of the order.

This order is to all security officers in Iraq. It instructs that any unfriendly demonstrations against Sadaam, or the Ba'ath Party be acted against by killing 95% of those involved and leaving 5% for interrogation.

There is evidence everywhere of the brutality suffered by the Kurdish people at the hands of the Iraqi government security forces. In buildings like this, thousands of Kurdish were kept. They were arrested for living in rebellious regions, often the crime of a distant family member. Thousands of Kurdish families raised their children in such places.

When the army had identified Pershmerger fighters they would bring his family here. They would receive no food and be tortured for six or seven days.They tortured me like that. I saw all of these things my self. After being in Abow Koriab for one year I felt pain everywhere. I couldn't walk properly.

Mortar shot
Though the world applauded the rebellion of the Kurds against Sadaam, it was not nearly so easy to take an active part in their war.

At Harbour border crossing into Turkey the departing Iraqi army had blown up the bridge knowing that any link between Turkey and the Kurds would be vital to the survival of the Kurdish rebellion. But Turkish authorities and the West refused to come up with the solution to their dilemma. The seriousness of the situation was gradually dawning on the Kurdish leadership.

Everybody's talking about necessary supplies for their bare existence. When today I made a speech among/before the public when I said that I hope the international community will deliver food supplies very soon, the crowd was over enthusiastic, because they need things and they are a bit afraid the supplies ago down to zero.

Only Syria opened the border over the Tigris River, allowing small quantities of arms to reach the Pershmerger. But more importantly, she allowed the world's media to cross into Northern Iraq.

Welcome to Kurdistan.Thank you.
Within a few days, nearly 150 international journalists entered into the newly liberated Kurdish regions. Through the journalists the Kurds believed the world would hear their pleas and recognise the horror they would suffer should Sadaam be allowed to take Kurdistan.

But even before the first pictures began to arrive in the west, critical shortages had begun to signal ‘time was running out'.

These chickens were the last meat to be sold in Duhok. An element of panic had begun to infect the local population.
Early on, long queues stretched from petrol outlets, to maintain the supply of troops and ammunition to the front lines stocks of fuel were vital. When the Iraqi's departed, they'd left little behind, having themselves suffered shortages.

As word spread that the Iraqi's were amassing for a concerted push to regain the north, the isolated Kurds could only wait for the ex0pected onslaught.

As unwanted pawns on a larger political chessboard, their fate was almost predetermined.

Then at 8am on March the 3rd everything changed in the city of Duhok. For the first time the Iraqi's shelled the city itself. 5 Shells reigned down killing 1 and injuring 7.
Bloodied faces like this were all that was needed to break the back of Duhok rebellion.

Even in the hospital wards, organisation began to crumble. This dead woman left to lie with other patients.

To the people of Duhok, the attack signalled the end of their brief freedom.

Within an hour they were packing their belongings and streaming through the city to escape Sadaam's revenge.
Every means of transport, even Duhok's fire engine.
On the street's, tension began to erupt as the escaping population used cars essential for the war effort.

The Pershmerger refused to recognise the catastrophe that was occurring.

For them it was more difficult to abandon their newly freed homeland.
Duhok is like other cities in Kurdistan. We are used to the enemy shelling our cities. We are not afraid but what can we do about the women and children? They are afraid but they are not leaving for good. They are just going to places of safety of nearby.

But by the following day the city of Duhok was all but deserted.

On the frontlines, beyond the city, the shelling had intensified though there was little to indicate that Duhok was about to fall to the Iraqi's.

Then a rainstorm that night brought with it a cascade of Iraqi shells, conventional and phosphorus lobbed across the mountain. It was the deciding factor for most of the remaining Kurds.

Sadaam is merciless. He will kill everyone with biological and chemical weapons of the children and families. He will kill everyone.

In the early hours of the following morning, the city under massive bombardment, the last of Duhok's people headed to the mountains and safety.

Behind them they left everything they own - their homes the lives.

My father is here, all the children, women. George Bush why don't you interfere in ... God help us

The helicopters George Bush promised would never be allowed to attack circled above, firing at the fleeing refugees, whenever the Pershmerger fired RPG rockets.

At Desthak, a hundred kilometres from Duhok, 25 thousand tired and weary people, congregated across the river from Turkey. Nobody believed the Turks wouldn't allow them to pass.

Across the river in Turkey border guards controlled constantly. At the military base above helicopters buzzed as Turkish authorities arrived to assess the situation. Then leaflets were dropped warning the Kurds they would not be given permission to cross into Turkey.

Turkey says they will never let anybody cross the river, and if anyone wants to cross maybe they will shoot him.

All these people are asking for is for the west to intervene, to rescue us from this situation. We want to cross the Turkish border and request political asylum.

The 60-kilometre march that followed finally brought the refugees to a remote mountain pass on the Turkish border. There they felt safely removed from Sadaam's weapons. How long they remain on the border is up to the world.

Unless a long-term solution can be found to solve the tragedy that is Kurdish history the Kurds will continue to suffer.