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A TV reporter visited a military camp of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), on the border with Iran, and interviewed members and commanders. "We expect an Iranian attack at any given moment, so we must be prepared," said Bahman Dehqan, a PDKI military commander. Ja'afar Mustafapur, a member of the group, said that he supported the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and hoped that a similar one would be held in Eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan one day. Muhammad Saleh Qaderi, a PDKI leader, said that unless other countries heeded their demands, there was a "strong likelihood of war and secession." The report was broadcast on Alaan TV on October 12.
Jinan Musa: "'We have no friends but the mountains' is an oft-repeated Kurdish saying, a saying that one can fully appreciate only when one sees these mountains, which protect them in northern Iraq, and which cannot be conquered because of their terrain.
"Just a few kilometers from the Iranian border, military training begins in one of the camps of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI). After the battle plan is drawn up, the shooting begins. It is followed by the firing of an RPG. Members of the Peshmerga, the military wing of this party, assume their positions behind the fortifications, and they carry out the missions assigned to them."
[...]
Ja'afar Mustafapur: "As Peshmerga from Eastern [Iranian] Kurdistan, and as members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, we support the referendum. The people in Eastern Kurdistan also support the referendum, and are very optimistic about it. We hope that one day we will hold a similar referendum in our regions in Eastern [Iranian] Kurdistan."
Jinan Musa: "Under the golden rays of the sun, Bahman, the military commander, tells me why they took up arms."
Bahman Dehqan: "We, as parties, are always prepared, because we are rebels. We are facing a barbaric regime, in our effort to liberate our nation, which has been living under occupation for 70 years. We must always be physically and militarily prepared. We expect an Iranian attack at any given moment, so we must be prepared."
[...]
Muhammad Saleh Qaderi: "We support the referendum in order to achieve our national rights. If other countries do not heed the demands of the Kurds, there is a strong likelihood of war and secession, in the countries where the Kurds live."
Jinan Musa: "Therefore, they are fully prepared here in the mountains, where the posts of the Iranian border guards are in clear view. We move on to a different location, and reach the point closest to the border between Iran and the Peshmerga. We will try to get closer now to see the Iranian forces deployed along the border. We must be careful and move quickly, so that we do not draw the attention of the Iranians who could bomb these positions. We have reached the farthest point on the Iraqi-Iranian border. We cannot go any farther, because the Iranian territory is only one kilometer from here.
[...]
"In the Peshmerga camp, military training is over for the day. It is time to play soccer. But even while playing sports, the weapons always remain at the ready. Then, in order to keep the morale high, the fighters sing ancient Kurdish songs, which describe self-sacrifice, struggle, and patriotism in a nostalgic way. The session ends with a traditional dance. And as they prepare to spend another cold night in these mountains, the Kurds of Iran are trying to benefit from the current anarchy in the region, and to draw the borders anew, according to their interests.
"This is Jinan Musa, Alaan TV news, from the Iraq-Iran border."
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