by Massoud Barzani, interviewed by Harvard International Review

About the author: Massoud Barzani is president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq and a member of the Presidential Council of the Iraqi National Congress. Harvard International Review is published quarterly by the Harvard International Relations Council, Inc.

Questions of humanitarian intervention are often considered in a theoretical context by persons who can declare opinions without having to deal with the practical consequences. The perspective of the victims of human rights violations offers a different look at the intervention issue which complements that of the theorists. As a leader of the Iraqi Kurds, Massoud Barzani considers his people’s experiences when analyzing the intervention problem. He agreed to answer the following questions for the Harvard International Review.

Humanitarian Intervention Defined

Harvard International Review: How do you define “humanitarian...