In the aftermath of the First Gulf War, groups rose up against Saddam Hussein's regime in a bid to win independence from Baghdad with devastating results for those involved and in particular for the Kurds of Northern Iraq. The Iraqi army responded with deadly force leading to the displacement of millions and the creation of an enormous refugee crisis in Northern Iraq. By April of 1991 and led by the British government a coalition had been put together and launched Operation Haven. This involved coalition forces entering Northern Iraq and creating a safe zone that would allow Kurdish refugees to return home. In this episode, Dan is joined by General Andy Salmona who was one of the Royal Marines who spearheaded Operation Haven and protected the refugees from Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist forces. He is also joined by Nawroz is a Kurdish folk singer and former Peshmerga fighter whose singing voice is so powerful that it was considered a weapon of war and made him a wanted man. Nawroz and Andy now work together on projects promoting peace and international fraternity and this podcast was a chance for them to relay their experiences in Iraq 30 years ago and explain why their work together is so important.
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