Kurdistan - The Other Iraq

The Kurdistan&mdash;The Other Iraq campaign, managed by the Kurdistan Development Corporation (KDC), first "launched on US television networks and print media in the week beginning Monday, November 7th 2005," according to a November 28, 2005, KDC news release. 

"The campaign includes a message of thanks from the people of Iraqi Kurdistan to the people of America for their role in the liberating of Iraq and continues with information on the relative security and investment potential of the Region. Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Chairman of the KDC spent a week in Washington being interviewed on US networks and radio," the news release said.

Promoting the Iraq within Iraq
Qubad Talabani, a former car mechinic who is the son of Iraq's president Jalal Talabani and who represents the Kurdish Regional Government in Washington, "has enormous clout." 

"With Sunni and Shiite Arabs locked in a bloody sectarian war, Iraq's Kurds are promoting their interests through an influence-buying campaign in the United States that includes airing nationwide television advertisements, hiring powerful Washington lobbyists and playing parts of the U.S. government against each other," Rajiv Chandrasekaran reported April 23, 2007, in the Washington Post.

Russo Marsh & Rogers' role
In November 2005, the public was invited to support the "The Other Iraq" by mailing contributions to Move America Forward, "ATTN: Pro-Troop Holiday Ad Fund", in Sacramento, CA.

In late July 2006, the Kurdish Regional Government in Northern Iraq commenced running the television ad campaign again in both the United States and the UK. The campaign is "aimed at attracting potential US and British investors to the region," the Turkish online publication Hürriyet reported July 27, 2006. The US public relations firm Russo Marsh & Rogers "is responsible for the ads, which were put together in coordination with the Northern Iraqi Kurdish led government."

Russo Marsh & Rogers also "founded the 'Stop Michael Moore' campaign to discredit the film Fahrenheit 9/11 and a group called 'Move America Forward', which has brought parents of dead soldiers to be counter-protesters at peace demonstrations," Aaron Glantz wrote July 31, 2006, for Inter Press News Service.

"The firm has also brought right-wing talk-show hosts to Iraq" on a "Truth Tour" "to tell 'the good news that the old-line liberal news media won't tell you about'," Glantz wrote.

Domain name
The THEOTHERIRAQ.COM domain name was created January 11, 2005, registered to TUCOWS Inc. and with an Amsterdam IP address.

Contact information
Kurdistan Development Corporation Phone US: 916 233-4055 / 781-0659 Phone UK: +44 (0)20 7170 4300 Website: http://www.kurdistancorporation.com/ Website: http://theotheriraq.com/

SourceWatch resources

 * civil war in Iraq
 * Kurdistan Development Corporation
 * Lincoln Group
 * Russo Marsh & Rogers
 * stay the course
 * violence in the Middle East

General information

 * The Other Iraq and Move America Forward in the Wikipedia.

Articles

 * Michael Rubin, "The Other Iraq," Jerusalem Report (Washington Institute for Near East Policy), December 31, 2001.
 * Simon Donohue, "Kurdistan Calling," Manchester Online (Kurdistan Observer), May 15, 2004.
 * David Axe, "Dancing Ambassadors to Kurdistan. The Idaho National Guard's strange occupation of northern Iraq," Boise Weekly, April 6, 2005.
 * "The Other Iraq," Gunner Palace, May 30, 2005: "Here, it's another world. In fact, the Kurds will soon run ads on CNN advertising Kurdistan as 'The Other Iraq'."
 * Therese Marie, "Press Junket to 'Happy Iraq' Journalism or Propaganda?" News Hounds, July 6, 2005.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "The Selling of Brand Kurdistan. As chaos continues across much of Iraq, the governing authority is coming to yet another crossroads," Inter Press Service, August 1, 2005; WorkingForChange, August 11, 2005.
 * "Iraqi's Thank America," The Other Iraq (Free Republic), November 8, 2005.
 * Deborah, "Thank You Ad From Kurdistan On FOX," News Hounds, November 9, 2005: "It seems, however, that this ad is sponsored by the Kurdistan Development Corporation and is more about making money than giving thanks."
 * "'The Other Iraq' Thanks America!" Gateway Pundit, November 10, 2005.
 * Dave Nalle, "Is it Time to Vacation in Iraq?" Blog Critics, November 11, 2005.
 * Guy Dinmore, "Kurds seek to draw foreign investors to 'the other Iraq'," Financial Times, November 14, 2005; Mathaba News, November 15, 2005; The Financial Express, December 5, 2005.
 * Charles Chapman, "Kurdistan: The Other Iraq," The Is-Ought Problem Blogspot, November 21, 2005.
 * Sharon Behn, "Kurds keep the peace in their own 'nation'," Washington Times (KurdMedia.com), November 30, 2005.
 * Jeffrey M. Baker, "Support the war! The war on terror has been good for Move America Forward. It’s brought the conservative activist group notoriety, cash and ratings," Sacramento News and Review, December 8, 2005.
 * Transcript: "Live From ...: Iraqi and U.S. Officials Calling Election Successful," CNN, December 16, 2005.
 * Heather Stewart, "Iraq's future still going up in smoke," The Observer (UK), January 15, 2006.
 * "The Other Iraq," fDi Magazine (KurdistanCorporation.com), February 2006.
 * Mia Early, "KDC visits Sweden to promote investment opportunities in Kurdistan," Peyamner News Agency/Peyamner Daily (Kurdistan), April 24, 2006.
 * John P. Gramlich, "US investors cautious on Kurdistan," UPI (American University), April 28, 2006.
 * "Foreign Investors See Northern Iraq as Gateway to Rest of Country," Iraq Development Program, July 3, 2006.
 * "Foreign companies privileged in new Kurdish investment law," Kurdish Aspect (Colorado), July 11, 2006.
 * "Presentations from Kurdistan Business Briefing: Kurdistan Development Corporation, London, The Kurdistan Region in Iraq: Opportunities and Practicalities," Kurdish Aspect (Colorado), July 18, 2006.
 * "The Other Iraq," War News Radio from Swarthmore College, July 21, 2006.
 * Press Release: "Peaceful Middle East Region. Seeks US Support. Iraqi Kurds Launch US Media Campaign Thanking Americans," Distributed by Russo Marsh & Rogers, Inc. on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government. For more information contact the U.S. Department of Justice (Kurdistan Blog Count), July 22, 2006.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "At Russo Marsh & Rogers the 'truth' is always on tour," Media Transparency, July 23, 2006: "Helping Move America Forward report the good news from its 'Truth Tour' in Iraq, and working on PR for the Kurdistan Regional Government, has given the California-based firm an opportunity to shape public opinion one story at a time."
 * Tom Lane, "Iraq: Land of Opportunity? Kurds Unveil Campaign to Show America 'The Other Iraq'," ABC News, July 25, 2006.
 * Al Kamen, "The Iraq We Haven't Seen," Washington Post; Free Republic (with comments), July 26, 2006.
 * Eric Deggans, "Selling Iraq While Lebanon Burns," The Huffington Post, July 26, 2006.
 * Donna, "Kurdistan - The Other Iraq," News Hounds, July 24, 2006.
 * "Madison Avenue treatment for 'The Other Iraq: Kurdistan'," Hürriyet (Turkey); The Turkish Weekly, July 27, 2006.
 * Vladimir van Wilgenburg, "Kurdistan: Kurds promote Kurdistan in America," LawkSalih.com, July 27, 2006.
 * Mark Matthews, "Iraqi Kurds Look To Court Investors. Send Delegation To The Bay Area," ABC7 KGO-TV/DT (California), July 27, 2006.
 * Kate Williamson, "'Other Iraq' campaign visits S.F.," The Examiner (Boston), July 27, 2006; ABC (Kurdish Aspect (Colorado)), July 28, 2006.
 * Aaron Glantz, "Critics Suspicious of Kurdish Representatives on US Tour," Free Speech Radio News, July 28, 2006.
 * "Wish You Were Here, in Kurdistan," NPR, July 29, 2006.
 * "Kurdish Region Ripe For Investiment" (Updated), California High School Conservative Blogspot, July 29, 2006.
 * "Prime Minister's speech: Announcement of Kurdistan investment law. KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani’s speech on the announcement of the Kurdistan investment law," Kurdistan Regional Government, July 30, 2006.
 * Aaron Glantz, "Kurdish 'Thank You' a Republican Stunt?", Inter Press News Service, July 31, 2006; "Kurds just want to thank the US," Asia Times, August 2, 2006.
 * "Russo Marsh & Rogers Flacks for Iraq" PRWatch Spin of the Day, July 31, 2006.
 * "Kurds Show Path To Success in Iraq," The Intelligencer & Wheeling News (WVA), July 31, 2006.
 * Eric Deggens, "Selling Iraq While Lebanon Burns," The Huffington Post, July 26, 2006.
 * Aaron Glantz, "Critics Suspicious of Kurdish Representatives on US Tour," Free Speech Radio News, July 28, 2006.
 * "Russo Marsh & Rogers Flacks for Iraq," PR Watch, July 31, 2006.
 * Aaron Glantz, Kurdish "Thank You" a Republican Stunt?, Inter Press News Service, July 31, 2006; Asia Times, August 1, 2006.
 * Bill Berkowitz, "The selling of brand Kurdistan. As the 'Truth Tour' fades into the ether, Russo Marsh & Rogers, a California-based public relations firm with close ties to the Republican Party, is now helping the Kurds prepare for the future," Inter Press Service, August 1, 2006; WorkingForChange, August 11, 2006; Dissident Voice, August 12, 2006.
 * "Daily Show 'The Other Iraq'," YouTube, posted August 7, 2006.
 * "Stay The Course, It’s Working," The Post-Journal (Jamestown, NY), August 8, 2006.
 * Diane Farsetta, "Moving Foreign Investment Forward: A Strange PR Pick for Iraqi Kurdistan," PR Watch, September 27, 2006.
 * Alicia A. Caldwell, "Iraq Kurdistan launches tourism campaign," Associated Press, October 20, 2006.
 * Rajiv Chandrasekaran, "Kurds Cultivating Their Own Bonds With U.S.," Washington Post, April 23, 2007.
 * Susan Taylor Martin, "It's a land of big dreams - in Iraq: Peace and patience prevail in the Kurdish north. That boom you hear is luxury housing on the rise," St Petersburg Times (Florida), August 12, 2007.
 * Julia Pettengill, "Don’t Forget 'The Other Iraq': Why the US and UK should do more to support Iraqi Kurdistan," Henry Jackson Society, August 2, 2008.