Talabani will leave behind a legacy that only a few can achieve in their lifespan. Indeed, he united both Kurds and Arabs, and devoted his life to both the Iraqi and Kurdish Cause. A good leader leads by example, and I am certain that through Mam Jalal's achievements and struggle, he has opened a box of hope for the future of both Iraq and the Kurdistan region.

The actions of the brave soldiers encapsulate the story of the Iraqi people as they struggle against the forces of darkness, extremism and tyranny that are tearing the country apart. It is a heroic story, so why hasn't it been reported by western media?

In my early teens in Iraq, in the late fifties and early sixties, I used to accompany my father to farms to buy wheat grain for our own consumption, a...