Monday, October 08, 2007
Barzani defends Kurdistan's oil deals
Oil, Kurdistan
(AP) -- The leader of Kurdistan on Sunday defended his self-governing region's oil deals with international companies, saying the agreements were not an attempt to usurp the nation's oil resources but a way to make them work for all the people of Iraq. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, who wrote an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal, said eight contracts already had been signed and two more were expected soon.
The central government in Baghdad is upset about the deals, saying the Kurds should wait until the passage of a national oil law before signing any new contracts. But Barzani countered that the agreements are allowed under the Iraqi constitution, "which gives the regions of Iraq substantial control over natural resources."
"Many in the Iraqi Oil Ministry are locked in a time warp dating back to the regime of Saddam Hussein, in which Baghdad holds tight control of all the resources of Iraq and uses these resources to create obeisance and loyalty to the center," Barzani said.
If exploration leads to oil production, 85 percent of the profits would go to the government and the remainder would go to the companies. The profits would then be split -- giving 83 percent to the central government in Baghdad and 17 percent to the Kurds, Barzani sad. "We want peace and prosperity for the rest of Iraq as well," Barzani said. "We will contribute our fair share and more to that goal."
The Iraqi Cabinet approved a draft oil law last February and forwarded it to parliament, but parliament, citing legal technicalities, kicked it back to the Cabinet. The measure has been bogged down in negotiations ever since. Last August, the Kurds enacted their own oil law to regulate the oil sector in the region, further angering the central government in Baghdad.
"We waited five months for the Iraqi Assembly to pass the agreed draft. They have not acted and there is no sign that they will act anytime soon. We decided to lead from the front," Barzani said in Sunday's letter. "We are not a rogue province seeking an early escape from the chaos that has become Iraq."
The central government in Baghdad is upset about the deals, saying the Kurds should wait until the passage of a national oil law before signing any new contracts. But Barzani countered that the agreements are allowed under the Iraqi constitution, "which gives the regions of Iraq substantial control over natural resources."
"Many in the Iraqi Oil Ministry are locked in a time warp dating back to the regime of Saddam Hussein, in which Baghdad holds tight control of all the resources of Iraq and uses these resources to create obeisance and loyalty to the center," Barzani said.
If exploration leads to oil production, 85 percent of the profits would go to the government and the remainder would go to the companies. The profits would then be split -- giving 83 percent to the central government in Baghdad and 17 percent to the Kurds, Barzani sad. "We want peace and prosperity for the rest of Iraq as well," Barzani said. "We will contribute our fair share and more to that goal."
The Iraqi Cabinet approved a draft oil law last February and forwarded it to parliament, but parliament, citing legal technicalities, kicked it back to the Cabinet. The measure has been bogged down in negotiations ever since. Last August, the Kurds enacted their own oil law to regulate the oil sector in the region, further angering the central government in Baghdad.
"We waited five months for the Iraqi Assembly to pass the agreed draft. They have not acted and there is no sign that they will act anytime soon. We decided to lead from the front," Barzani said in Sunday's letter. "We are not a rogue province seeking an early escape from the chaos that has become Iraq."
Labels: draft oil law, Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, oil deals
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Barzani calls for implementation of Article 140
Politics
(Kurdish Globe) - Heightened anxiety among Iraqi groups and neighboring countries is due to fear that the execution of Article 140 will empower the Kurdistan government and inch it closer to declaring independence. Kurdish political leaders have once again insisted upon the implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution as a condition for remaining in the Nouri al-Maliki's government.
According to Qadir Aziz, the representative of Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Iraqi Region, in the four-sided agreement between the Kurds and the Shiite, the primary condition for the Kurds to remain in the al-Maliki government is the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk and the surrounding areas.
The city of Kirkuk and the surrounding areas are rich with oil and comprise a mixed ethnicity of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, and Chaldeo-Assyrians; the situation of these regions can be rectified by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution. In this constitutional article, it mentions that it's necessary to apply three stages for the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk and the surrounding areas. And toward the end of 2007, the people should have the right to vote in a referendum on the decision whether to remain with Baghdad or be annexed to Kurdistan Region.
After the withdrawal of the ministers who were members of the Sunni Accordance Front from the al-Maliki government, the security climate in the country worsened. Consequently, a number of factions signed an agreement for the purpose of resolving this chaos. This agreement comprises 27 points, and is between the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Dawa Party, and the Islamic Revolutionary Council in Iraq.
According to Qadir Aziz, the representative of Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Iraqi Region, in the four-sided agreement between the Kurds and the Shiite, the primary condition for the Kurds to remain in the al-Maliki government is the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk and the surrounding areas.
The city of Kirkuk and the surrounding areas are rich with oil and comprise a mixed ethnicity of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, and Chaldeo-Assyrians; the situation of these regions can be rectified by Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution. In this constitutional article, it mentions that it's necessary to apply three stages for the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk and the surrounding areas. And toward the end of 2007, the people should have the right to vote in a referendum on the decision whether to remain with Baghdad or be annexed to Kurdistan Region.
After the withdrawal of the ministers who were members of the Sunni Accordance Front from the al-Maliki government, the security climate in the country worsened. Consequently, a number of factions signed an agreement for the purpose of resolving this chaos. This agreement comprises 27 points, and is between the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Dawa Party, and the Islamic Revolutionary Council in Iraq.
COMMENT: This puts Maliki in a tricky position, particularly now, when he can ill afford to lose the little backing he has which would likely lead to the toppling of his government. However, Barzani has insisted on the implmentation of Article 140 on several occasions. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Article 140, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Qadir Aziz
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Sunnis shun Maliki's new alliance of Kurds and Shiites
Politics
(Gulf News) - The Iraqi prime minister and president on Thursday announced a new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds, saying Sunni moderates refused to join but the door remained open to them. Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki said the agreement was the first step to unblock political stagnation that has gripped his Shiite-led government since it first took power in May2006.
Pressure has been mounting against Al Maliki who has been criticised for having a Shiite bias and failing to stop the sectarian violence, which persists in Iraq despite the presence of tens of thousands of extra US troops. The announcement of the political accord after three days of intense negotiations in the capital was disappointing because it did not include Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq Al Hashemi and his moderate Iraqi Islamic Party.
President Jalal Talabani and Al Maliki were flanked by the leader of the northern autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, and Shiite Vice President Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi at a news conference. The four men signed a three-page agreement that they said ensures them a majority in the 275-member parliament that would allow movement of critical US-demanded legislation.
Talabani, a Kurd, said Al Hashemi refused the invitation to join in the new political grouping but "the door is still open to them and they are welcome at any time." Al Maliki also called on the Sunni Accordance Front, which includes Al Hashemi's party, to return to the government, to heal a rift that opened when the bloc's five Cabinet ministers quit the government.
The four-party agreement was unveiled four weeks before the top US commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker are to deliver a progress report on Iraq to Congress. "We have relegated efforts to topple the government to the past. We are now in a new stage," said Al Maliki's adviser, Yassin Majeed. "We will keep working to bring the Accordance Front back, but if they insist we will have a majority in parliament and bring in new ministers."
Omar Abdul-Sattar, a lawmaker with the Iraqi Islamic Party, said Kurdish representatives issued the invitaton on Wednesday and it was refused. "We said we are not ready tojoin this alliance at the current time," he said.
Pressure has been mounting against Al Maliki who has been criticised for having a Shiite bias and failing to stop the sectarian violence, which persists in Iraq despite the presence of tens of thousands of extra US troops. The announcement of the political accord after three days of intense negotiations in the capital was disappointing because it did not include Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq Al Hashemi and his moderate Iraqi Islamic Party.
President Jalal Talabani and Al Maliki were flanked by the leader of the northern autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, and Shiite Vice President Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi at a news conference. The four men signed a three-page agreement that they said ensures them a majority in the 275-member parliament that would allow movement of critical US-demanded legislation.
Talabani, a Kurd, said Al Hashemi refused the invitation to join in the new political grouping but "the door is still open to them and they are welcome at any time." Al Maliki also called on the Sunni Accordance Front, which includes Al Hashemi's party, to return to the government, to heal a rift that opened when the bloc's five Cabinet ministers quit the government.
The four-party agreement was unveiled four weeks before the top US commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker are to deliver a progress report on Iraq to Congress. "We have relegated efforts to topple the government to the past. We are now in a new stage," said Al Maliki's adviser, Yassin Majeed. "We will keep working to bring the Accordance Front back, but if they insist we will have a majority in parliament and bring in new ministers."
Omar Abdul-Sattar, a lawmaker with the Iraqi Islamic Party, said Kurdish representatives issued the invitaton on Wednesday and it was refused. "We said we are not ready tojoin this alliance at the current time," he said.
Labels: Iraqi Accordance Front, Iraqi Islamic Party, Jalal Talabani, Massoud Barzani, Nouri Al-Maliki, Tariq Al Hashemi
Monday, August 13, 2007
Mailki calls emergency political summit
Politics
(AFP) -- Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called Sunday for the senior leaders from Iraq's bitterly divided communities to hold crisis talks aimed at saving his beleaguered national unity government. "I have invited major political leaders to a meeting to discuss substantial matters," said Maliki in a televised speech. "Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow could be the first meeting for these leaders to discuss the political programme and important strategic problems," the Shiite premier added.
Seventeen ministerial posts in Maliki's government are empty or filled by members boycotting cabinet meetings amid protests by many parties at Maliki's faltering programme of national reconciliation. Hopes that his so-called unity coalition can be saved now depend on the senior leadership of the rival parties cutting a new power-sharing deal that can convince the bitter Sunni minority to return to the fold. Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi, another Shiite, are expected to attend the crisis summit.
Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, the senior Sunni Arab in the government and a critic of Maliki's alleged sectarian bias whose presence would be considered crucial, has not yet made it clear whether he will attend. Talabani's office also said Sunday that contacts with political blocs would take place in the next few days, without giving any details, following his talks in Baghdad with Massud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Since the US-led invasion of March 2003, Iraq has plunged into an abyss of overlapping civil conflicts that have divided its rival religious and ethnic communities, and left tens of thousands of civilians dead. Washington has warned Iraq's leaders to work harder on unity, concerned that the political stalemate could torpedo efforts to reconcile the warring factions and undermine the work of 155,000 American troops to end the conflict.
Shiite parties are suspicious of Sunni leaders whose minority sect dominated political power under executed former dictator Saddam Hussein and accuse them of supporting violent insurgent groups. Sunni leaders accuse the Shiite parties of ties with powerful neighbour Iran and condemn their alleged complicity with Shiite militias.
Seventeen ministerial posts in Maliki's government are empty or filled by members boycotting cabinet meetings amid protests by many parties at Maliki's faltering programme of national reconciliation. Hopes that his so-called unity coalition can be saved now depend on the senior leadership of the rival parties cutting a new power-sharing deal that can convince the bitter Sunni minority to return to the fold. Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi, another Shiite, are expected to attend the crisis summit.
Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, the senior Sunni Arab in the government and a critic of Maliki's alleged sectarian bias whose presence would be considered crucial, has not yet made it clear whether he will attend. Talabani's office also said Sunday that contacts with political blocs would take place in the next few days, without giving any details, following his talks in Baghdad with Massud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Since the US-led invasion of March 2003, Iraq has plunged into an abyss of overlapping civil conflicts that have divided its rival religious and ethnic communities, and left tens of thousands of civilians dead. Washington has warned Iraq's leaders to work harder on unity, concerned that the political stalemate could torpedo efforts to reconcile the warring factions and undermine the work of 155,000 American troops to end the conflict.
Shiite parties are suspicious of Sunni leaders whose minority sect dominated political power under executed former dictator Saddam Hussein and accuse them of supporting violent insurgent groups. Sunni leaders accuse the Shiite parties of ties with powerful neighbour Iran and condemn their alleged complicity with Shiite militias.
Labels: Adel Abdel Mahdi, emergency political summit, Jalal Talabani, Massoud Barzani, Nouri Al-Maliki, Tareq al-Hashemi
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Kurdistan Region Would Like Allawi’s Bloc To Join The “Four Party” Front
Politics
(Azzaman Newspaper) - 7 AUG - The Kurdistan region’s President, and KDP leader, Massoud Barzani, met (recently) with Ayad Allawi and they discussed the recent developments in the Iraqi political process, especially, the crisis which confronts the Al Maliki government, since the Accord Front decided to withdraw from this government.
Sources close to the Kurdistan President’s office said, “Barzani discussed the subject of Allawi joining the ‘four party front’.” [He was referring to the new political front which includes the KDP, PUK, SICI, and Dawa parties.] Fouad Hussein, spokesman for the Kurdistan region’s government, said, “The two sides (Allawi and Barzani) discussed the forming of this ‘fourth front’… which will remain open to fronts from all sides of the political process.”
The sources continued, “Kurdistan’s regional command (group) is working to (convince) Allawi to join this ‘fourth front’.” The ‘fourth front’, which is also known as “The Moderate Front”, is a new political bloc which is ‘supposed to’ include: the two main Kurdish parties (KDP and PUK) plus the SICI and Dawa Parties. This (new) Front is open to accepting other groups, into the Front, if those groups believe in the political process.
Yesterday, an Iraqi List source announced: former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the leader of the Iraqi List, has ‘requested’ his List’s five Ministers (in Maliki’s Cabinet) to boycott the meetings of the Ministers’ Council… (This boycott is called for) as a condemnation of the ‘workings of this government’ (the Al Maliki Administration) which Allawi described as “sectarian”.
In related news, on Saturday, US President George Bush phoned (Kurdistan’s) President Barzani…they (the two men) shared their points of view regarding the current situation in Iraq. Barzani confirmed, to Bush, that he (Barzani) is working with Iraq’s leader in order to bring out of its current crisis. Barzani was expected to go to Baghdad, on Sunday, in order to participate in a meeting of ‘top-level’ political leaders.
Sources close to the Kurdistan President’s office said, “Barzani discussed the subject of Allawi joining the ‘four party front’.” [He was referring to the new political front which includes the KDP, PUK, SICI, and Dawa parties.] Fouad Hussein, spokesman for the Kurdistan region’s government, said, “The two sides (Allawi and Barzani) discussed the forming of this ‘fourth front’… which will remain open to fronts from all sides of the political process.”
The sources continued, “Kurdistan’s regional command (group) is working to (convince) Allawi to join this ‘fourth front’.” The ‘fourth front’, which is also known as “The Moderate Front”, is a new political bloc which is ‘supposed to’ include: the two main Kurdish parties (KDP and PUK) plus the SICI and Dawa Parties. This (new) Front is open to accepting other groups, into the Front, if those groups believe in the political process.
Yesterday, an Iraqi List source announced: former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the leader of the Iraqi List, has ‘requested’ his List’s five Ministers (in Maliki’s Cabinet) to boycott the meetings of the Ministers’ Council… (This boycott is called for) as a condemnation of the ‘workings of this government’ (the Al Maliki Administration) which Allawi described as “sectarian”.
In related news, on Saturday, US President George Bush phoned (Kurdistan’s) President Barzani…they (the two men) shared their points of view regarding the current situation in Iraq. Barzani confirmed, to Bush, that he (Barzani) is working with Iraq’s leader in order to bring out of its current crisis. Barzani was expected to go to Baghdad, on Sunday, in order to participate in a meeting of ‘top-level’ political leaders.
Labels: Ayad Allawi, Dawa party, Four party front, Iraqi Accord Front, KDP, Massoud Barzani, PUK, SICI, The Moderate Front
Monday, August 06, 2007
Allawi and Barzani to meet for political discussions
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraq's Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani will meet former Iraqi Prime Minister and Head of the Iraqi National List (INL) Ayad Allawi in Erbil to discuss developments in the Iraqi political process, the head of Barzani's office, Fouad Hussein, said on Saturday. The meeting will take place at the headquarters of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and cabinet in northeastern the capital city of Erbil, Hussein said. Hussein did not give further details of the meeting, but ruled out a press conference between the two leaders. The meeting comes after the withdrawal of the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) from the government and threats by the INL to follow suit. The INL holds 24 seats in the 275-member parliament.
Labels: Erbil, Iraqi National List, Iyad Allawi, KRG, Massoud Barzani
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Barzani warns of civil war if Baghdad govt do not implement Kirkuk clause
Kurdistan
(AP) - The leader of Iraq's Kurdish region warned Tuesday of a "real civil war" if the central government does not implement a constitutional clause on the future of Kirkuk, the oil-rich city claimed by the Kurds. Control over Kirkuk and the surrounding oil wealth is in dispute among the city's Kurdish, Arab and ethnic Turkish populations. Nationally, the dispute pits the Kurds, who want to annex it to their autonomous region in northern Iraq, against the country's Arab majority and its small minority of Turks, known locally as Turkomen.
Massoud Barzani, speaking in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra television, complained that the Baghdad government was dragging its feet on holding a referendum that could put Kirkuk under control of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. "There is procrastination (by the government) and if this issue is not resolved, as I said before, all options are open. ... Frankly I am not comfortable with the behavior and the policy of the federal government on Kirkuk and clause 140," he said.
The constitutional clause calls for a referendum in Kirkuk to decide its future status by the end of the year. Before the vote, the clause says Kurds expelled from the city during Saddam Hussein's rule must be allowed to return. A census would then be held to determine which ethnic group was a majority of the population. Tens of thousands of Kurds have returned to the city since Saddam's ouster in 2003, but a census has not been conducted.
"The Kurds will never relinquish or bargain over Kirkuk, but we accepted to regain Kirkuk through constitutional and legal methods. But if we despair of those constitutional and legal methods, then we will have the right to resort to other means," Barzani warned. "If clause 140 is not implemented, then there will be a real civil war," Barzani said, promising to visit Baghdad shortly to discuss the matter with the central government.
A blueprint for Kirkuk's future was laid out in Iraq's 2005 constitution, but the city is widely viewed as a time bomb that could plunge Iraq deeper into crisis and violence. Barzani accused unidentified countries of trying to delay a resolution of the Kirkuk issue and urged the Baghdad government not to succumb to regional pressures. It was clear he was referring to Turkey, where separatist Kurdish guerrillas are fighting government forces in the southeast of the country. Al-Maliki is due to visit Turkey in early August.
Adnan al-Mufti, the speaker of the Kurdish parliament, also criticized the central government's handling of the Kirkuk issue, saying it was partly to blame for missing a July 31 deadline to produce lists of eligible voters in the city and its surrounding districts. The lists were to be compiled by a Baghdad-based government commission that includes Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen officials.
"It is not completely the fault of the federal government because we do understand that the deteriorating security situation in Kirkuk has played a role in this delay," al-Mufti said. "The census issue is only part of the article and failing to carry it on time does not mean a total failure. We should work hard and fast with the federal government because we have limited time," he told The Associated Press from Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Barzani told the television interviewer that Kurdish nationhood was a "reality" rather than a dream. A Kurdish homeland, he said, was a "natural right for a nation of more than 50 million people in the Middle East. Why should we be denied this right?" He ruled out, however, the use of violence to establish a Kurdish homeland, a prospect that worries Iran, Turkey and Syria because it would set a dangerous precedent for their own restive Kurdish minorities. "It's a legitimate right but it must be realized at the suitable time," Barzani said of establishing a Kurdish nation.
Massoud Barzani, speaking in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra television, complained that the Baghdad government was dragging its feet on holding a referendum that could put Kirkuk under control of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. "There is procrastination (by the government) and if this issue is not resolved, as I said before, all options are open. ... Frankly I am not comfortable with the behavior and the policy of the federal government on Kirkuk and clause 140," he said.
The constitutional clause calls for a referendum in Kirkuk to decide its future status by the end of the year. Before the vote, the clause says Kurds expelled from the city during Saddam Hussein's rule must be allowed to return. A census would then be held to determine which ethnic group was a majority of the population. Tens of thousands of Kurds have returned to the city since Saddam's ouster in 2003, but a census has not been conducted.
"The Kurds will never relinquish or bargain over Kirkuk, but we accepted to regain Kirkuk through constitutional and legal methods. But if we despair of those constitutional and legal methods, then we will have the right to resort to other means," Barzani warned. "If clause 140 is not implemented, then there will be a real civil war," Barzani said, promising to visit Baghdad shortly to discuss the matter with the central government.
A blueprint for Kirkuk's future was laid out in Iraq's 2005 constitution, but the city is widely viewed as a time bomb that could plunge Iraq deeper into crisis and violence. Barzani accused unidentified countries of trying to delay a resolution of the Kirkuk issue and urged the Baghdad government not to succumb to regional pressures. It was clear he was referring to Turkey, where separatist Kurdish guerrillas are fighting government forces in the southeast of the country. Al-Maliki is due to visit Turkey in early August.
Adnan al-Mufti, the speaker of the Kurdish parliament, also criticized the central government's handling of the Kirkuk issue, saying it was partly to blame for missing a July 31 deadline to produce lists of eligible voters in the city and its surrounding districts. The lists were to be compiled by a Baghdad-based government commission that includes Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen officials.
"It is not completely the fault of the federal government because we do understand that the deteriorating security situation in Kirkuk has played a role in this delay," al-Mufti said. "The census issue is only part of the article and failing to carry it on time does not mean a total failure. We should work hard and fast with the federal government because we have limited time," he told The Associated Press from Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Barzani told the television interviewer that Kurdish nationhood was a "reality" rather than a dream. A Kurdish homeland, he said, was a "natural right for a nation of more than 50 million people in the Middle East. Why should we be denied this right?" He ruled out, however, the use of violence to establish a Kurdish homeland, a prospect that worries Iran, Turkey and Syria because it would set a dangerous precedent for their own restive Kurdish minorities. "It's a legitimate right but it must be realized at the suitable time," Barzani said of establishing a Kurdish nation.
Labels: Adnan al-Mufti, Article 140, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani
Friday, July 27, 2007
PUK, KDP fall out over draft oil law
Oil, Politics, Kurdistan
Azzaman - The two main Kurdish factions ruling northern Iraq are on collision course regarding the way to approach the controversial oil draft law. The differences surfaced in a parliamentary session during which deputies representing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a faction led by President Jalal Talabani, left the assembly in protest.
The 111-member Kurdish parliament was debating the draft and the legislators of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzan, current head of the Kurdish region, wanted to push for its approval. The draft has yet to be approved by the Iraqi parliament but no date has been set for its debate in Baghdad amid mounting criticism of some of its terms.
PUK deputies and leaders fear the approval of the law while it is still debated by the central government might strain relations with Baghdad. While KDP officials say they need to pass the legislation so that they will not be bound by Iraqi parliament’s amendments to the draft law. But any contradiction between the two versions is certain to plunge in the country into a constitutional crisis.
The row comes as the Iraqi parliament has approved another draft law which permits foreign companies to construct refineries in the country. The Kurds have already defied the central government by letting foreign firms explore for oil and build small-scale refineries in their semi-independent region.
Oil has become a sensitive and divisive issue in Iraq as the country’s various ethnic and sectarian groups vie to have a say in the collection and distribution of royalties as well as exploration. Iraq has massive oil riches, estimated at 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. The country’s most prolific oil fields are situation in the south where more than 60 percent of reserves lies.
Other massive oil fields are to be found in the region of the disputed city of Kirkuk which the Kurds would like to add to their enclave. The central part of the country where the Iraqi Sunnis dominate is among the country’s poorest in reserves. The Sunnis now make the backbone of anti-U.S. resistance in Iraq.
The 111-member Kurdish parliament was debating the draft and the legislators of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzan, current head of the Kurdish region, wanted to push for its approval. The draft has yet to be approved by the Iraqi parliament but no date has been set for its debate in Baghdad amid mounting criticism of some of its terms.
PUK deputies and leaders fear the approval of the law while it is still debated by the central government might strain relations with Baghdad. While KDP officials say they need to pass the legislation so that they will not be bound by Iraqi parliament’s amendments to the draft law. But any contradiction between the two versions is certain to plunge in the country into a constitutional crisis.
The row comes as the Iraqi parliament has approved another draft law which permits foreign companies to construct refineries in the country. The Kurds have already defied the central government by letting foreign firms explore for oil and build small-scale refineries in their semi-independent region.
Oil has become a sensitive and divisive issue in Iraq as the country’s various ethnic and sectarian groups vie to have a say in the collection and distribution of royalties as well as exploration. Iraq has massive oil riches, estimated at 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. The country’s most prolific oil fields are situation in the south where more than 60 percent of reserves lies.
Other massive oil fields are to be found in the region of the disputed city of Kirkuk which the Kurds would like to add to their enclave. The central part of the country where the Iraqi Sunnis dominate is among the country’s poorest in reserves. The Sunnis now make the backbone of anti-U.S. resistance in Iraq.
Labels: draft oil law, Jalal Talabani, KDP, Massoud Barzani, PUK
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Top Leaders Will Meet To Discuss How They Will End Iraq’s Crisis
Politics
(Bayyna Al Jadidah Newspaper) - 25 JUL - Five of Iraq’s “top” (senior) politicians will hold a meeting this week in order to discuss “ending the political crisis” in Iraq. The participants of this meeting will include: President Jalal Talabani, Vice President Tariq Al Hashimi, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, Kurdistan’s Regional President Massoud Barzani, and one of Sayid Abd Al Aziz Al Hakim’s “assistants”.
A government official said: this high-level conference will witness many meetings, this conference may begin on Friday. It is expected that the leaders will discuss many issues, such as how to reach agreements about amending the Constitution and how to resolve the Kirkuk issue.
Kirkuk is located in northern Iraq; and, therefore the Kurds want it to become part of the Kurdistan region. However, since it is also one of Iraq’s most “oil rich” areas this issue is strongly disputed by all the other Iraqi groups.
A government official said: this high-level conference will witness many meetings, this conference may begin on Friday. It is expected that the leaders will discuss many issues, such as how to reach agreements about amending the Constitution and how to resolve the Kirkuk issue.
Kirkuk is located in northern Iraq; and, therefore the Kurds want it to become part of the Kurdistan region. However, since it is also one of Iraq’s most “oil rich” areas this issue is strongly disputed by all the other Iraqi groups.
Labels: Article 140, Iraqi constitution, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Nouri Al-Maliki, politics, Tariq Al Hashemi
Monday, July 23, 2007
Iraq's top five political leaders to hold a summit
Politics
(Reuters) - Iraq’s top five political leaders are due to hold a summit this week in an attempt to end a political crisis which has paralyzed the country for months, officials said on Monday. They told Reuters that Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Shi’ite leaders acknowledge the political impasse and may meet on Friday. “They will be holding marathon meetings. So far we have the 27th as the date but it is yet to be confirmed,” a senior government official told Reuters.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iyad Allawi, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, meeting, Nouri Al-Maliki, Tareq al-Hashemi
Friday, July 20, 2007
Barzani to help resolve disputes over constitution
Government
(VOI) - The Iraqi parliament's constitutional amendments committee is waiting for the arrival of Iraq's Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani in Baghdad to help resolve disputes over some points in the Iraqi constitution, head of the committee Hammam Hammoudi said on Thursday.
"The two points of dispute facing the constitutional amendments committee are related to the (Iraqi) president's powers and the implementation of article 140 pertaining to the situation in Kikruk," Hammoudi said. Article 140, the most controversial in the Iraqi constitution, is related to the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk, an important and mixed city of majority of Kurds, Christians, Arabs and Turkmen
Kurds seek to include the city in the autonomous Iraq's Kurdistan region, while Sunni Arabs, Turkmen and Shiite Arabs are inclined to postpone the incorporation. The article currently stipulates that all Arabs in Kirkuk be returned to their original locations in southern and central Iraqi areas, and formerly displaced residents returned to Kirkuk. Kirkuk lies just south border of the Kurdistan autonomous region with Iraq, 250 km northeast of Baghdad.
Kurds seek to include the city in the autonomous Iraq's Kurdistan region, while Sunni Arabs, Turkmen and Shiite Arabs are inclined to postpone the incorporation. The article currently stipulates that all Arabs in Kirkuk be returned to their original locations in southern and central Iraqi areas, and formerly displaced residents returned to Kirkuk. Kirkuk lies just south border of the Kurdistan autonomous region with Iraq, 250 km northeast of Baghdad.
Labels: Article 140, Hammam Hammoudi, Iraqi constitution, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Allawi’s List Explains Barzani’s Desire To Form New Political Front
Politics
(Al Mashriq Newspaper) - 20 JUN - Iraqi List Parliament member, Intisar Allawi, confirmed that Massoud Al Barzani wants to form a political parliament front led by Ayad Allawi. She clarified, “Mr. Massoud Al Barzani will form a new political entity with Ayad Allawi. Dr. Ayad Allawi has spoken to Barzani about this issue.” She said that Massoud Barzani said that if Baghdad is not enough for Dr. Allawi, then all of Kurdistan Region will be happy to receive him. Intisar Allawi emphasized that the new front will only be connected to entities inside of the parliament.
Labels: Ayad Allawi, Intisar Allawi, Massoud Barzani
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Turks investigate Barzani's involvement with PKK
Kurdistan, Politics, Security
(RFE/RL) - The Prosecutor's Office in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir has launched an investigation into charges that Mas'ud Barzani, president of Iraq's Kurdish autonomous regional government, is supporting PKK fighters, international media reported on June 18. A Turkish nationalist organization, the Kemalist Thought Association (ADD), called for a probe and the seizure of any assets Barzani and his family may have in Turkey.
On April 7, Barzani said Iraqi Kurds could intervene in Kurdish-majority cities in Turkey if Ankara continues to oppose Iraqi-Kurdish ambitions to annex oil-rich Kirkuk. Many in Turkey believed that he meant giving support to the PKK. His comments generated outrage in Turkey, where more than 37,000 people have been killed since 1984 in fighting between Turkish security forces and PKK fighters.
Labels: ADD, Diyarbakir, Kemalist Thought Association, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, PKK, Turkey
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Kurdish flag raised over Kurdistan regional parliament
Kurdistan
(AKI) - In a surprise move has that has stunned political observers, the Kurdish flag was on Tuesday raised over the Kurdistan regional parliament in place of the Iraqi flag. At a ceremony attended by parliament speaker Adnan al-Mufti, party and local officials, al-Mufti's deputy and co-ruling Kurdish Democratic Union party (KDP) member Kamal Kirkuki raised the distinctive red, yellow, green and white Kurdish flag by pressing an electronic button: an unprecedented event in the history of the Kurdish people.
The 80-square metre flag could be seen fluttering over the six-floor regional parliament building from a distance of eight kilometres. Previously, the Iraqi flag - red, white and black horizontal stripes, with three green stars and the words Alluh Akbar (God is Great) could be seen in its place.
Last September, regional president Massoud Barzani, issued a decree banning the Iraqi flag - introduced in 1968 after the Baath party coup - from offices and schools. The decree says only the Kurdish flag can hang from government buildings and checkpoints, but it allows for the Iraqi flag at "official functions", but without the religious phrase.
Generally welcomed by Kurds in the area, who view the Iraqi flag as a symbol of the oppressive former Baathist regime, Barzani's decree riled members of tribes belonging to Iraqi's Arab ethnic majority in Kurdistan and areas bordering the region. Many consider Barzani's decree as the start of a bid for de facto independence by the Kurdistan region. The authorities in Kurdistan have always rejected the Iraqi flag, preferring instead to fly the flag introduced in 1958 after Iraq - previously a monarchy - became a republic.
The regional parliament in May 2006 approved a single administration, uniting two rival parties , Barzani's KDP and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to run a unified government. The KDP and the PUK have divided up most of the cabinet posts between them, with five of the 32 going to other parties. The PUK had run Suleimaniya province, one of the three provinces in the oil-rich region, while the KDP had run the other two provinces of Erbil and Dohuk.
The 80-square metre flag could be seen fluttering over the six-floor regional parliament building from a distance of eight kilometres. Previously, the Iraqi flag - red, white and black horizontal stripes, with three green stars and the words Alluh Akbar (God is Great) could be seen in its place.
Last September, regional president Massoud Barzani, issued a decree banning the Iraqi flag - introduced in 1968 after the Baath party coup - from offices and schools. The decree says only the Kurdish flag can hang from government buildings and checkpoints, but it allows for the Iraqi flag at "official functions", but without the religious phrase.
Generally welcomed by Kurds in the area, who view the Iraqi flag as a symbol of the oppressive former Baathist regime, Barzani's decree riled members of tribes belonging to Iraqi's Arab ethnic majority in Kurdistan and areas bordering the region. Many consider Barzani's decree as the start of a bid for de facto independence by the Kurdistan region. The authorities in Kurdistan have always rejected the Iraqi flag, preferring instead to fly the flag introduced in 1958 after Iraq - previously a monarchy - became a republic.
The regional parliament in May 2006 approved a single administration, uniting two rival parties , Barzani's KDP and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to run a unified government. The KDP and the PUK have divided up most of the cabinet posts between them, with five of the 32 going to other parties. The PUK had run Suleimaniya province, one of the three provinces in the oil-rich region, while the KDP had run the other two provinces of Erbil and Dohuk.
Labels: Adnan al-Mufti, Iraqi flag, Kamal Kirkuki, Kurdish flag, Massoud Barzani
Monday, June 04, 2007
Talabani and Barzani will not accept postponement on Kirkuk
Kurdistan
(VOI) - Kurdish leaders Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani affirmed that they would not accept postponement of the application of article 140 of Iraq's constitution, which deals with the issue of Kirkuk. "We are determined to have article 140, pertaining to the normalization of the situation in Kirkuk, applied," Talabani, Iraq's president, said during a press conference held with Iraqi Kurdistan Region's president, Massoud Barzani, at the resort of Dukan.
The two Kurdish leaders had earlier on Sunday met to discuss ways of unifying their positions on the enforcement of article 140. The several hours' meeting was attended by Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Deputy Premier Barham Saleh, as well as a number of members of Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Kurds claim that the demographic distribution of Kirkuk's population was considerably changed after the 1980s, following attempts by the former regime to encourage Iraqi Arabs to flock to the oil-rich city in a bid to change its demographic makeup in favor of Arabs.
Labels: Article 140, Barham Saleh, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Nechirvan Barzani
Friday, June 01, 2007
Maliki in Kurdistan for talks on constitution, Kirkuk
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki arrived on Thursday afternoon in Arbil on several days visit to the Kurdistan region, a source from the Kurdistan government said. "Maliki came for consultation with Kurdish officials on many issues, including the Iraqi constitution’s revision, the political situation and relations between the central government and the Kurdistan region’s administration," Dr. Fuad Hussein, head of the Kurdistan presidency office, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Prime Minister al-Maliki, who was received at Arbil airport by Iraqi Kurdistan’s President Massoud al-Barazani, is expected to discuss the Kirkuk issue with Kurdish leadership, Hussein added. On Tuesday, Kurdistan Premier Negervan Barazani ended several days' visit to Baghdad to discuss with the central government issues to do with oil-rich Kirkuk city’s status according to Article 140 of the constitution, relations between Baghdad's government and the Kurdistan administration, the status of the Peshmerga (Kurdish local fighters) and the draft oil and gas law.
Kurds want to accelerate the implementation of constitutional article 140, concerning normalizing the situation in Kirkuk city, as it was before the 1970s, when the former regime, Kurds claim, lured Arabs to settle in Kirkuk and drove Kurdish families out of the city.
The step should be followed by a referendum in the city to decide whether or not to join the three other Kurdish provinces in the Kurdistan region by the end of 2007. Non-Kurdish Iraqi political forces are inclined to put off the issue until better security prevails in the country.
Also, the draft oil and gas law, now under debate by lawmakers in Baghdad, represents another deadlock between Arbil and Baghdad. Kurdish leaders are pressing for more power in relation to oil investment inside the region, while Baghdad has opted to control all investment contracts in the country.
Prime Minister al-Maliki, who was received at Arbil airport by Iraqi Kurdistan’s President Massoud al-Barazani, is expected to discuss the Kirkuk issue with Kurdish leadership, Hussein added. On Tuesday, Kurdistan Premier Negervan Barazani ended several days' visit to Baghdad to discuss with the central government issues to do with oil-rich Kirkuk city’s status according to Article 140 of the constitution, relations between Baghdad's government and the Kurdistan administration, the status of the Peshmerga (Kurdish local fighters) and the draft oil and gas law.
Kurds want to accelerate the implementation of constitutional article 140, concerning normalizing the situation in Kirkuk city, as it was before the 1970s, when the former regime, Kurds claim, lured Arabs to settle in Kirkuk and drove Kurdish families out of the city.
The step should be followed by a referendum in the city to decide whether or not to join the three other Kurdish provinces in the Kurdistan region by the end of 2007. Non-Kurdish Iraqi political forces are inclined to put off the issue until better security prevails in the country.
Also, the draft oil and gas law, now under debate by lawmakers in Baghdad, represents another deadlock between Arbil and Baghdad. Kurdish leaders are pressing for more power in relation to oil investment inside the region, while Baghdad has opted to control all investment contracts in the country.
Labels: Arbil, Article 140, Iraqi constitution, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Nouri Al-Maliki
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Kurds reject postponement of Article 140
Government
(Kurdish Globe) - Baghdad may be looking for a three-year delay in implementing a stated article of the new Iraqi Constitution, which is anything but in the best interests of Kurds. Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani met with the UN Secretary-General's special representative, Ashraf Qazi, and rejected the possibility of canceling or postponing the implementation of Article 140 to normalize the situation in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Kurdish leaders and politicians believe that any delay in implementing the article will not be in the best interests of the people of Kurdistan.
"The government of Kurdistan rejected a proposal by the government of Nuri al-Maliki to postpone the implementation of Article 140 for three years," said Mullah Bakhtiar, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political bureau, the party of Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani. Mullah Bakhtiar stressed that "the Kurds demand the implementation of that article in the constitutional time frame assessed."
Bakhtiar said that if Kurdish leaders agree to a three-year delay, the Baghdad government by that time will have become economically and politically stronger and may choose not to implement the article at all. "We must not lose this precious opportunity in our hands and we must work toward accelerating the implementation and not postponing it," said Mullah Bakhtiar. On his latest visit to Baghdad, Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the implementation of Article 140 with the Iraqi officials. He expressed optimism and described the meeting as successful.
Kurdish leaders and politicians believe that any delay in implementing the article will not be in the best interests of the people of Kurdistan.
"The government of Kurdistan rejected a proposal by the government of Nuri al-Maliki to postpone the implementation of Article 140 for three years," said Mullah Bakhtiar, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political bureau, the party of Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani. Mullah Bakhtiar stressed that "the Kurds demand the implementation of that article in the constitutional time frame assessed."
Bakhtiar said that if Kurdish leaders agree to a three-year delay, the Baghdad government by that time will have become economically and politically stronger and may choose not to implement the article at all. "We must not lose this precious opportunity in our hands and we must work toward accelerating the implementation and not postponing it," said Mullah Bakhtiar. On his latest visit to Baghdad, Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the implementation of Article 140 with the Iraqi officials. He expressed optimism and described the meeting as successful.
Fryad Rwandzi, member of the Iraqi Parliament's Kurdistan Coalition List, said that the Iraqi committee for implementing the Iraqi constitution gave Kurdish leaders two options on the Kirkuk issue, and Kurdish leaders are now studying them.
The first option states that steps for normalizing the Kirkuk situation (implementing Article 140) should be completed by the end of 2008, instead of 2007. The constitution currently calls for implementation at the end of 2007.
The second option is that Kirkuk province could become a federal region, and all areas now under control of the Kurdistan government could be returned to the Kirkuk region; then, after three years, a referendum would be held for people to decide either to be part of Kurdistan Region, the Baghdad government, or a federal region.
The first option states that steps for normalizing the Kirkuk situation (implementing Article 140) should be completed by the end of 2008, instead of 2007. The constitution currently calls for implementation at the end of 2007.
The second option is that Kirkuk province could become a federal region, and all areas now under control of the Kurdistan government could be returned to the Kirkuk region; then, after three years, a referendum would be held for people to decide either to be part of Kurdistan Region, the Baghdad government, or a federal region.
Labels: Article 140, Ashraf Qazi, Iraqi constitution, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Mullah Bakhtiar
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The growing threat facing Kurdistan
Kurdistan, Security
(RFE/RL) - Two high-profile bomb attacks targeting Kurdish institutions this month have drawn attention to security in the region, which had escaped much of the violence plaguing other areas in Iraq. But threats against the Kurds from Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups have been growing.
The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for both attacks in Internet postings. In a statement on the May 9 attack, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group said the attack came "in response to the participation of the apostate peshmerga forces with the Safawi [a reference to the Shi'ite-led government in Iraq] government of [Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri] al-Maliki in the so-called 'Baghdad law enforcement plan.'"
Addressing Kurdistan region President Mas'ud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the group promised more attacks, adding, "We will not stop attacking you until you withdraw your mercenaries from the Baghdad province and cease to support the Crusaders [U.S.-led coalition forces] and the Safawis."
The Islamic State of Iraq first warned Kurdish soldiers against taking part in the Baghdad security plan in January. "We tell you that the martyrs brigades of the Islamic State of Iraq, particularly the Ansar martyrs [a reference to the terrorist group Ansar Al-Islam, whose bases in Kurdistan were crushed by a U.S. bombing campaign in the opening days of the war] cannot wait to confront you as to speed your arrival in hell," an Internet statement said.
The Kata'ib Kurdistan (Kurdistan Brigades), a group that pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in March, also claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted to the Ansar Al-Islam website, the news website Kurdish Aspect reported on May 10. The brigades are reportedly part of Ansar Al-Islam, which is aligned with Al-Qaeda.
According to Kurdish Aspect, a source from within the Kurdish peshmerga said that Ansar Al-Islam and the Ansar Al-Sunnah Army are reorganizing their ranks and deploying their forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish leaders have also attributed recent attacks against Kurdish forces in the town of Penjwin to Ansar Al-Islam, saying the group moves freely across the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish security sources told local media that the KRG was on alert for a terrorist attack in the days preceding the two incidents, based on intelligence that included detained terrorists' confessions, as well as the discovery of weapons caches.
Observations of websites and forums frequented by insurgents in Iraq and their supporters suggest that indeed, the Islamic State of Iraq and Ansar Al-Islam/Sunnah are attempting to gain a foothold on areas in the north. Apart from their stated claim of seeking retribution against the Kurds, their presence in the north would provide them with a valuable gateway for foreign fighters and supplies through the porous Iran-Iraq border.
The resurgence of insurgent activity in Kurdistan can be seen in the plethora of statements appearing on insurgent websites and forums in recent weeks, and Kata'ib Kurdistan has issued at least one video documenting its attacks. Moreover, Kurdish-language statements have appeared on forum websites with increasing frequency, suggesting insurgents may be trying to recruit Kurdish fighters to join their cause.
The frequency of attacks against Kurdish targets both in the Kurdish region and neighboring governorates to the south suggest that Kurds will remain under fire for some time to come. The potential consequences of an Al-Qaeda/Ansar campaign would be devastating to the region's economy, stability and governance. It could prompt Turkey to carry out plans for a large-scale incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan to hunt down PKK militants based there. Or worse yet, Turkey might take steps to secure Turkoman control over Kirkuk, a move that would evoke a violent reaction from Iraqi Kurds.
The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for both attacks in Internet postings. In a statement on the May 9 attack, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group said the attack came "in response to the participation of the apostate peshmerga forces with the Safawi [a reference to the Shi'ite-led government in Iraq] government of [Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri] al-Maliki in the so-called 'Baghdad law enforcement plan.'"
Addressing Kurdistan region President Mas'ud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the group promised more attacks, adding, "We will not stop attacking you until you withdraw your mercenaries from the Baghdad province and cease to support the Crusaders [U.S.-led coalition forces] and the Safawis."
The Islamic State of Iraq first warned Kurdish soldiers against taking part in the Baghdad security plan in January. "We tell you that the martyrs brigades of the Islamic State of Iraq, particularly the Ansar martyrs [a reference to the terrorist group Ansar Al-Islam, whose bases in Kurdistan were crushed by a U.S. bombing campaign in the opening days of the war] cannot wait to confront you as to speed your arrival in hell," an Internet statement said.
The Kata'ib Kurdistan (Kurdistan Brigades), a group that pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in March, also claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted to the Ansar Al-Islam website, the news website Kurdish Aspect reported on May 10. The brigades are reportedly part of Ansar Al-Islam, which is aligned with Al-Qaeda.
According to Kurdish Aspect, a source from within the Kurdish peshmerga said that Ansar Al-Islam and the Ansar Al-Sunnah Army are reorganizing their ranks and deploying their forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish leaders have also attributed recent attacks against Kurdish forces in the town of Penjwin to Ansar Al-Islam, saying the group moves freely across the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish security sources told local media that the KRG was on alert for a terrorist attack in the days preceding the two incidents, based on intelligence that included detained terrorists' confessions, as well as the discovery of weapons caches.
Observations of websites and forums frequented by insurgents in Iraq and their supporters suggest that indeed, the Islamic State of Iraq and Ansar Al-Islam/Sunnah are attempting to gain a foothold on areas in the north. Apart from their stated claim of seeking retribution against the Kurds, their presence in the north would provide them with a valuable gateway for foreign fighters and supplies through the porous Iran-Iraq border.
The resurgence of insurgent activity in Kurdistan can be seen in the plethora of statements appearing on insurgent websites and forums in recent weeks, and Kata'ib Kurdistan has issued at least one video documenting its attacks. Moreover, Kurdish-language statements have appeared on forum websites with increasing frequency, suggesting insurgents may be trying to recruit Kurdish fighters to join their cause.
The frequency of attacks against Kurdish targets both in the Kurdish region and neighboring governorates to the south suggest that Kurds will remain under fire for some time to come. The potential consequences of an Al-Qaeda/Ansar campaign would be devastating to the region's economy, stability and governance. It could prompt Turkey to carry out plans for a large-scale incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan to hunt down PKK militants based there. Or worse yet, Turkey might take steps to secure Turkoman control over Kirkuk, a move that would evoke a violent reaction from Iraqi Kurds.
Labels: Ansar al-Islam, Ansar al-Sunnah, bomb attacks, Iran, Islamic State of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, Kata'ib Kurdistan, KDP, KRG, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Brigades, Massoud Barzani, Peshmerga
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Barzani tells EU that Turkey should stop interfering
Politics, Kurdistan
The leader of the Kurdish autonomous region in Iraq appealed to Turkey on Tuesday to stop interfering in Iraqi internal affairs, in particular trying to delay efforts to bring the oil-rich city of Kirkuk under Kurdish control. Massoud Barzani told EU lawmakers that the northern Iraqi city should be put under the regional control of Kurds, a move which Turkey fears could be used to fund a bid for independence.
Under Iraq's constitution residents living in Kirkuk are expected to hold a referendum before the end of the year on whether the city should join the autonomous region run by Kurds in northern Iraq. The Iraqi government last month decided to implement the constitutional requirement to determine the future status of Kirkuk — which is disputed among several different ethnic groups. The plan is expected to turn Kirkuk and its vast oil reserves over to Kurdish control, a step rejected by many of Iraq's Arabs and Turkmen — ethnic Turks who are strongly backed by Ankara.
"Kirkuk is an Iraqi city, with Kurdistan characteristics, and no one outside has a right to intervene," Barzani said. Barzani, who was in Brussels to hold talks with EU officials, including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that Iraq's neighbors, including Turkey, had nothing to fear from his autonomous region, which he said was a rare area of security and stability in Iraq.
Turkey fears that any moves toward greater independence for Kurds in northern Iraq could incite Turkey's own estimated 14 million Kurds to outright rebellion. It has urged Baghdad to delay the vote, an appeal also made by some EU lawmakers on Tuesday, who fear the vote will lead to new conflict between ethnic groups in Kirkuk. Barzani warned however, that any delay would violate Iraq's constitution and could lead to unrest among Kurds.
Under Iraq's constitution residents living in Kirkuk are expected to hold a referendum before the end of the year on whether the city should join the autonomous region run by Kurds in northern Iraq. The Iraqi government last month decided to implement the constitutional requirement to determine the future status of Kirkuk — which is disputed among several different ethnic groups. The plan is expected to turn Kirkuk and its vast oil reserves over to Kurdish control, a step rejected by many of Iraq's Arabs and Turkmen — ethnic Turks who are strongly backed by Ankara.
"Kirkuk is an Iraqi city, with Kurdistan characteristics, and no one outside has a right to intervene," Barzani said. Barzani, who was in Brussels to hold talks with EU officials, including EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that Iraq's neighbors, including Turkey, had nothing to fear from his autonomous region, which he said was a rare area of security and stability in Iraq.
Turkey fears that any moves toward greater independence for Kurds in northern Iraq could incite Turkey's own estimated 14 million Kurds to outright rebellion. It has urged Baghdad to delay the vote, an appeal also made by some EU lawmakers on Tuesday, who fear the vote will lead to new conflict between ethnic groups in Kirkuk. Barzani warned however, that any delay would violate Iraq's constitution and could lead to unrest among Kurds.
Labels: Article 140, E.U., Javier Solana, Kirkuk, Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, Turkey
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Barzani threatens failure to act on Kirkuk will end in 'disaster'
Kurdistan
(Kurdistan TV) - A conference focusing on the forces of democracy in Iraq was held in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, on Tuesday. At the conference, President Masoud Barzani gave a speech in which he stressed that democracy is Kurdistan’s main concern. The Kurds are renown for their tolerance, ability to co-exist with others, and acceptance of other points of view. The Kurds have always respected human rights, in particular women’s issues.
President Barzani stated that any forced unification or division would fail just like the former Czechoslovakia and Germany. He reiterated, “We don’t threaten to interfere in the affairs of other countries and we don’t expect other countries to threaten us.”
President Barzani said the Kurds wanted no part in the current religious and ethnic disputes, adding that they have always regarded themselves as part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem. The president also reiterated that Kurds would never be party to any kind of division of states.
The president continued, “We are not saying Kirkuk should be exclusively for the Kurds, but it is an Iraqi city with a Kurdish identity and all historical facts confirm this. The Kirkuk question is an Iraqi issue and no foreign country has the right interfere. Failure to reach a consensus on Article 140 would spell disaster.” The president extended a hand of friendship to all countries and factions on the basis of mutual respect and common interests.”
President Barzani stated that any forced unification or division would fail just like the former Czechoslovakia and Germany. He reiterated, “We don’t threaten to interfere in the affairs of other countries and we don’t expect other countries to threaten us.”
President Barzani said the Kurds wanted no part in the current religious and ethnic disputes, adding that they have always regarded themselves as part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem. The president also reiterated that Kurds would never be party to any kind of division of states.
The president continued, “We are not saying Kirkuk should be exclusively for the Kurds, but it is an Iraqi city with a Kurdish identity and all historical facts confirm this. The Kirkuk question is an Iraqi issue and no foreign country has the right interfere. Failure to reach a consensus on Article 140 would spell disaster.” The president extended a hand of friendship to all countries and factions on the basis of mutual respect and common interests.”
Labels: Article 140, Erbil, Kirkuk, Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani
