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Talabani and Al Ja'fari have a dispute
over a palace in the Green Zone
7.11.2005
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Baghdad, (Iraq) - A source in the Iraqi cabinet disclosed a
dispute that erupted between the Iraqi President
Jalal Talabani and the Prime Minister Ibrahim Al
Ja'fari on a palace in the green zone, which has
been designated for the republic president, but the
prime minister attempted to seize it.
The source, who is residing in the green zone and
spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the
cabinet divan and the residents of the green region,
who are close to the palace, have been sarcastic
about this dispute, which almost ruined the relation
between the two figures, which is already tense.
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Iraqi
President : Jalal Talabani
Photo: Reuters |
Al Sharq Al Awsat managed to closely see the palace
from outside and photographed it. The palace lies on
the bank of Tigris River and is built of white
stone. It has been built during the reign of the
ousted president Saddam Hussein as a hosting palace
that was designated for the residence of the late
Jordanian king Hussein but reliable information
affirm that he (King Hussein) has never resided
there.
The reason for the dispute between Talabani and Al
Ja'fari was that the presidency divan has designated
this palace for President Talabani to use it as an
office or place of residence. Nevertheless, Al
Ja'fari desired to get it and sent his companions
and guards to control the place, which they already
did. This made President Talabani angry. Therefore,
he sent a number of his guards to retrieve the
place. An armed confrontation almost erupted, were
it not for the withdrawal of Al Ja'fari's group from
the palace, which has gardens, fountains and a water
pond that were established during Saddam Hussein's
regime.
The American administration has previously
designated the palace as a headquarters for the NATO
to solve the dispute between Talabani and Al Ja'fari,
but Talabani refused that and retrieved that place,
which the presidency divan started to furnish.
It is worth mentioning that the palace, the subject
of the dispute, lies near the offices and place of
residence of Al Ja'fari, who has designated about 22
palaces and homes in the green zone for himself and
his companions. The Iraqi prime minister currently
resides in a palace that used to be designated for
the outset president Saddam Hussein's residence.
The majority of Iraqi officials are residing in
palaces and villas in the green zone, which lies in
the luxurious region of Karadet Maryam, except for
Abdel Aziz Al Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for
the Islamic revolution, who resides at the place of
residence of Tarek Aziz, former deputy prime
minister in the former regime.
As regards Dr. Iyad Allawi, he never resided in the
green zone. The former government has designated the
palace of King Faisal I for him, but he refused to
reside there, which prompted Adel Abdel Mahdi,
republic vice-president, to request to occupy the
palace. Allawi has sent him the keys of the palace,
according to a source in the office of the former
Prime Minister, whom none of his companions or
members of his movement (The Iraqi National Accord)
has resided in the green zone. In addition, Dr.
Ahmed Al Jilbi, head of the Iraqi National
Conference, has not resided in the green zone. He
selected a villa owned by his sister in Al Mansour
region as a place for his residence.
Al Sharq Al Awsat
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