|
DAMASCUS, May 21 (AFP) - 16h00 - Some 10,000
Kurds demonstrated in northern Syria Saturday to
demand news on the whereabouts of a Kurdish Muslim
cleric widely believed to have been detained by
Syrian police, a Kurdish leader said.
Sheikh Mohammed Maashuq al-Khaznawi has not been
heard from since he left Damascus's Islamic studies
centre, of which he is vice president, on May 10.
Hassan Saleh, secretary general of the Yakiti party,
said he had issued an open call during the
demonstration in the northern town of Qamishli for
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to "shed all
possible light" on the disappearance.
On Wednesday, an interior ministry official denied
claims that Khaznawi had been arrested.
Even so, human rights lawyer Anwar Bunni, who
represents numerous opposition figures, said the
authorities are "responsible for the life and
liberty of Sheikh Khaznawi."
The sheikh, who teaches that Islam and democracy are
compatible, is widely popular in Syria.
Syria is home to some 1.5 million Kurds, around nine
percent of the population. They are fighting to have
their language, culture and political rights
recognised.
In March 2004, clashes pitted Kurdish protestors
against Syrian security forces and Arab tribesmen in
Qamishli and Aleppo. The Kurds said 40 people died,
while the Syrian authorities gave a death toll of
25.
Hundreds of Kurds were arrested following the
disturbances. On March 30 of this year, Assad
ordered all of them released.
But Saleh said earlier this month that the pardon
had not been fully carried out, and that "more than
100 Kurds still remain in prison."
He also claimed that the government was carrying out
fresh arrests of Kurdish political activists.
AFP
Iraqi army needs beefing up before foreign troops
leave: Jaafari
ANKARA, May 21 (AFP) - 13h38 - Iraqi Prime
Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said Saturday that the
departure of US-led coalition troops from Iraq could
not take place until the Iraqi army was beefed up to
meet the threat of the rebel insurgency.
"Setting a date for coalition soldiers to leave Iraq
depends on the Iraqi security forces becoming
self-sufficient," said Jaafari before leaving the
Turkish capital after a two-day visit, according to
the Anatolia news agency.
He also said that the foreign troops would leave
when the training of the Iraqi army reached "a much
higher level," according to the news agency.
Turkey was Jaafari's first foreign visit since
taking office last month.
He met Friday with his Turkish counterpart Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and local business leaders. Early
Saturday he held meetings with Turkish parliament
speaker Bulent Arinc.
AFP
Top |
® 