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Kirkuk
police chief Major General Sherko Shakir has denied
reports that militiamen from the Badr Brigades are
in the city, peyamner.com reported on 29 June. "As
far as we know, there have been no armed men from
the Al-Badr army who have come to Kirkuk," Shakir
said, adding: "We have a deal with the Shi'a and our
relationship is very good. Therefore, there is no
need for their armed men to come to Kirkuk." Tension
has mounted in Kirkuk in recent weeks after U.S.
officials said that Kurdish security forces were
arbitrarily detaining Arabs and Turkomans there.
Shi'a from both communities live in Kirkuk. Shakir,
a Kurd, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq in a 29 June
interview that terrorists have flooded the city from
other nearby areas in an effort to escape U.S. and
Iraqi security forces. Meanwhile, deputy Kirkuk
police chief Turhan Yusuf Abd al-Rahman (a Turkoman)
has reportedly "disappeared" in recent days,
according to Iraqi media reports. Some reports
indicate Abd al-Rahman fled to Turkey. Shakir had
criticized Abd al-Rahman for remarks he made
regarding the reports of arbitrary kidnappings by
Kurds (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 June 2005). KR
www.rferl.org
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