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Asked if the purpose of the tour at that particular
time was "to secure international recognition of the
Kurdish entity", Barzani says that he visited these
countries and met with their leaders or senior
officials, particularly President Bush and Tony
Blair. He also says that the aim of the tour was "to
explain the viewpoint of Kurdistan's Kurds to US and
European leaders and to stress the key role of the
Kurds in building a new federal, democratic,
pluralist Iraq, as well as our commitment to the
Iraqi constitution, which was approved by the
majority of the Iraqi people".
Asked why he did not visit neighbouring countries in
his capacity as the Iraqi Kurdistan Region
president, Barzani says: "A year ago, I visited the
capitals of regional countries such as Tehran,
Ankara and Damascus, and I remember that I saw you
in Ankara."
Al-Sharif notes, however: "You visited the said
capitals [but] not as the Iraqi Kurdistan Region
president."
Responding, Barzani says: "I have not received any
invitation from the neighbouring countries in my
capacity as the Iraqi Kurdistan Region president."
Asked whether these countries have any reservations
about the gains that the Kurds made following the
war, Barzani says: "We have not been officially
informed of any reservations, apart from what we
heard on the Turkish media."
Al-Sharif says many people believe that "the Kurds
in Iraq have realized many of their demands thanks
to the presence of foreign forces, including the US
forces, in the country," adding that Kurds are also
said to be seeking "to win as much as possible
before the US withdrawal".
Responding, Barzani says: "Western support falls
within the framework of the Iraqi constitution."
Asked if the Kurds are holding negotiations with the
West over regional issues, Barzani says: "This is
what I have done with President Bush, Tony Blair and
other European officials who expressed support for
the rights of the Kurdistan people in accordance
with the Iraqi constitution."
Al-Sharif says: "I ask you this question because
media organs have recently quoted Kurdish officials
on the Kurdish people's right to have an independent
state. I pose this question to discover if this
issue was discussed with major powers."
Responding, Barzani says: "Frankly, we did not
tackle this issue during our meetings with US and
European officials. As officials in Kurdistan say,
this is a natural right, and the Kurds should not be
deprived of their right to self-determination. This
psychological barrier should be broken."
Asked if the Kurds have reversed their demand for a
referendum on the right to self-determination,
Barzani says: "Self-determination for the Kurdish
people is a legitimate right and we will never go
back on it."
Asked if the Kurds prefer to achieve that goal in
agreement with the rest of Iraq, Barzani says: "At
this stage, the Kurdistan parliament has decided
that the Kurdistan people have the right to
self-determination within the framework of a
federal, democratic and pluralist Iraq and in
accordance with the constitution."
Asked about his priorities as Kurdistan Region
president, Barzani says: "Regarding Iraq, our
priority is to improve the security situation, to
bring about accord between the main components of
the Iraqi people, and to see a national government
enjoying a broad popular base in the aftermath of
the elections. Regarding Kurdistan, our priority is
to build a strong infrastructure in the Kurdistan
Region."
On whether he expects an amendment to the
constitution following the formation of the new
National Assembly, Barzani says: "Some provisions
can be discussed without this, on condition that
they do not encroach on our constant and basic
principles."
Al-Sharif notes that the Kurds ran for the elections
in a unified list and won large-scale support in the
Kurdistan Region, and he asks if the Kurdistan
Islamic Union withdrew from the list as a result of
the Duhok disturbances.
Responding, Barzani says: "We wish the brothers in
the Islamic Union had not left the Kurdistan
Alliance List and decided to run for the elections
on an independent list. However, this is normal and
we have no objection to that."
Asked if this will affect the Kurds' power in the
National Assembly, Barzani says: "Although the
brothers in the Islamic Union formed an independent
list, they will join the Kurdistan Alliance
following the elections."
Asked if the Duhok attack has anything to do with
the Islamic Union's withdrawal from the alliance,
Barzani says: "We condemned what happened" and "an
investigation committee has been formed to look into
the issue".
Asked if he expects a Lebanese-like sectarian system
to prevail in Iraq, Barzani says "this is the state
of affairs in Iraq", adding that Iraq "has been
divided on sectarian and ethnic lines".
Asked if he expects major problems in forming a
national unity government, Barzani says: "This will
not be an easy process, but I believe that a
broad-based national government will be formed."
Asked if the Kurds will remain in the opposition if
they fail to reach an agreement with the other
parties over the components of the forthcoming
government, Barzani says: "The government will
succeed if the Kurds remain in the opposition,"
adding that "the Kurds will enter into an alliance
with other parties following the elections".
Al-Sharif notes that Kurds and Arabs live in harmony
in Iraq, that they have a joint history and culture,
and that people say the Iraqi Kurds are not
interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict and US
attempts to spread its hegemony across the region.
Responding, Barzani says: "This is not true.
Regrettably, the real image of the Kurds is not
known well in the Arab region. First, Iraq is made
up of two principal ethnicities called the Kurdistan
Region and the Arab Region. Second, throughout the
history of the Kurdish liberation movement, we never
raised a single slogan against Arab interests or the
Arab nation. Even in the great national September
Revolution in Kurdistan, the central slogan was
democracy for Iraq and self-rule for Kurdistan. At
all stages we have defended the Arab causes. But
regrettably, when the Al-Anfal chemical attack
targeted our villages, we did not hear any Arab
voice defending the Kurdish people. We did not hear
any official Arab condemnation of those unjust,
inhuman measures against the Kurdistan people." He
adds that after the fall of the former regime, the
Kurds put all their capabilities at the disposal of
the other brothers "to build a new federal,
democratic and pluralist Iraq".
Asked if the Kurds stick to the Iraqi Arab position
on pan-Arab issues, Barzani says: "We are not
against Iraq's commitment to the Arab homeland and
the Arab countries, but the question is: are the
Arab countries committed to their causes and to the
Palestinian people's cause?"
Asked about Turkish, Arab and even US press reports
on the presence of Israeli intelligence agents in
the Kurdistan Region, Barzani says: "The Kurds are
in a special situation and have the freedom to
establish relations with others, although we are
part of the Iraqi state. We will not establish
diplomatic relations with any country that would
conflict with Iraq's diplomatic relations." He says
that the reported presence of Israelis in Kurdistan
"has become a trite subject and is viewed as a
blackmail, which we reject", adding: "We do not
consider relations with Israel a crime because most
of the Arab countries have relations with Israel. If
such relations are a crime, let the Arab countries
sever their relations with Israel and then call on
non-Arabs to sever their relations with Israel.
There are no Israeli forces, trainers or companies
in Kurdistan."
Asked in whose interest these rumours are reported,
Barzani says: "We have nothing to do with them."
Al-Sharif notes that the Turkish Staff Command and
the Turkish Foreign Ministry have called for
adapting to the new situation in the Kurdistan
Region and asks if the Turkish position towards the
Iraqi Kurds has begun to change. Barzani replies:
"We are aware of these positive trends; we will deal
with them positively and we hope that relations and
cooperation will develop in the interest of the two
sides."
Al-Sharif notes that Turkish nationalist circles
reject such a change, still view the Kurds in Iraq
as parties, and accuse them of financing some
Kurdish parties in Turkey.
Responding, Barzani dismisses the accusations as
"baseless" and says: "We will not interfere in the
domestic affairs of any country", adding: "We
sympathize with our brothers in all parts of
Kurdistan and support their rights but we do not
interfere in their affairs or in the way in which
they demand their rights, because we renounce
violence everywhere. We have not extended any
assistance to any political party."
Asked if he is prepared to mediate between Turkey
and the Kurdistan Workers Party to put an end to the
current problem, Barzani says: "If we see readiness
for a peaceful, democratic solution, then we are
prepared to exert our utmost efforts to help both
sides."
Asked about the Iraqi Kurds' position on Kurds in
other neighbouring countries, Barzani says: "Our
territories have been divided among a number of
countries without anybody considering our positions
on this issue", adding: "The Kurds' demand for the
self-determination and unity of the Kurdish nation
is a legitimate right." "We demand a democratic,
peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in each
country in accordance with the situation in that
country," he says, adding: "We do not support any
unjust, chauvinistic measures against Kurds and we
ask the Kurds not to resort to violence."
Asked about the conditions for the establishment of
a Kurdish state, Barzani says: "This is a legitimate
right, and I believe it should take place through
understanding, dialogue and acceptance of each
other."
Al-Sharif says that even in the Kurdistan Region,
the Kurdish administration is not united.
Responding, Barzani says that the failure to unite
the administration has not been an obstacle to
progress on the Kurdish issue. The parliament has
been united, he says, adding: "After the elections,
we will focus on this issue and will unite the two
administrations."
Asked whether Arab politicians ignore the
significance of the Kurdish issue and if he has a
message to the Arabs, Barzani says: "We did not and
will not stand against the Arab nation's interests.
We have a joint history and joint interests. I also
call for an Arab-Kurdish dialogue so that matters
can be clarified and we can help each other."
Asked whether the Arabs ignore such a dialogue,
Barzani replies: "Yes."
Source: Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television,
Doha, in Arabic 1432 gmt 6 Jan 06
www.bbc.co.uk
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