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Kurdistan thriving amid unrest in Iraq,
delegates say
22.9.2006
By JOHN G. EDWARDS |
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Kurdistan is a peaceful
oasis in turbulent Iraq but it's booming with
construction and development financed by Arab and
European companies, a delegation of officials that
visited Las Vegas said Thursday.
The group is promoting opportunities for tourism,
agricultural and mining development by Americans and
touting incentives, including up to 10 years of tax
exemptions and permission to send profits to a
company's out-of-country headquarters.
Kurdistan is not interested in developing casinos,
but it is a regional tourism destination and would
like to get more high-quality hotels as part of an
effort to draw more foreign tourists.
"I wouldn't say gambling is for us. We are in the
Middle East, and we are a conservative society,"
said Bayan Rahman, chairwoman of the Kurdistan
Development Corp. "There is a very serious shortage
of high-standard hotels in the Kurdistan region."
Iraqis who live in the hotter regions often vacation
in Kurdistan, but it has archaeological, natural
resources and other features that would interest
tourists from more distant countries. It was the
site of biblical stories such as Daniel in the
lion's den and a historic battle site of Alexander
the Great.
"There is a great deal of historic tourism that we
could develop," she said.
Also, the region has mountainous areas where ski
resorts could be built. Rafting and mountaineering
are other possibilities, she said. Kurdistan has two
airports with direct flights from Europe.
The country's mineral resources have not been
exploited because former dictator Saddam Hussein was
not interested in developing the area. Rahman
estimated that Hussein killed 182,000 Kurds "in his
campaign of genocide," but she said the former Iraqi
leader is being tried only for killing 50,000.
No coalition troops have been killed in Kurdistan
since the invasion, she said.
"There are large sections of Iraq where there is
peace, and people are rebuilding their lives," she
said.
In the past Kurdistan has enjoyed a thriving
agriculture sector for wheat, barley, fruit and
vegetables.
It is difficult for individual investors to
speculate on growth in Kurdistan, but a group is
planning to establish a
Kurdistan mutual fund, spokesman Sal Russo said.
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