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Iraqi Kurdistan president says Khanaqin is
safe area
28.8.2008
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August
28, 2008
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region "Iraq", —
The president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Massoud
Barzani, expressed his surprise at the raid
conducted by Iraqi army personnel on Khanaqin
district, which he described as a "safe" area.
The remark was made on Wednesday during his
reception of a high-ranking delegation from the U.S.
embassy,www.ekurd.net
according to a statement
released by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
and received by VOI.
"Khanaqin is a safe area and it's a wonder that the
Iraqi army entered it under the pretext of combating
terrorism," Barzani said. |
Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
The Kurdish president
wondered why the Iraqi army did not coordinate with
the regional government.
"The two sides discussed recent development on the
Iraqi political scene, including Article 140 of the
Iraqi constitution, the United Nations' role in its
implementation, and the recent incidents that took
place in Khanaqin," the statement noted.
In cooperation with the Multi-National Force (MNF),
Iraqi security forces have been conducting a
wide-scale security operation called Bashaer al-Kheir
(Promise of Good) since July 2008 in Diyala with the
aim of tracking down armed groups in the province.
The operation has recently extended to include areas
affiliated with the province, including Khanaqin
district.
Following an agreement between Kurdish authorities
and the central government in Baghdad, Peshmerga
forces withdrew from the districts of Qurtuba and
Jalawlaa, which are affiliated with Khanaqin.
Peshmerga is a term used by the Kurds to refer to
armed Kurdish forces.
Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, pertaining to
the situation in Kirkuk, is expected to put an end
to the controversy over disputed areas, including
Khanaqin.
The article currently stipulates that all Arabs in
Kirkuk be returned to their original locations in
southern and central Iraqi areas, and formerly
displaced residents returned to Kirkuk. The article
also calls for conducting a census to be followed by
a referendum to let the inhabitants decide whether
they would like Kirkuk to be annexed to the
autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region or having it as an
independent province.
Kirkuk city is historically a Kurdish city
and it lies just south border of the Kurdistan
autonomous region, the population is a mix of
majority Kurds and minority of Arabs, Christians and
Turkmen. lies 250 km northeast of Baghdad. Kurds
have a strong cultural and emotional attachment to Kirkuk,
which they call "the Kurdish Jerusalem."
The former regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
had forced over 250,000 Kurdish residents to give up
their homes to Arabs in the 1970s, to "Arabize"
the city and the region's oil industry.
These stages were supposed to end on December 31,
2007, a deadline that was later extended to six
months to end in July 2008.
Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa, lies 405 km north
of Baghdad.
The original city of Mosul stands on the west bank
of the Tigris River,www.ekurd.net
opposite the ancient
biblical city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the
metropolitan area has now grown to encompass
substantial areas on both banks, with five bridges
linking the two sides.
Despite having an amount of Kurdish population, it
does not form part of the area controlled by the The
fabric Muslin, long manufactured in Mosul, is named
for this city. Another historically important
product of the area is Mosul marble.
The city is also a historic center for the Nestorian
Christianity of the Assyrians, containing the tombs
of several Old Testament prophets such as Jonah,
Yunus in Arabic, and Nahum.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
VOI
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