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Kurdistan President Barzani, US Vice
President Biden meet in Erbil
2.9.2010 |
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September
2, 2010
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — President of Iraq’s
Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani received U.S. Vice
President Joseph Biden Wednesday in Erbil. Vice
President Biden was accompanied by Ambassador James
Jeffery, General Lloyd Austin, Commander of the
United States Forces-Iraq and a number of senior
White House advisers. President Barzani was joined
by Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister, Dr.
Barham Salih in hosting a dinner reception for the
U.S. delegation.
President Barzani welcomed Vice President Biden and
the accompanying delegation, stating that he felt it
necessary to reiterate the gratitude of the people
of Iraq in general and the Kurdistan Region in
particular for the role of the United States in
toppling the former Iraqi regime.
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President of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Massoud
Barzani (R) received U.S. Vice President Joseph
Biden Wednesday in Erbil, September 1, 2010. KRP
photo |
After delivering President Obama's Ramadan greetings
to President Barzani, Vice President Biden stated
that he had a special type of admiration for the
people of the Kurdistan Region.
President Barzani and
Vice President Biden discussed at length the
developments in Iraq, focusing mainly on the efforts
to form Iraq's next government. The two sides also
discussed the latest security developments in Iraq
in the wake of the withdrawal of a significant
number of U.S. forces earlier this week. President
Barzani stated to Mr. Biden that he hoped the end of
U.S. military presence in Iraq does not equate to
the end of U.S. commitment to the country.
Both the President and Mr. Biden agreed that the
political process cannot move forward if the next
Iraqi government is not formed soon.
The date of the Biden’s arrival to Kurdistan
coincides with the day of the official end of US
combat operations in Iraq, as the troops have just
been decreased to a bit less than 50,000 people.
Many Iraqis are worried about Obama’s substantial
drawdown of US troops at a time when the insurgents
still prove their resilience, and the Iraqi Arab
parties have yet to agree to form of a new
government almost six months after elections were
held in March.
The Kurds have no apparent role in the political
deadlock, but they are also increasingly distrustful
of the Iraqi Arab leaders to be sincere with them in
the absence of a larger US presence in the country.
"The Kurds have some reason to be nervous about US
departure,” said Kenneth Katzman, specialist in
Middle East affairs for the Congressional Research
Service where he provides analysis on Iraq and
Middle East to the members of Congress and their
staffs.
“The US departure will mean that the KRG loses a
valuable ally that is guaranteeing the autonomy of
the KRG," added Katzman. “Because both Shiite and
Sunni Arabs do not want Kurds having autonomy or
control over their own oil resources.”
Biden had arrived in Baghdad on Monday, (Aug. 30),www.ekurd.neton
the occasion of the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops
in accordance with the security agreement signed
between Baghdad and Washington on December 31, 2008.
Copyright, respective
author or news agency, krp org | Agencies
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