Kurdish Official Says Against Ruling To Expel Police Officers

June 9, 2005

Despite the fact that officials in the Iraqi Interior Ministry have pursued Arabization policies in Kirkuk by bringing policemen and officers from Arab cities and appoint them in the city, the interior minister in Al-Ja'fari's cabinet decided recently to deport all the Kurdish officers and policemen from Kirkuk to other cities in Kurdistan region, reported Arbil based the Kurdish daily Regay Kurdistan.

The Ministry's ruling was sent to all relevant institutions in Kirkuk for implementation. Regarding the subject, the police chief of Kirkuk administrative districts and sub-districts, Brig-Gen Sarhad Qadir, said that "we strongly stand against this decision". It is noteworthy that the ruling refers to 2,500 Kurdish officers and policemen.