The Kurdish paper, Hawlati, reported that deep divisions have surfaced
among the leadership of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that
could lead to serious consequences for the party and its leader Mr.
Talabani.
More
A bomb hidden
near the Baghdad home of Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was discovered and
defused Sunday, police said. In July, gunmen had opened fire on a car
belonging to Zebari killing one official and wounding two others. He was not
in the
vehicle at the time, reported AP
An Arab
Islamic group said it had assassinated the chief of police in Arbil and
warned to kill Kurdish leader Barzani. "This is a clear message to the ally
of the Jews, the agent Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party, to tell the scoundrel that we are coming and the hands of the
mujahideen will soon reach you, God willing, and America cannot help you,"
said the statement which was dated Sunday, reported Reuters
Two Turkish soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a land mine in
Northern Kurdistan, reported the state owned news agency Anatolia. Also,
Anatolia said four soldiers were injured in a land mine explosion near the
city of Amed.
In an
official visit to Washington, the Kurdish PM Nechirvan Barzani arrived
in Washington late last week to explain his administration's stance on
several important issues regarding Southern Kurdistan and Iraq, a KDP
official told the Kurdistan Observer today.
More
A member of the
Turkoman Front political group was assassinated today in Southern Kurdistan
while driving his children to school, police said. Col. Burhan Taha said
politician Ghafour Abu Bakr was killed at 8.30am (local time) in Kirkuk when
unknown attackers opened fire, killing him and slighting injuring his two
children, reported Reuters yesterday.
----------------
Iraq's Christians who are
increasingly targeted by insurgents, are fleeing Baghdad for the safety of
the Southern Kurdistan, reported AP.
----------------
The US military said three soldiers, a marine
and a civilian translator were killed and one soldier wounded in two car
bombings on Friday, one in the northern city of Mosul and another near the
city of Qaim on Iraq's border with Syria. Also on
Saturday, a Kurd working
for the education ministry was shot dead in Mosul, reported AFP.
----------------
Kurdistan
Democratic Party is planning to launch a new satellite TV channel in
Southern Kurdistan. The new station, which will be called Zagros TV, will
start its broadcasting programs on November 1 of this year.
The KDP
leader Massoud Barzani began a three-day visit to Syria on Friday. Barzani,
who arrived form Jordan, said he would discuss a number of subjects with
Syrian leaders. They included federalism in Iraq, relations between the two
countries and the question of Kirkuk, reported AFP
Oct
15, 2004
•
News Snapshot
Syrian regime have arrested
three Kurds, human rights lawyer Anwar Bunni said on Thursday. "Military
security arrested three Kurds in the town of Amuda as part of the clampdown
linked to the fatal riots that took place last March in the northeast, he
said, repeating his call for political prisoners to be freed, reported AFP
----------------
A
representative of the PUK says that his party is prepared for an armed
struggle to ensure Kirrkuk’s Kurdistani identity. “We and the KDP share the
same view regarding this issue,” Sadon Faili, the PUK spokesperson in
Baghdad told daily Al-Hayat, referring to the culturally-stirred conflict of
Kirkuk, reported Peyamner
"I've been
doing grave sites for a long time, but I've never seen anything like this:
women and children executed for no apparent reason," said Mr Kehoe, who
spent five years investigating mass graves in Bosnia for the International
Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.
More
Leyla Zana finally received
the European Parliament's Sakharov prize for human rights Wednesday after
being released in June from a decade in Turkish detention
----------------
According
to the Turkish daily paper Aksham, the Turkish president warned Barzani not
to follow the Isreali path, adding that Israel is the source of conflict
since it was established. Aksham also reports that Mr Barzani was told that
neither Turkey nor the neighboring countries will accept federalism that
would lead to an independent Kurdistan, and if Kurds go this way, they will
likely lose what they have achieved so far.
Massoud Barzani said that the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in Southern Kurdistan
had a Kurdish "identity" and vowed to fight any force attempting to oppress
its people, whether Kurds or other ethnic groups.
More
Turkey will face a
very stringent inspection mechanism on human rights and cultural freedoms
(read that as "Kurdish rights)." Additionally, if there are any unfortunate
developments concerning the military's influence in politics and foreign
relations -- like military intervention in a neighboring country -- the
negotiations will be suspended immediately, said
TDN columnist Gunduz Aktan
----------------
A German
delegation from the Baviera State visited Amed, Northern Kurdistan. The
delegation's Chairman Gabriel Goltz said they came to Amed to observe the
services given by the local authorities and the developments in the
villages, directly.
In a joint press
conference in Irbil with the British Foreign Minister Jack straw who arrived
in Irbil on Tuesday, the Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said "Our
policy and stance is clear, we refuse to compromise on any grounds regarding
Kirkuk," refuting the speculations that UK puts pressure on the Kurdish
leaders to make concessions on Kirkuk.
In a second day of
demonstrations in the Kurdish city of Kirkuk, protestors brandished banners
calling for the departure of the Arabs and the return of Kurds chased from
their homes as part of Saddam's efforts to change its population makeup.
Demonstrators also called for the departure of loyalists of the old regime
they accused of blocking the return of displaced Kurds.
----------------
A Turkish
soldier and a Kurdish rebel were killed in Northern Kurdistan, Turkish
state news agency Anatolia reported Sunday.
In several Kurdish cities
across Southern Kurdistan, tens of thousands of Kurds demonstrated,
demanding an independent Kurdistan with Kirkuk as its capital.
----------------
A Turkish soldier was killed
and three others were wounded Saturday in fighting with Kurdish fighters in
Northern Kurdistan, the Anatolia news agency reported.
----------------
The newly appointed Secretary General of KDP
in Eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan, Mustafa Hijiri, says that his party has
detailed information about Al Qaida training camps in Iran. "We have
detailed intelligence reports on the training locations of members belonging
to Al Qaida and Ansar al Islam organizations," Hijiri said in an interview
published by Kurdish daily Medya.
MARK COLVIN: The Kurds of northern Iraq have
welcomed the support of
the
Australian Senator, Ross Lightfoot, who has endorsed the idea of an
independent state of Kurdistan.
It's an issue with big potential repercussions.
Neighbouring Turkey has consistently opposed an independent Kurdish state, and
gone so far as to threaten war if one were to be established.
As it is, Kurdistan is an autonomous region in northern Iraq, with
universities, schools and hospitals, and it's been relatively untouched by the
post-war violence and instability in Iraq.
But Senator Lightfoot's personal support for Kurdistan could cause some
difficulties for the Federal Government, which has endorsed the status quo.
Alison Caldwell reports.
ALISON CALDWELL: The West Australian Senator Ross Lightfoot has championed
some unexpected causes before, but nothing quite like this.
Following a visit to northern Iraq in July this year, Senator Lightfoot is
calling for an independent state of Kurdistan.
ROSS LIGHTFOOT: I'm in support of an independent state for Kurdistan, which
operates significantly as an independent state now, subject to a failure after
exhaustive efforts in establishing a federation of which Kurdistan would be
part of that federation.
ALISON CALDWELL: Why do you feel so strongly about it?
ROSS LIGHTFOOT: Well, it's an odd thing, but as a student of history, I have
marvelled at the survival of the Kurds, their tenacity, their difference,
their ethnic difference, their moral difference, their religious tolerance.
I want to do something you know, towards the latter end of my career – I've
been in politics spanning 18, 19 years now – that was worthwhile, and the
Kurds, have always appealed to me as people that need assisting.
ALISON CALDWELL: It's a sensitive issue. Turkey has threatened to invade
northern Iraq if an independent state of Kurdistan is established.
At the moment, Kurdistan is an autonomous state, but Turkey wants to minimise
Kurdish power and autonomy on both sides of the border.
For the past 30 years, the Kurds have fought for civil rights on behalf of 20
million ethnic Kurds in Turkey. More than 30,000 people have died in the
conflict which has left more than two million people homeless.
Senator Lightfoot believes the situation with Turkey can be negotiated.
(to Ross Lightfoot) Turkey has threatened to invade northern Iraq if there's
an independent state of Kurdistan. How could you negotiate?
ROSS LIGHTFOOT: Well it would be subject to the concurrence of those border
countries. We must remember of course, Syria is not a democracy. Turkey is,
although has some question marks about the total commitment to democracy, but
it is improving there.
I think it ought to be remembered too that Turkey want to enter the European
Union, and part of that would be that it maintain a peaceful co-existence with
its neighbours.
ALISON CALDWELL: The Turkish embassy wouldn't comment on the Senator's
position.
Not surprisingly, the Kurdish Regional Government has welcomed Senator
Lightfoot's support.
Simko Halmet is the KRG's representative in Australia.
SIMKO HALMET: We need this kind of encouragement from the Australian
politicians.
ALISON CALDWELL: With the support that you've received from Senator Lightfoot,
do you read that as Australian Federal Government support?
SIMKO HALMET: I believe so. I believe so. I believe that Senator Lightfoot is
very influential into the Australian politics.
ALISON CALDWELL: The Federal Government will only say that it supports ongoing
autonomy for the Kurdish people of northern Iraq as part of a sovereign Iraqi
nation.
But the Opposition says Senator Lightfoot's announcement requires an
explanation from the Federal Government.
Labor's Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Kevin Rudd.
KEVIN RUDD: Senator Lightfoot's new foreign policy initiative on behalf of the
Howard Government I'm sure is attracting some interested reaction in Turkey,
Syria, Iraq and Iran.
I assume Foreign Minister Downer has the clearance of all four governments in
support of this brand new, Howard Government initiative in support of an
independent Kurdistan.
The bottom line is this: you can't have government senators simply out there
free-wheeling on questions of sensitive foreign policy. Either the Howard
Government supports the upcoming democratic process, supervised by the United
Nations in Iraq, for the future of that country or it doesn't.
ALISON CALDWELL: Senator Lightfoot says Woodside Energy paid for his trip.
Last week, Woodside Energy announced that it had signed a two-year agreement
with the Iraqi Oil Ministry to identify oil and gas projects in Kurdistan.
Since the announcement less than a week ago, Woodside shares have jumped more
than six per cent.
