KDP confirms government rotation - Kurdish Globe

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The Kurdish Globe No. 335, Saturday, January 07, 2012 4 Kurds to stay clear of Iraq sectarian strife Kurdish President Massoud Barzani has been a outspoken critic of the embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Maliki. Iraq's Kurds are determi mined not to get dragged into a sectarian conflict over Shi'ite Prime Mini ister Nuri al-Maliki's attempted arrest of the Sunni vice-president, and the Kurds' leader said failure to implement a federal system would lead to disaster. Nine years after the U.S.-led invasion, much of Iraq is still plagued by Sunni insurgents and Shi'ite militias, but Iraqi Kurdistan has enjoyed relative peace and prospi perity after successfully rising up against Saddi dam Hussein in 1991 and achieving federal autonoi omy under Iraq's 2005 constitution. Unless their interests are directly affected, the Kurds have tried to remi main largely aloof from the interminable political wrangling that has beset the central government in Baghdad, attempting to act as a mediator to resi solve potential conflicts. But Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi's flight to Kurdistan last month after an attempt to arrest him on accusations of running death squads has thrust the Kurds centre stage in a political drama that could descend into sectarian violence. "I don't want to be dragged into this," Masoud Barzani, presidi dent of the Kurdish regi gion, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. "We are not part of the sectarian struggle that is there. Of course we are part of the political disai agreement and political struggle, but not of the sectarian one." The Kurds have called for a national conference to settle the differences between Maliki and the cross-sectarian Iraqiya bloc which is boycotting parliament and cabinet meetings, accusing Mali liki's Shi'ite-led governmi ment of concentrating power. "We are all waiting for the concerned groups to reach an agreement on when and where to meet," Barzani said. Barzani said he was ready to host the conferei ence, but political sources said Maliki was against meeting in the Kurdish capital Erbil and wanted the issue of Hashemi cleared up first. "If they decide to have it somewhere else, then it is up to them, but as far as we are concerned, the venue is not a probli lem," said Barzani, weari ing traditional Kurdish costume of khaki baggy trousers, waistcoat and cummerbund. "I believe many of the concerned groups are not ready to go to Baghdad," he said. As for the fate of Hashei emi, "this something that the judicial system and the courts have to deci cide," Barzani said. "We will not interfere in whatei ever proceedings the judi dicial system decides." Hashemi says he is willi ing to be tried inside the Kurdish zone, and insists a fair trial is not possible in Baghdad. OIL DEAL, FEDERAL SYSTEM The crisis put the Kurds in a precarious, but potenti tially powerful position as brokers if any political deal can be reached, and, if not, both Maliki and the Iraqiya bloc would need Kurdish backing in parliament to overcome the other side. The Kurds may use this as leverage to win conci cessions on their own strategic interests, such as control of oil resourcei es and territories disputei ed between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan. While relatively secure in the mountains of northei ern Iraq, the Kurds are upset by the Baghdad's failure to resolve the stati tus of Kirkuk, the city at the centre of large oil resi serves, which the Kurdi ish government claims as part of Kurdistan. A referendum set in Arti ticle 140 of the constituti tion for 2007 has still not been held. "We as Kurds we have opted for a voluntary union between Arabs and Kurds and for the system of governance in Iraq to be federal. This is a consi stitutional right therefore for us and for the people of Iraq, we support a fedei eral system in this counti try," said Barzani who led Kurdish peshmerga forces fighting Saddam from 1979 after the death of his father who fought Baghdad-rule from the 1940s onwards. "Preventing the implemi mentation of constituti tional articles, this will lead the country to face huge problems," he said. "This will bring about disi sasters." With political wrangling in Baghdad also holding up a long-awaited law on the future exploitation of oil riches, the Kurdistan government has gone ahead and signed a seri ries of its own oil deals, most notably with Exxon Mobil, much to the anni noyance of others in the central government. Barzani said there was an agreement with Baghdi dad that each side could continue signing such contracts until the oil law was passed. The Exxon deal also encompasses areas whose control is disputed by Erbil and Baghdad. "As for places that are called disputed territori ries by others, for us they are part of the Kurdistan region," said Barzani. "If they have got any disai agreement with this then let them come and implemi ment Article 140 as it says in the constitution." (Editing by Louise Ireland) Reuters Courts to decide on Zakho events Presidential committee sees "Negligence" and "provocations" committed by local officials Some media channels and local officials seen as the provocateurs of events in Duhok and Zakho that led to the destruction of several businesses. A presidential committi tee announced a report on the investigations on the Duhok and Zakho events, putting the blame on sevei eral media channels and some local officials. In the mean time, Kurdistan Regi gion President Massoud Barzani asks the public to give their opinion on the report. On December 2, a group of people rushed into street after Friday prayers and burned a number of massi sage centers and liquor shops in Zakho and later in other towns in Duhok province. Late in the night on the same day, a numbi ber of offices belonging to Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) in the province were burned as well. The presidential committi tee says there were provoci cations by some news websites and TV channi nels as well as a number of KIU members that led to the torching of liquor shops. But names of the media channels weren’t published. For the events in general, the committi tee confirms "negligence" on the part of the security forces as they were unable to control the mayhem. The report adds that Kurdi istan Democratic Party loci cal leaders were also "negli ligent" in stopping party members from attacking KIU buildings. The committee, empi ployed by President Barzi zani, didn’t give any clear conclusion but submits the issue and their report to court as the final word. For detained KIU members, the committee demands the court finalize their casei es. Committee head Azad Malafandi, a legal advisi sor to the president, began visiting and meeting with relevant sides for three weeks in Duhok a day afti ter the events. On his Facebook page, President Barzani asks for comments on the committi tee's report and also on opposition parties' boycott of meetings with governi ing parties. Thousands of comments were published, most of them about the second issue. Generally, commentators praise the President's survey more than the committee’s repi port. Hussein Balisani, a univi versity law lecturer, told the Globe that there is no need for such a committee to investigate the case. "In burning issues, the courts are competent enough," he said. Another lecturer, Abdulfi fatah AbdulRazaq, said that the court couldn’t count on a report by such a committee he called "illi legal." He sees the report as "not neutral," although it keeps some balance between accusations exci changed by both KIU and KDP.
The Kurdish Globe No. 335, Saturday, January 07, 2012 5 During New Year celebrations, Kurds and Arabs joined together Despite the rain, Erbil’s Shanadar Park hosted thousands Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region, hosted around 30,000 foreign and internal tourists for the New Year celebrations. Colorful light displays and fireworks were part of the festivities. Despite the rain, people in Kurdistan took to the streets to welcome 2012. Thousands gathered in Erbi bil’s Shanadar Park to enji joy dancing, celebrations and a fireworks display at midnight. “There wasn’t a single incident in Erbil during the New Year parties,” Abdi dulkhaliq Tala’t, chief of Erbil Police Directorate, told The Kurdish Globe. The police had a security plan in place to keep the city under control in case of any problems. The plan was apparently a success. Tala’t said police forces performed well and acted according to the plan. He said hundreds of police were deployed across the city in case of terrorist atti tacks. “Police forces were in a state of emergency from Dec. 22 to provide securiti ty for people for the night of celebrations [New Year parties],” Tala’t told the Globe. According to informi mation from Suleimaniyi ya’s hospital, 20 people were injured in different incidents during New Year celebrations. Kurds and Arabs celebrated together While people in other parts of Iraq decided on an early night because of the rain, Kurds and Arabs in Kurdistan saw the New Year in together. At the festivities in Shani nadar Park, the smoke and explosions were not from terrorist attacks, but from the fireworks show. Rad Abdullah, his wife Swailah, and their childi dren, an Arab family, visitei ed Erbil to join in the New Year celebrations. They wished better days for Iraq and Kurdistan in 2012. “My family is very happy tonight. We all feel comfi fortable and are having a good time. It is a chance to partake safely in the parti ties and fireworks. Thank God Iraqis have a place [Erbil] to have fun and enji joy themselves,” said Rad Abdullah. He said his family planned a week ahead to come to Erbil. “There are also some celebrations for greeting the New Year in Baghdad, but no one dares to go to the parties because of the fear of terri rorist attacks. Then, all the joy turns to explosions and blood,” he said. Elas Mosana, also an Arab, was accompanied by his wife and children. He parked his car near Shanadar Park and was watching the firework dispi play. Mosana and his fami ily came from Diwaniya, a province in southern Iraq. It was their first visit to Erbil. They were surprised by the changes in Kurdisti tan since 2003 compared with other parts of Iraq. “For years, the Iraqi peopi ple were constant victims of bad policies and sectari ian conflicts between Shii ites and Sunnis. Developmi ments are obvious in the Region, and now I guess it is not so strange when we hear foreign media call Kurdistan ‘The Other Iraq,’” Mosana said. Salih Waladbagi Erbil salihas2006 @gmail.com Fireworks during the New Year’s celebrations in downtown Erbil, Jan. 1, 2012 GLOBE PHOTO/ Safin Hamed The Traveler “Politicians: The main reason for conflict” — Orhan Coral Professor Orhan Coral is a Turkish traveler, born in 1950. He recently visi ited Kurdistan Region after touring 226 countries. He told The Kurdish Globe Kurdistan is one of the places in which he feels comfortable. He has some concerns about Kurdistan and its people, even though he noticed many positives in Kurdish society. Advocating environmental protection Coral has made eight televi vision shows in Turkey on ecology and the impact of environment on human bei ings and vice versa. He has also managed 3,000 conferei ences on ecology and effi fects on the environment. He is staunchly against cigarettes and influenced the president of Bhutan to ban smoking in the country. During his first two days in Kurdistan, Coral held two seminars at Erbil’s Ishk University to warn students about the dangers of cigari rettes. Some concerns “People of Kurdistan are very respectful, warm and hospitable. However, Kurds, like Turkish people, are gluttonous and eat more than necessary,” he said. He believes if people only eat as much as they need, there will be enough food to feed everyone. He also urged the people of Kurdistan not to buy luxui ury cars and not to waste money. Coral leaves Turkey at the end of each year. He wants to raise awareness around the world about needlessly spending money and fritti tering away their wealth. He told the Globe he wants to write a travel book about Kurdistan and its customs, culture and people. Friendship of nations Coral’s main reason for travel is to study and experi rience the culture and custi toms of different nations of the world up close. The main things he learned during his travels are friendship and peaceful coexistence of nations. He added “there is no dispute between different nations, instead smuggling weapoi ons and tricks of politicians are the main causes of dispi putes and conflicts between peaceful coexisting nati tions.” He also expressed his dislike of politics. Coral recalls how he was eager to travel to find out more about people. “When I was in primary school, I told my mother that I was already grown but hadn’t visited another country,” he said. He has written 13 travel books on his travels to 226 countries. At the end of his intervi view, Coral encouraged the people of Kurdistan to visit other places in the world because he thinks this is a good way to form links among different nations to be familiar with each other. He believes this helps previ vent spreading “racism” and calls on people to live peacefully. Coral is head of the Mines Engineering Department at Technical University of Istanbul. He is also chairmi man of a civil society orgi ganization to protect the environment. He owns a travel company in Turkey. Coral is also a professionai al photographer and has held exhibitions in several countries. Orhan also is filmmaker and a critic of cinema and theater. In addi dition to Turkish, he also speaks English, Italian and German fluently. By Salih Waladbagi
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KDP confirms government rotation - Kurdish Globe

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