Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

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Turkish Dolly News Monday, April 7. 1997
Iraqi Kurdish groups concerned about
implementation. of Ankara process
Disagreement over specification of key
Kurdish areas overshadows discussions
between KpP;and.-Baghdad'
SAADET ORUÇ .
Ankara- Turldsb Dally News .
• As the United States tries to bring the representatives
of the two rival Kurdish groups, the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) together in
Ankara, the groups are ~rtedly worried about
the ability of the U.S., Bntish and Turkish-sponsored
process to bring peace and stability to
northern Iraq. Local Kurdish sources, speaking to
the Turkish Daily News, criticised both the
United States and Britain for doing nothing to
speed up the peace process. At the weekly meeting
of the Supervisory Peace Monitoring Group
(SPMG) to be held on Monday the parties will
reportedly express their concerns. The release of
pnsoners and the working of the Peace .
Monitoring Force will also be under discussion.
Specification of Kurdish area.
Sources have informed the lDN that discussions
between the KDP and the central Iraqi government
are full of disagreements. "'Ille Specification
of Kurdish areas in the region is the main problem,
with the key areas of Sinjar, Kirkuk and
Haneqin prominent in the discussions," said the
local SOurce, adding that KDP delegations visiting
the Egyptian, Iranian and Syrian capitals over
the last few weeks had emphasized theu commitment
to the integration of Iraq.
Concrete steps
The recent visit by Acting Assistant Secretary for
Near Eastern Mairs David Welch and Director
of the Office of Northern Gulf Mfairs Robert
Deutsch to northern Iraq reportedly took place to
try to persuade the KDP to stick with the Ankara
process. '''This is the highest level visit by the
United States to the region. But I do not think it's
a good idea to put pressure on the KDP. The
Ankara peace process needs concrete steps,': the
Ankara PUK representative Shazad Saib said on
Sunday. After a series of mysterious assassinations
of senior KDP officials, the KDP
announced they would not attend any further
meetings until investigations into the incidents
have been completed.
Although the KDP is still attending the SPMG
meetings, they have avoided other gatherings.
Màssoud Barzani, the leader of the KDP, refuses
to meet with his PUK counterpart lalal Talabani.
Analtemative high-level meeting in the absence
of the two leaders has been suggested between
Kosrad Rasul of the PUK and the KDP' s
Nechirvart Barzani. However, Rasul is seen by
the KDP as the figure behind the assassinations.
According to local sources close to the KDP, "the
Supreme Court, which is known to be under the
control of the PUK, approved Rasul's involvement
in the bombing m Zakho which resulted in
the deaths of95 people two years ago."
It has also been discovered that the Iraqi government
condemned the recent U.S. visit, claiming
it was "an interference in the internal affairs
of the region." The delegation, which returned to
Ankara on Friday, met with Safeen Dizayee and
officials from the Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
'Sadclam'. presence
Is the fault of the US'
Kurdish sources close to both the KDP and the
PUK criticized U.S. policy on northern Iraq following
the recent "strict" statement on Iraq by
Madeleine Albright, the U.S. Secretary of State.
'The United States has had no clear position
since 1991. The main gathering of the Iraqi oppositio~
the Iraqi National CODgresS (!NC) got,rlP
clear backing from the United States," said one
Iraqi Kurdish politician. Another expert commented
"the embargo must continue for the sake
of the oil markets," adding that the United States
was avoiding making any commitment to the'
Iraqi people. "If the United States encouraged the
Iraqi people to remoye Saddam by promising to
lift the embargo, it would confmn its commitment.
But I do not think the embargo will be lifted,
evenif Saddam goes. Saddam's presence is
the fault of the United States," he said.
, On March 25, Albright gave a speech on U.S..
policy toward Irnq at Georgetown University.
"While Iraq's lawless policies are failing, our policies
of law and firmness are working. As long as the
apparatus of sanctions, enforcement, inspections and
monitoring is in place, Iraq will remain trapped .
within a strategic box, Wlable to successfully threaten
its neighbors and Wlable to realize the grandiose
ambitions of its ignoble leader ... WltilIraq becomes
a pillar of peace and stability in the region, we must
and will maintain our watch," said Albright summarizing
the future of Iraq.
Saddam to remain In power
Sources discussing the possible removal of
. Saddam say, "Even though the former British
military discipline of the Iraqi army has changed
and become similar to the Iranian Republican
guards, .qe authority and power of Saddam still
continue, despite all the demoralizations and
weaknesses.' According to news reports from
Iraq, some circles in the Iraqi army are very disturbed
by Saddam's one-man rule.'
..,
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