Kurds Threaten to Pull Out of Iraqi Government

[floda]

The main Kurdish political parties are threatening to pull out of Iraq's interim government unless a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq endorses Kurdish autonomy.
Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan made the threat in a publicly-released letter to President Bush.

The two Kurdish leaders said Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq should be included in the new U.N. resolution or otherwise recognized as law-binding on the transitional government, both before and after elections.

a bit more ...

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=F2FA5681-25A3-43AA-9A3F1BBF419423D0&title=Kurds%20Threaten%20to%20Pull%20Out%20of%20Iraqi%20Government&catOID=45C9C78D-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Mideast

[jpgray]

1. Oh man, cue the Turks

:(

[peterh]

7. they've been cued.....

Kurdish separatists end ceasefire, warn foreigners

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2004%20News%20archives/May/30n/Kurdish%20separatists%20end%20ceasefire,%20warn%20foreigners.htm

ANKARA (AFP) — Kurdish rebels said Saturday they were ending a five-year unilateral ceasefire and warned tourists and foreign investors to stay away from Turkey, just a month before it was set to host US President George W. Bush at a major NATO summit. “Our commitment to the ceasefire will cease to exist from June 1,” KONGRA-GEL, the successor to the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said in a statement carried on the website of the German-based pro-Kurdish Mesopotamia news agency.

[robertpaulsen]

8. Finally, some real news!

Thanks for the link. Good to know there are still some news organizations that aren't lost in the 80's.

[keithyboy]

9. But we all knew this was going to happend didn't we?

The dissolution of Iraq as a nation. Well, the Brits made a mess of things before. I guess we are trying our hand at making our own mess. Will these people ever have control of their own destinies?

[Aidoneus]

2. now there's a sudden bolt..

the 2 Kurdish parties are pretty much the only solid pillar the occupation and quisling government have to rely on..

[sadiesworld]

3. Well, ain't this a shocker.

:eyes:

[Solly Mack]

19. True. True.

who didn't see this coming...

[rogerashton]

4. Why do you suppose

I missed that on the news? Because of the all-Reagan-mourning, all the time programming?

Who knows?

[geek tragedy]

5. Win one for Chalabi!

Actually, this is probably reasonable on the part of the Kurds.

[Endangered Specie]

6. Can you blame them?

[Disturbed]

10. A sticky wicket

This is going to be real trouble for BushCo.

BTW Anyone know if the Kurds ever got their $30 Million for capturing Saddam and then allowing the US to take the credit?

[robertpaulsen]

11. Kick

[struggle4progress]

12. kick

:kick:

[Aidoneus]

13. They seem to be afraid of Sadr, Sistani, and `Alawi

The "sloppy wet kiss" prostrated appeal they made to Bush was interesting, in a way. I wonder if Bush will even hear about it.

They should just break with Baghdad and ask the crusaders what the fuck they'd do about it, since they seem to be so impotent to stop the rest of the resistance in Iraq. I don't respect the 2 main Kurdish parties for their stance, but the self-described best friends of the occupyers should at least get SOMETHING besides shafted (again). The 'Kurdistan Regional Government' has administered the areas better than the central governments in Baghdad or Ankara ever have. That is of course not without problems, Kirkuk particularly.

[bemildred]

14. I was just thinking, it's a good thing Raygun didn't die a

couple weeks later, the News Media would have been forced
to choose between the Transfer of Sovereignty(tm) and the
Ascension of Raygun(tm).

Back on Topic: one does have to wonder if the Kurds will take
up arms here. True, they have ended the truce with the Turks,
but pissing off Uncle Sugar is a big step to take on the basis
of fictive agreements about stooge governments.

[struggle4progress]

15. Kurdish Threat to Withdraw Is Creating a Crisis for Iraqis

<snip>
In a letter to President Bush this week, the two main Kurdish leaders, Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, wrote that the Kurds would "refrain from participating in the central government" in Baghdad if any attempt was made by the new government to nullify the interim Iraqi constitution adopted in March.

Shiite leaders have said repeatedly in recent weeks that they intend to remove parts of the interim constitution that essentially grant the Kurds veto power over the permanent constitution, which is scheduled to be drafted and ratified next year.
<snip>

That would amount to something like secession, which Kurdish officials have been hinting at privately for months but now appear to be actively considering. "The Kurdish people will no longer accept second-class citizenship in Iraq," the letter said.

The two leaders also asked President Bush for a commitment to protect "Kurdistan" should an insurgency compel the United States to pull its forces out of the rest of Iraq.
<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/09/international/middleeast/09KURD.html

[Aidoneus]

16. this may be due to Sistani

He recently wrote the UN, urging them not to think of the 'Interim Constition' (crafted with particular portions specifically at the behest of the Kurdish parties, so that their minority may have the privilege of over-riding anything they wish) as real and legitimate. His words to Annan, from al-Hayat by way of Prof.Cole's reproduction:--

It has reached us that some are attempting to insert a mention of what they call 'The Law for the Administration of the Iraqi State in the Transitional Period' {i.e. the interim constitution} into the new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq-- with the goal of lending it international legitimacy. This "Law", which was legislated by an unelected council in the shadow of Occupation, and with direct influence from it, binds the national parliament, which it has been decided will be elected at the beginning of the new Christian year for the purpose of passing a permanent constitution for Iraq. This matter contravenes the laws, and most children of the Iraqi people reject it. For this reason, any attempt to bestow legitimacy on it through mentioning it in the UN resolution would be considered an action contrary to the will of the Iraqi people and a harbinger of grave consequences."

Sayyid Sistani has his moments..

[struggle4progress]

17. I can't blame him for not wanting a legal framework, imposed

by an occupying power, to become the de facto permanent law.

[Gloria]

18. Two more stories here, including "Northern Iraq- Calm Like a Bomb"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x611440

[PurityOfEssence]

20. Ah yes, the Versailles Treaty, the gift that goes on giving

Well...there SHOULD be a nation there, let's draw some damn lines.

Harumph.

[dusty64]

21. Didn't make my local rag, two

pages of reaganmania though. Which do you suppose is more important and newsworthy?