USA: IRAQI KURD LEADERS AGREE TO ESTABLISHING ELECTED GOVERNMENT

Описание: (18 Sep 1998) Arabic/Eng/Nat

Iraqi Kurd leaders on Thursday ended years of conflict and rivalry, agreeing to establish an elected government by next summer after a transitional period of power-sharing.

The leaders of the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan flanked the U-S Secretary of State, whose efforts brought about the rapprochement.

Madeleine Albright issued an indirect warning to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein not to interfere with the reconciliation process begun by the Kurdish factions.

Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and Jalal Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, met for the first time in four years on Thursday, brought together by a U-S brokered initiative.

The smiles and warm handshakes shared by the former opponents showed the progress made in the two years since the conflict between their factions was at its height.

In August and September of 1996, the rivalry flared into violence when Barzani invited Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to dispatch troops to help his forces fight the P-U-K.

Talabani's response was to seek similar help from Iran to counter Iraq's involvement.

It was Saddam's intervention which prompted President Clinton to order air strikes against targets in the southern part of Iraq.

Madeleine Albright made it clear that the U-S would not tolerate any involvement from the Iraqi regime that may jeapordise the reconciliation process between the Kurdish factions.

She said the gas attacks and military repression, which amounted to genocide, can never happen again.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We welcome today's step forward, the United States has deep concern for the safety, security and economic well being of the Iraqi Kurds, Shias, Sunnis and others who have been subject to brutal attacks by the regime in Baghdad, including the Anfal attacks in 1988, and the military campaigns in 1991. With others in the international community we have sought to protect Iraqis from the repression of Saddam Hussein and to address their humanitarian concerns"
SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State

It's thought that Talabani and Barzani reached agreement on both revenue-sharing and power-sharing, two issues at the heart of their differences, which have led to repeated military clashes in recent years.

Sentiment among Iraqi Kurds is overwhelmingly opposed to Saddam but it is not clear whether the agreement will eventually have an influence on national politics.

Barzani reportedly said last week he would not be a party to any effort to topple Saddam.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic with English translation)
"And here I would like to affirm our concern and interest for the unity of Iraq. What we have done is not in the interest of any country in the region but what we have done is solve the existing problems"
SUPER CAPTION: Massoud Barzani, Kurdish Democratic Party

It has been hinted that the election plan drawn up for the Kurdish areas calls for the establishment of a "regional assembly" comparable in some ways to an American state legislature.

He said the Kurds are expected to ask for outside help so they can establish a credible election process.

Talabani said he had no interest in establishing a separate Kurdish state in the area, and his forces were not separatists.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Jalal Talabani, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

One of the conditions of the agreement was that the Turkish Kurdish guerrilla group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (P-K-K), would no longer be able to base itself in northern Iraq.

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