Iraq: Kurdish Leader Warns Karkuk's Attacks Might Get Situation Out of Control

[Chris Doss <lookoverhere1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Iraq: Kurdish Leader Warns Karkuk's Attacks Might Get
Situation Out of Control
London Al-Sharq al-Awsat in Arabic 10 Jul 04 p2

[Report by Shirzad Shaykhani in Al-Sulaymaniyah:
"Prominent Kurdish Leader: We Do Not Have a Plan To
Fight a Civil War in Karkuk, But What Is Happening
Might Get Out of Our Control"]

    A prominent Kurdish leader has expressed his fears
that the recent security incidents in Karkuk, which
saw the increased assassination of Kurdish officials
and the targeting of their motorcades by unidentified
elements, could lead to a wave of violence and counter
violence that Kurdish leaders do not wish to happen
and drag the city's population into bloody
confrontations with dire consequences.

    The Kurdish official, who asked to remain
unidentified, made the statement in response to an
"Al-Sharq al-Awsat" question about the series of
assassinations targeting the Kurdish officials in the
city's governmental departments.   He stressed that
the Kurdish leaders have no plans to fight a civil war
with the other nationalities living in Karkuk but
cited the statement of UN Envoy to Iraq Lakhdar
Brahimi when he said:   "The civil war will not be
declared from above but might be caused by the lower
bases."   The Kurdish official added:   "We do not
wish to destroy the country that we had in the past
worked to restore its cohesion and strengthen the ties
of its unity by conceding many of our rights.   But
there are actions and moves by elements in the other
parties' bases that could drag our bases into
retaliating.   We are afraid that things might get out
of our control as Kurdish leaders and dire
consequences to ensue."

    He went on to say:   "We sacrificed hundreds of
thousands when we confronted the ruling dictatorship
as a result of the genocide operations, mass
displacement, and chemical bombardment.   We have no
specific plans to react to these provocations.   But
think what will happen if the Kurds in the city
reacted to these reckless actions and the violent
reactions get out of our control?   We cannot
guarantee that we will be able to control the Kurds in
such a case."

    Another official accused regional parties of
encouraging the terrorist operations targeting the
Kurds in Karkuk in an attempt to disrupt the situation
and create chaos in the city whose sons want to live
in peace with each other.   He added that some Turkish
leaders' statements -- which are seen as a blatant
interference in Iraq's national affairs --- are
encouraging some people to incite racial sectarianism
in the city.   He then stressed that the Iraqis in
general and the sons of Karkuk in particular are
capable of coexisting fraternally and rebuilding their
country on the basis of accord and mutual
understanding if some foreign parties stop their
interference and support for the anarchist elements.
He added:   There is no difference between this and
that person whatever his ethnic or doctrinal
affiliation is, especially as we are about to build a
new Iraq on the ruins of the obnoxious dictatorship.





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