IRAQ: U.N. looks to solve Kirkuk problem

The United Nations is pressing ahead with its mission to find a solution for Iraq's troubled northern region, where Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen are in a fight for land and power. Nothing is more prized than the mixed-city of Kirkuk and its province, which sits atop oil reserves. 

The head of the UN mission in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, said the United Nations aimed to present its ideas on how to settle the competition for Kirkuk in September or October.  "We are pushing for a grand deal, looking at the whole area," de Mistura said Tuesday. "Our aim is to draw up options by October, which if all Iraqi parties work consistently on those, could provide a peaceful political solution, which eventually may be confirmed or sanctioned through a confirmatory referendum." 

In Iraq's world of intractable politics it is an open question whether the various sides will seize upon the United Nations' ideas. Last December, as the deadline passed for an Iraqi referendum on Kirkuk's fate, the Iraqi government accepted the United Nations proposal to present possible solutions regarding the volatile city. 

All sides have refused to budge on Kirkuk. Arabs and Turkmen are violently opposed to a referendum in Kirkuk. They believe the Kurds have brought strangers down to live in the city in order to rig such a vote.

The United Nations assembled a team of 15 advisors to survey the disputed areas in northern Iraq and to propose compromises that could break the deadlock over the referendum. The team also is surveying contested lands in Nineveh, Salahaddin and Diyala provinces.

The tensions are a legacy of the late dictator Saddam Hussein's policy of expelling Kurds and settling Arabs in strategic areas. The United Nations produced its first assessment in June on disputed lands, which covered the areas of Mahmour, Akre and Hamdaniya in Nineveh province, as well as Mandeli in Diyala. The study was criticized by the Kurds. However, it remains to be seen whether Iraqi politicians will be more receptive to the United Nations' suggestions in the future.

-- Ned Parker in Baghdad

Comments

[Jaff Sassani]

Barzani and Talabani after the election of the President
Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden

The Kurdish people hopes that the new President of the USA
Will have some humanity to protect them from the evil and hateful Kurdistan mafia leaders (masud Barzani and Jalal Talabani) and the regional power too.

The Kurdish people was liberated by the American forces in
Iraq. The Kurds started to be happy dancing for the liberation
From modern zuhak (Saddam Hussein). Zuhak was a ruler in
Kurdistan history who abused the Kurds like Saddam Hussein Government and the Kurdish and Iranian people was
liberated by Blacksmith Kawah from Zuhak.

The Kurdish people compared President Bush to Kawah for a while then they found themselves to be ruled by two Kurdish
Family much brutal than Zuhak and Saddam Hussein.

The policy of the Bush administration in Iraq is “you support
Me and my effort in Iraq” will let you to do whatever you wish
To do in Iraq and Iraqi people. This is the perception of Iraqi
People and Kurdish people specially.

The Barzani family and Talabani family found out the hole
in the policy of the administration and they loved what was
available to them. They took dollars by billions and build
secret service in Kurdistan region to kill anyone who dears
to say anything about Barzani and Talabani corruption in the
region.

The US Government morally and humanly should be
Responsible for the well being of Iraqi people specially the Kurdish people whom loved America and American people.
The administration did not cared about the plight of the Iraqi
People at all. The Iraqi found the American to be cold
blooded people that is the perceptions of the Middle Eastern
people about America. So many dictators in the region are
supported by the America made the Kurds to understand
this is normal American policy for the people in the region.

For last few years Barzani and Talabnai become Saddam
Hussein for the Kurds. The Kurds begged American to help
But their plight dropped on the duff ears. They pureed in
money on Barzani and Talabani family so they can suppress
the population in front of the American officials. While
the Kurdish people never fought American forces like the
Arab counterpart in Iraq. So what is the difference if you love
American or hate American both are treated equally !!!

Now the Kurds hope that the new administration will help
them to be liberated from mafia family of Barzani and
Talabani and be protect by the USA forces or UN forces in the region.

[Jaff Sassani]

We at the Jaff people organization (We are one fourth of the Kurdish population in Iraqi Kurdistan been folled by Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani for last 47 years) did not see Mr. Barzani interview yet but we want to
point out few fact about Iraq and the region with regard of Mr. Barzani interview and his
empty ststetements. The current American Government made many mistake in Iraq and
Afghanistan in the fight against terrorist organization in the region. They did not understand
The region very well plus their policy was slave for special interest. The shitte Government
Of Iraq are loyal to Iran they are playing with time to see the outcome of American election
Before Iran ordering them to take new direction. Iranian and Iraqi Government is not
Afraid of Mr. Barzani statement because they know him very well and understand his
Weakness in Kurdistan so to be used us pressure card is none starter.

Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani did not do very good job for Kurds population in Iraq
when the American Government wrote the blank check for them and turned around
deposited the check for their own family in America and Europe plus receiving help
from Iranian Government in the past how they expecting they will be valuable in
this critical time.

The Turkish Government will make the same mistake if they think that Mr. Barzani and
Mr. Talabani will be effective power in Iraq politics. If both man did served the population
In Iraqi Kurdistan region and truly built the forces based on the population support then
Both gentleman was the card to be used against the shitte dominated Government of Iraq
And even the Iranian Government.

The American forces should be ready to defend the Interest of the USA instead of depending
On the forces of Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani because their forces will be lost in few attack
By Iranian and Iraqi shitte forces. This statement goes for Turkish forces too. The Kurdish
forces in Iraq under Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani are not the force to balance the Iranian and
Iraqi shitte forces in the region. You need to be prepared to work for Mr. Barzani and
Mr. Talabani Protection so they can collect more wealth’s in the expanse of your blood.
The Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein did work for Mr. Barzani, Iranian forces did work for
Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani in the past, The Turkish forces did work for Mr. Barzani too in
the past the American forces in Iraq was employeed by Barzani for last few years too. If
American forces going to leave Iraq then Mr. Barzani need the Turkish forces to protect
him from the Shitte Iraq and Iranian or vice versa.

The Turks should be ready for employment by Mr. Barzani and Mr. Talabani because they
Always have opening in their defense department.
We wish the Turkish people good luck and hope your success please do not let them to fool you like the American
People. The Iranian already have Iraq through the Iraqi shitte may be it is time for the
Turkish Sunni to ask for it’s share but please not through Mr. Barzani or Mr. Talabani
Because they will inform Iranian what you want. Try to negotiate with Iranian directly.
May be going to Iranian with Iraqi Sunni with the help of Saudi just friendly advise.

Barzani on U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and the future of Kurdistan and
Iraq in CSIS
• KurdishMedia.com
• 01/11/2008 00:00:00
London (KurdishMedia.com) 01 November 2008: The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion with Pres. Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Region on the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and the future of Kurdistan and Iraq.
Washington, DC : Watch video: 52 min. Click on the link:
The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion with Pres. Masoud Barzani
• KurdishMedia.com
• 01/11/2008 00:00:00

[Jaff Sassani]

Who ever get elected in the USA presidential election will face the threat of Iran directly. The Islamic republic of Iran is challenging the USA in the Middle East. The current US Government policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the Middle East failed to accomplish any meaning full result.
Now new President will have to choice between the failed doctrine of supporting thieves, corrupt politician in the region for their support or have meaning full plan to support people in the region for Peace and prosperity.
The US Government could support the Aryan (Iranian) Economic Union (AU) similar to the Europeans Economic Union (EU) after world war II which our group proposed to help Iranian people for accomplishing such a Union which could lead to the Economic and democratic Union of Aryan people and Turkish people in one large Economic Union to balance Russian, Chinese and the Arab Economic Union. The AU will be friendly to the USA, Europe and Israel thinking instead of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) terrorist ideas. If IRI get what they want by negotiation or force the USA out of Middle East then the people in the region will be terrorized by the Islamic Shitte and Islamic Sunni extremist which in the end will pull in the Europe and the USA to war too.
The new President has to face War and peace in the region now or later.

[Jaff Sassani]

Israel and Turkey cooperation in the Middle East

The Kurdish people complain about the relationship between Turkey and Israel. In this article below published in the Conservative voice of America one of the handler by name of
Mr. Axin Arbili who works for Mr. Masud Barzani the leader Of PDK
in Iraqi Kurdistan trying to convince the American public and Jewish people around the world that the Kurd under
Mr. Barzani are much reliable partner than Turkey. Please
read Mr. Axin article and read our respond too.

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/forum/read.html?id=13024

Some Questions to Israel

Israel is providing equipment and intelligence to the Turkish army which helps them to fight the Kurdish freedom and democracy movement. Why is Israel doing that?

As a Kurd, I want to know from the State of Israel;

Why is Israel allied with the Turkish military? Why does Israel support the Turkish forces in murdering Kurdish civilians? Why does Israel provide unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligence, and equipment used by the Turks to attack the Kurdish liberation movement, capture, torture, murder our freedom fighters? Why does Israel participate in the Turkish crimes against humanity? Why does Israel support the Turkish military dictatorship and thus a status quo that is barbaric, criminal, genocidal? Why does Israel support the Turkish propaganda, tyranny, fascism?

What are the benefits of this partnership for Israel? Why does Israel value an alliance with a state which is Islamic, which has traditionally, emotionally, religiously always sided with the Palestinian Muslims? Why does it believe in a friendly Turkish state which actually permits and supports anti-Israel, anti-Jewish propaganda in its schools, media, mosques? Are the Jews still dhimmis of the Turks, as they were under the Ottomans? Is Israel afraid of Turkey? Has Ankara perhaps threatened you, forced you to cooperate?

Or is Israel simply following US guidelines for maintaining Western “strategic interests” in the Middle East? Why did Israeli governments and Jewish organizations in the USA help prevent, on behalf of the Turkish regime, the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Senate and Congress? Why is the genocide, after nine decades of proven facts and documentation, still not been recognized by your own parliament? Isn’t that a shame for the State of Israel and for all those conscious of the Shoah? How can Israel complain about Ahmadinejad’s statement of the Holocaust being a myth when at the same the Jewish parliament refuses to recognize the Armenian genocide? Shouldn’t Israel be different from other nations? Shouldn’t Israel be a beacon of moral conscious, truth, hope, and justice for the world? Why is Israel engaged in double games and double-standards of realpolitik?

But what really is Israel’s gain in all of this? In what ways does Israel profit from collaborating with the Turkish regime and military, a state which denies the existence and rights of 30 million people, which is suppressing their identity, language, and culture, which is burning and bombarding their villages, which is humiliating, terrorizing, murdering innocent men, women, and children just because they are Kurds who want to live as free Kurds. Don’t the Jews have any empathy at all for the suffering of a defenceless people? Why is there no word of condemnation from Israel about the Turkish atrocities and crimes? Why is Israel silent? Is it just (weapons) business as usual, are profits more important than human life?

At least why doesn’t Israel remain neutral, why is it engaged on the Turkish side? Does Israel hope the Turks will be on their side in case of war with Iran? Don’t the Jews know that the Turkish Muslims will not fight another Muslim state that has the same strategic interests in the region, which is the domination over the Kurds, occupation and exploitation of Kurdish lands? Don’t they know that the Turkish and Iranian regimes have agreements on that and are cooperating for decades? Do the Jews really believe that their purpose is served by supporting a state of terror and crime, and that this will lead to more security in their neighbourhood, to peace with the Arabs?

Why help bomb a movement that truly strives for freedom and democracy, that could be a natural ally of Israel?

What are Israel’s reasons for a pact with the Devil?
Jaff Sassani
We are the Jaff people with Sassanian origins in Kurdistan, with over one million of us in the Kurdistan region of Iraq alone. We are one fourth of the Population in the KRG area; we paid with our blood for what you call the liberated area. Mr. Talabini has received the lion’s share of the wealth because of our blood. We are not blaming other nations around the world if they do not have respect for us, because we don’t have respect for each other within our region in Kurdistan.

The Kurdistan leadership in the KRG administration, especially Mr. Jalal Talabani’s failed doctrine of the last fifty years, has done the damage. The Kurds should look at our boundaries from over one thousand years ago until today. We are losing the land to the Arab imperialist expansion every minute, even as we write this letter. It is wishful thinking that they would stop soon. It is obvious our people are headless. We don’t have a leader with vision for the future. Tribal leaders in the past and religious Sheiks have led us for the last century. All of them have one thing in common: greed, the collection of power and wealth. They did not care about Kurdish liberation at all. They form modern parties and then you find out they are not modern at all.

The Israeli’s have the same interest as other nation does in the world. Why we have to expect Israeli to scarify their countries interest for us while we are enemy of each other.
If our people in south Kurdistan for last seventeen years did respect the population and established democratic region then we should ask other people to respect us. We believe that our people should join other Aryan nations in the region so we can get the freedom in the future. We have to revolt against people like Mr. Talabani as a leader in our region.

The Aryan Economic Union (AU) will get us united with other Iranian nations, and then outside forces will respect us and count our opinions in the region. It will bring us the respect we deserve when we are united. The Kurds alone are not going to get anywhere. It is wishful thinking that the Arabs, with over three hundred million, and the Turks, with over one hundred million, plus their military power and wealth will be traded for the Kurdish favor. The Kurds do not have a country, military or wealth so how we can get respect equal to the Arabs or Turks in the region?
Sincerely,

Jaff Sassani
From the SKDC

Feb-14-2008

jaff.skdc@googlemail.com
http://www.jaff-sassanie.com/Default.aspx

[dario]

I am a journalist and been to Kikruk many times. despite years of arabisation, vast majority of Kirkuk's population (70-80%) are Kurds the rests are arabs who are brought to the city and currently occuping houses of the Kurds (that some are still alive and live in refugee camps in Kirkuk and other died in anfal compaign) whom has been evicted during sadam's arabisation during 80s .

Turkmen are mostly for Kirkuk to joining stable Kurdistan rather than be controled by war turn iraq. however there is a small turkmen group (with only 15% of council seats) that is funded by turkey and therefore persuing Turkish agenda in Kirkuk. this group are the only the Turkmen group that are oppose to Unification of Kirkuk to Kurdistan along with arabs who brought by sadam (10 of the city) therfore all together around 20-25 of Kirkuk people are oppose to unification of Kirkuk to Kurdistan while min 75% of the people are in favour of becoming part of Kurdistan.

[Ara Alan]

This article misses some major points in regard to Iraq and Kirkuk. Hover it is glamorizing a situation to sell a story better to the audience on the expense of the truth.
What would been a better description is that Kirkuk is a city with a Kurdish majority. There is no "fight" for oil of kirkuk the oil issue has already been decided and the Kurds have agreed that the Iraqi central government will have control over it and its prophets will be shared among all Iraqis outside and inside of Kirkuk alike.
So what is the actual disagreement over? What should have been stated properly is that The Kurds wish for the referendum, which is a vote and a democracy. The people of Kirkuk not some outside party should vote on and decide how they should live NOT a french man or someone in the federal government.
The Kurds wish to be govern by their own kind and their own system of government. It is clear that Kurds wish for a secular democracy not like the Sunni muslim Arabs and Sunni muslim Shiaas. So the issue is not the oil but government-ship. This is a right that should be given to people of Kirkuk and MR FRENCH sholdnt be the one who decide. I am for democracy I am for voting and Referendum in Kirkuk
The article in Iraqi constitution that gurantees this referendum is called Article 140. The Kurdish block approved the Iraqi constitution with article 140 and based on fact that it must be followed. without article 140 Iraqi constitution is not valid. This was the constitution where most Iraqis voted for and approved.
Implementation of article 140 means unification of Iraq. Without article 140 The Kurdish will not accept Iraq and will not participate in it.
If there is a single factor that will be the downfall of Iraq is if Article 140 put a side and not implemented.

[Achillies]

Dear Ted,

I understand that you feel that you are knowledgeable about the Kirkuk situation, but based on "observations," it seems that there may be a huge misunderstanding. So what I am going to do is make this short and simple. Because I am a Kurd from Kirkuk, I will break the situation down for you.

-Kirkuk is historically a Kurdish city even the name is Kurdish

-The huge majority of Kurds that have been the huge majority; even before the birth of an oil-rig

-Saddam purposely expelled thousands of Kurds from Kirkuk; part of "arabization" process to weed out the Kurds in the area. I am personally a victim of this process; in which many family members were killed, assassinated, or were kicked out.

-Many Arabs were paid to relocate into Kirkuk and were paid a Stipend from Saddam to do so.

-There is a misconception that all Kurds, Arabs, and Turkomans that live in Kirkuk don't get along or have always been fighting; well this isn't true. All three main ethnicities in the area have been living together in peace since the fall of the Ottoman Empire; remember that the concept of nationalism; more specifically Arab nationalism developed from the Baath party; (sound familiar?) The opposing Turkoman population consists of those that represent the Turkoman National Front that has sworn allegiance to Turkey ever since the break-up of the Ottoman Empire; in which those very same people receives a salary from the Turkish government. So yes, the people of Kirkuk have disputed recently; but there was no dispute amongst the population prior to the possibility of the land getting divided up. It has always been and will continue to be a Kurdish city.

I literally can keep going and going, but I simple can't stand the fact that politicians and diplomats act like they don't understand how to resolve the Kirkuk situation. In reality, these officials just don't understand how to divi-up the money that they are going to make off of Kirkuk's oil; and who is going to get what percentage. The people of Kirkuk have been waiting patiently waiting.

[Balean]

In order for United Nations to solve the problem, they need to go back to the history of this city. During the last century there were three different census made by the Ottoman, British, and the Iraqi government. In all censuses the Kurds was the majority. Moreover, in the last election the Kurds was the majority. So it is obvious that the Kurds during all the period of times was and still the majority. However, what the Arab and Turkmen are claiming is not true about bringing strangers down to live in the city in order to rig such a vote. There are thousand of Kurds forced to leave their homes in Kirkuk they live in the other Kurdish city at this moment. They already established their life and they are not going back.

[Rebaz Q]

Saddam Hussain had a campaign to "Arabize" Kerkuk by kicking Kurdish natives out and replacing them with Arabs from the south. So, any accusation of Kurds bringing "strangers down to live in the city in order to rig such a vote." is false, it is actualy natives of Kerkuk returning to their city.