THE KURDS WOULD NOT TAKE PART IN THE US WAR AGAINST SADDAM

PARIS 13 Mar. (IPS)              “Though the (Iraqi) considers themselves as allied to the United States and though President Bush’s favouring a democratic and a federal system in Iraq corresponds to the two main fundamental principles of the Kurdish people, yet, the Kurds won’t go into the war against Saddam Hoseyn nor would they fight the Iraqi forces”, Jalal Talebani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of (Iraqi) Kurdistan said.

In an interview on Thursday with the influential French daily “Le Monde”, the Kurdish leader, who represents the largest Iraqi Kurdish organisation after the Democratic Party of (Iraqi) Kurdistan (DPK) of Mas’ood Barzani, Mr. Talebani said the war (against Iraq) is “imminent” and there is no more possible to postpone it further.

“President Bush says clearly that he is in favour a democratic and a federal system in Iraq. Those are the two main fundamental principles of the Kurdish people. But are we going to fight in this war? No. Our policy is of protect liberated Kurdish areas (since 1991) and we don’t intend to occupy Kerkook and Moosel (two main and oil-rich Kurdish cities now under the control of Baghdad), and we have no intention to fight against Iraqi forces. We consider ourselves as an ally of the United States”, Mr. Talebani said.  

As this interview was published, two spokesmen from the PUK and DPK, in a press conference in Paris, expressed serious concerns over Turkish intentions to “interfere” in northern parts of Iraq and hoped that Ankara would not “transfer” its conflict with the outlawed Turkish Kurdish Labourer Party (PKK, that seeks independence from mainland Turkey) to the “other side of its border with Iraq”.

They were referring to reports that Turkey intends to profit from the forthcoming American attack on Baghdad to occupy parts of the northern Iraq, now controlled by both DPK and PUK. Ankara says its intentions are to create a buffer zone to “protect” its territory and stop a flood of refugees.

“We expect to keep close, friendly ties with Ankara based on mutual respect and understanding”, they said, reiterating that the Kurds would not take part in “any international military action” (against Saddam Hoseyn).

On this topic, Mr. Talebani told “Le Monde” that he wishes to see no regional army intervening in Iraq. “If it is the case, will shall limit the damages by all the means. We are against such an intervention, but we don’t have the intention of fighting Turkish troops. We want to avoid that the Turks attempts at disarming our soldiers and to abolish our democratic system. This said, I believe that if Turkish forces enter into the Iraqi of Kurdistan, they won't have free hands...  

On the French attitude, Mr. Talebani said though in the past France has done a lot for the Kurds and has helped their cause, but today, we are not “in agreement with the policies of President Jacques Chirac over Iraq.

“I know that Mr. Chirac wants the departure of Saddam Hoseyn. Let’s say that his policy towards the United States is different from the one that regards us. Anyway, I rather would have preferred to see French forces enter the liberated Baghdad alongside American soldiers…

Asked if he was not afraid to see the Americans stay in Iraq and install a military government in Baghdad in place of the present despot, Mr. Talebani said based on high-level contacts between the Kurds and the US Administration, “it is clear that President Bush does not intend to replace one dictatorship by another”

“Statements by some American officials have reassured us on that point and have swept aside the last doubts that some Kurds might have had. However, we would like to see no foreign force gets settled in Iraq. As to the question how long the American troops would remain, we think that they must leave as quickly as possible. I think that in this time of globalisation, the colonial era is over.

He said though the Kurds today enjoys a de facto independence, yet they wanted to be part of Iraq and play their role inside a federal government and to that aim, one has to sacrifice some of its autonomy. “We are ready for compromises”, he added.

The Kurdish leader brushed aside a question concerning the fratricide conflicts that has opposed in the past his movement with the rival and powerful DPK, observing that for the time being, the two parties have “very good relations” and were in agreement concerning the main post-Saddam objectives.

“We have reunified the (Kurdish) Parliament (Since 4 October 2002, for the first time in years) and we have reached an agreement to do the same for the governments. Sure enough, the conflicts that opposed us represent a regrettable page of out history. Today, we are tearing tear it, like this (Mr. Talabani takes a leaf of the paper and tears into pieces). ENDS TALEBANI INTERVIEW 13303