Talabani: US policies do not lead to the liberation of Iraq

[akimbo@DELETETHISescape.ca]

I thought this might interest list members since it is often said in
articles concerning sanctions that Kurdish leaders oppose the lifting of
sanctions. Jalal Talabani clearly states both that sanctions must be
lifted and Saddam removed. However, he is understandably critical of
U.S. gestures in the latter direction which involve superficial support
for political groups in exile and little substantive support for those
operating within Iraq. The source is: http://come.to/kurdishmedia

Ben Rempel

***********************************************************
Talabani: US policies do not lead to the liberation of Iraq
Kurdish Media - Sep 29, 1999

In an interview with Al-Zaman Newspaper (issue Sep 28,1999) Jalal
Talabani, 
the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), played down the
role 
of the US administration in its approach to change the regime in Iraq.

In reply to a question whether he agrees with the US foreign office 
initiative in bringing groups of Iraqi oppositions to New York, Talabani 
said, "coming to New York was not accomplished by American initiative
alone, 
but achieved by the Iraqi oppositions initiative and originally we
succeeded 
in it with the co-ordination of the 'Higher Islamic Committee for
Islamic 
Revolution' and other Iraqi forces working in the homeland, including
the 
Iraqi Communist Party and the "Movement of Islamic Unity in Kurdistan".

Oppression of parts of Kurdistan under Saddam's control

In this context Talabani said: "The meeting with Mrs Albright was clear
and 
frank. We made it clear to her that the Iraqi people are suffering under
the 
oppression, displacement and under the current depopulation of Kurds and 
Turkman from Khanaqeen, Kirkuk, Makhmoor and other parts of Kurdistan 
controlled by the Iraqi regime.

We also expressed to Mrs Albright that the Iraqi people are suffering
form 
the dictatorial policies implemented by the regime in Baghdad. We asked
for 
the activation of the UN resolutions that are in favour of the Iraqi
people 
and not just focusing on the resolutions that are related to the
destruction 
of weaponry. We emphasize the importance of implementations of the UN 
resolution 688 that is emphasizing the human rights and the resolutions
that 
relate to the oil-for-food programme in an appropriate manner that may
serve 
the Iraqi people.

In addition, we asked the end of the suffering of Iraqi people and
removal 
of the sanctions on the Iraqi people and bypassing the regime in
Baghdad.

We asked her to send international missions to monitor the humanrights 
abuses.

We found Mrs Albright responding very positively to all what we asked."

Removing Saddam's regime

In the context of American plan to remove Saddam from power,Talabani
said, 
"...we are not against 'liberation of Iraq' but we object to the US
policies 
that do not lead to the liberation of Iraq and we have expressed that
the 
opposition groups that are based abroad cannot liberate Iraq."

"The outside conspiracies cannot liberate Iraq and we believe that
active 
oppositions should emanate from the homeland and should be ready for 
democratic changes in the Iraqi nation and not be a tool of outside 
conspiracies whether it is American or others."

In reply to a question whether the PUK has received any help from the
$97M 
allocated to the Iraqi oppositions by the US Congress, Talabani replied
in a 
humorous manner, "thanks god we have not and we shall not receive a
single 
dollar of this help."

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