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Dear PG and all > Australia's THE AGE newspaper reports "Saddam came into the hands > of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK.)" It doesn't talk about Kurds, > but a Kurdish state. Except, that state does not officially exist. It's a > dream of the Kurds in Northern Iraq, and a nightmare for Turks. PG has recently mailed an article from 'Op-ed news' (I don't know what Op-ed News is) arguing that the US might have cut a dangerous deal with 'the Kurds' giving them the separation they want which might throw the whole area into (yet more) turmoil. Which may be the case but this extract, which confuses the name of the political party, the PUK, with the name of a state doesn't inspire confidence. On the other hand, the confusion may be understandable. Does anyone have any idea what is happening in the Kurdish areas? Shortly before the invasion a united Kurdish Parliament was hastily cobbled together (see my news mailing for 6-13 September, 2002), uniting the PUK and the KDP controlled areas. We hear a lot about the 'Prime Minister' Barham Saleh, who I assume is the PM of this united Parliament. So does that mean he is PM of the area that includes the KDP areas? And that he speaks for them as well? Or is he just PM of the PUK area, since I think the two fiefdoms still have their own Parliaments, and it seems probable that the united Parliament is only there for the sake of appearances. In fact we hear nearly nothing about Barzani and the KDP. A recent article in the FT on Ahmad Chalabi posted to the list referred to his rival 'Jalal Talabani's palatial spread on the banks of the muddy Tigris. The place is so large and garish it seems more like an official building than a residence, typical of the old regime.' So has the PUK won the old inter-Kurd war? Or is something being prepared in the Kurdish areas while Talabani is swanning about with the international set? Best wishes Peter _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk