DATE=9/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237980
TITLE=KURDS / IRAQ / U-S (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE LEADER OF ONE OF THE MAIN KURDISH FACTIONS BASED IN
NORTHERN IRAQ -- MASSOUD BARZANI -- IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN
TURKEY WEDNESDAY WHERE HE WILL SPEND THREE DAYS MEETING TURKISH
LEADERS, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER MESUT YILMAZ, BEFORE FLYING TO
WASHINGTON. AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA, MR. BARZANI'S
UPCOMING VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES -- HIS FIRST IN FIVE YEARS --
MARKS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS REVITALIZING THE U-S-BACKED IRAQI
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT AGAINST IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN.
TEXT: MR. BARZANI -- WHO LEADS THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY --
HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE KURDISH RESISTANCE MOVEMENT
AGAINST SUCCESSIVE IRAQI REGIMES. SO HIS UPCOMING TRIP TO
WASHINGTON HAS TRIGGERED SPECULATION THAT HE'LL BE DISCUSSING
PLANS WITH U-S OFFICIALS TO REVIVE THE IRAQI OPPOSITION MOVEMENT
AT A TIME WHEN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS REAFFIRMED ITS
COMMITMENT TO CONTAINING IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN.
DURING HIS TRIP, MR BARZANI IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MEET WITH HIS
ARCH RIVAL JALAL TALABANI LEADER OF THE PATRIOTIC UNION OF
KURDISTAN -- P-U-K. IT WOULD BE THEIR FIRST MEETING SINCE
FACTIONAL FIGHTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN THEIR TWO GROUPS IN NORTHERN
IRAQ IN MAY 1994.
BUT SENIOR K-D-P OFFICIAL HOSHYAR ZEBARI -- WHO WILL ACCOMPANY
MR. BARZANI TO WASHINGTON -- TELLS V-O-A THAT PLANS TO REVIVE THE
IRAQI OPPOSITION ARE NOT ON THE K-D-P LEADER'S AGENDA. RATHER, HE
SAYS, MR. BARZANI WILL FOCUS ON BILATERAL TIES WITH THE UNITED
STATES AND ON REPAIRING RELATIONS WITH MR. TALABANI.
// OPT// THE BLOODY POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE TWO FACTIONS IS
WHAT LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE U-S-BACKED IRAQI OPPOSITION
MOVEMENT IN AUGUST 1996. NORTHERN IRAQ, NEVERTHELESS, REMAINS
UNDER KURDISH CONTROL. SINCE THE END OF THE 1991 GULF WAR,
ALLIED FORCES, LED BY THE UNITED STATES, HAVE ENFORCED A NO-FLY
ZONE OVER THE KURDISH ENCLAVE USING WAR PLANES BASED IN SOUTHERN
TURKEY. //END OPT //
//OPT// MEMBERS OF THE IRAQI OPPOSITION FRONT -- KNOWN AS THE
IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS OR "I-N-C" -- WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THE
KURDISH CONTROLLED REGION AFTER MR. BARZANI INVITED IRAQI TROOPS
TO HELP DRIVE OUT IRANIAN BACKED P-U-K FORCES FROM THE STRATEGIC
CITY OF ERBIL. //END OPT//
MR ZEBARI SAYS KEY ISSUES WHICH REMAIN TO BE SOLVED INCLUDE THE
COMPOSITION OF AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL LEAD THE KURDISH
REGION TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THE K-D-P SAYS THE INTERIM
GOVERNMENT SHOULD REFLECT THE OUTCOME OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
HELD IN 1992, IN WHICH IT WON 51 PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND THE
P-U-K 49 PERCENT. THE P-U-K INSISTS THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT SHOULD
BE BASED ON WHAT IT CALLS THE "50-50 POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT"
WHICH THE TWO PARTIES REACHED BEFORE FORMING A JOINT GOVERNMENT
WHICH COLLAPSED IN 1994.
MR. ZEBARI SAYS A FURTHER STICKING POINT IS THE STATUS OF ERBIL
WHICH IS NOW UNDER K-D-P CONTROL. THE P-U-K WANTS THE CITY TO BE
DEMILITARIZED AS A PRECONDITION FOR PEACE. MR. ZEBARI SAYS
CHANGING EXISTING SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS NOW WOULD DESTABILIZE THE
ENCLAVE.
//REST OPT// ANOTHER AREA OF DISCORD IS OVER THE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUES THE K-D-P COLLECTS AT THE HABUR BORDER
CROSSING INTO TURKEY, OF WHICH THE P-U-K WANTS A SHARE.
MR ZEBARI IS HOPEFUL THE TWO PARTIES WILL FINALLY SET ASIDE THEIR
DIFFERENCES AND MAKE PEACE. HE SAYS THE TWO GROUPS NOW RECOGNIZE
THAT NEITHER CAN BECOME THE DOMINANT POWER IN NORTHERN IRAQ, AND
THAT UNLESS THEY JOIN FORCES AGAIN, THEY WILL REMAIN VULNERABLE
TO MANIPULATION AND ATTACK BY WHAT HE CRYPTICALLY TERMS "OUTSIDE
FORCES." (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/PCF
01-Sep-98 10:00 AM EDT (1400 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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