DATE=1/12/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-38640
TITLE=IRAQ / KURDS
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=SALAHUDDIN, NORTHERN IRAQ
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS NOW, THE TWO MAIN KURDISH
FACTIONS BASED IN NORTHERN IRAQ HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A BLOODY
POWER STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OVER THE WESTERN-PROTECTED ENCLAVE.
MEDIATION EFFORTS LED BY THE UNITED STATES TO END THE
INTRA-KURDISH CONFLICT HAVE YIELDED FEW RESULTS, SO FAR. AMBERIN
ZAMAN TRAVELED TO THE AREA RECENTLY AND FILED THIS REPORT.
TEXT: IN A DAMP, COLD TENEMENT IN THE HEART OF ERBIL -- THE MAIN
CITY IN KURDISH-CONTROLLED NORTHERN IRAQ -- HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES
ARE SQUEEZED INTO TINY DARK ROOMS. THEY HAVE NO RUNNING WATER, NO
ELECTRICITY, NO HEATING AND SCARCELY ANY FOOD. THEY ARE REFUGEES
-- KURDS WHO WERE KICKED OUT OF AREAS CONTROLLED BY JALAL
TALABANI'S PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN -- P-U-K -- IN THE LATEST
ROUND OF FIGHTING BETWEEN IT AND ITS RIVAL, THE KURDISTAN
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, OR K-D-P, LED BY MASSOUD BARZANI.
//OPT// ONE OF THE REFUGEES, AN ELDERLY WOMAN, EXPLAINS HOW SHE
ENDED UP IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES:
///BEGIN OLD WOMAN ACT IN KURDISH -- ESTABLISH, THEN FADE
UNDER///
SHE SAYS THE P-U-K TOLD HER TO LEAVE HER HOME IN THE PROVINCE OF
SULAYMANIYAH FOR THE K-D-P-CONTROLLED CITY OF ERBIL, BECAUSE SHE
SUPPORTED PARTY LEADER BARZANI. ACCORDING TO WESTERN AID
OFFICIALS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IRAQI KURDS HAVE BEEN
FORCIBLY DISPLACED BY BOTH PARTIES IN THEIR CONTINUING WAR FOR
CONTROL OVER THE ENCLAVE. //END OPT//
THE LATEST ROUND OF FIGHTING BROKE OUT LAST OCTOBER WHEN P-U-K
FORCES ATTACKED K-D-P POSITIONS ALONG THE FRONT LINE, WHERE THEY
OCCUPIED THE KEY TOWN OF HAJ OMRAN ALONG THE IRANIAN BORDER. BUT
THE P-U-K WAS FORCED TO WITHDRAW AFTER TURKISH TROOPS JOINED THE
FIGHT ON THE SIDE OF MR. BARZANI'S K-D-P AND BEGAN BOMBING P-U-K
TARGETS. ANKARA, HOWEVER, DENIES ATTACKING THE P-U-K, SAYING IT
WAS ONLY TARGETING ANOTHER GROUP, THE P-K-K. BUT WESTERN
OFFICIALS IN THE ENCLAVE SAY OTHERWISE.
BOTH TURKEY AND THE K-D-P ACCUSE MR. TALABANI OF JOINING FORCES
WITH TURKISH KURD REBELS OF THE OUTLAWED P-K-K, THE KURDISTAN
WORKERS PARTY. THE P-K-K HAS BEEN WAGING A 13-YEAR-LONG WAR FOR
SELF-RULE IN TURKEY'S MAINLY KURDISH SOUTHEASTERN REGION AND HAS
SEVERAL BASES IN NORTHERN IRAQ. THE P-U-K DENIES IT IS
SUPPORTING THE TURKISH KURD REBEL GROUP.
///BARZANI ACT IN KURDISH -- FADE UNDER AND ESTABLISH///
DURING AN INTERVIEW AT HIS HEADQUARTERS IN THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
OF SALAHUDDIN, K-D-P LEADER BARZANI INSISTED, HOWEVER, THAT THERE
COULD BE NO PEACE BETWEEN HIM AND MR. TALABANI UNTIL THE P-U-K
ENDED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS ITS ALLIANCE WITH THE P-K-K.
THE P-K-K AND TURKEY'S INVOLVEMENT IS JUST THE LATEST TWIST IN
THE LONG-RUNNING FEUD BETWEEN THE TWO KURDISH LEADERS. IN 1996,
MR. BARZANI INVITED IRAQI TROOPS INTO THE ENCLAVE AFTER THE P-U-K
-- ALLEGEDLY BACKED BY IRAN -- ATTACKED K-D-P FORCES. THE IRAQI
INTERVENTION MARKED A TURNING POINT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN MR.
BARZANI AND THE UNITED STATES. WASHINGTON EVACUATED ALL U-S
NATIONALS -- BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL -- FROM
NORTHERN IRAQ FOR GOOD.
MR. BARZANI'S UNEXPECTED MOVE FORCED THE U-S-BACKED COALITION OF
IRAQI OPPOSITION PARTIES -- THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS -- TO
FLEE THE ENCLAVE AS WELL. OBSERVERS SAY IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM
HUSSEIN HAS EXPLOITED THE FACTIONAL FIGHTING BETWEEN THE KURDS TO
BEGIN TO REASSERT HIS INFLUENCE OVER NORTHERN IRAQ. THE ENCLAVE
HAS REMAINED UNDER ALLIED MILITARY PROTECTION SINCE THE END OF
THE 1991 GULF WAR.
THE IRAQI PRESIDENT RECENTLY BROUGHT REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH
PARTIES TOGETHER IN BAGHDAD LATE LAST YEAR, BUT NO AGREEMENT WAS
REACHED. YET, BOTH PARTIES SAY THEY CONTINUE TO WELCOME
BAGHDAD'S OFFER TO MEDIATE.
DESPITE SUCH SETBACKS, THE UNITED STATES IS CONTINUING ITS
EFFORTS TO REVIVE THE SO-CALLED ANKARA PEACE TALKS TO END THE WAR
BETWEEN THE P-U-K AND K-D-P. ANALYSTS SAY THE KURDS REMAIN A KEY
COMPONENT IN WASHINGTON'S CONTINUED POLICY OF ISOLATING IRAQI
LEADER SADDAM.
SHAZAD SAIB IS A SENIOR P-U-K OFFICIAL WHO REPRESENTS HIS PARTY
IN ANKARA. LIKE HIS FELLOW P-U-K MEMBERS, HE IS PESSIMISTIC
ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF A U-S-BROKERED PEACE AND SAYS IT IS TIME
TO FIND FRESH ALTERNATIVES FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE K-D-P.
///SAIB ACT///
I THINK AS P-U-K -- WE THINK THAT OUR PROBLEM COULD BE
SOLVED TOGETHER -- WE P-U-K AND K-D-P. IN FACT, (THE)
ANKARA PEACE PROCESS, IT WAS FINISHED IN OCTOBER LAST
YEAR AND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT NEW PROPOSALS.
///END ACT// /
NO MATTER THE OBSTACLES, OFFICIALS FROM BOTH PARTIES AGREE THAT
PEACE IS THEIR GOAL. FAZIL MIRANI IS INTERIOR MINISTER OF THE
K-D-P-LED KURDISH REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION.
///MIRANI ACT///
WE AS THE K-D-P ... CONDEMN THIS FIGHTING BECAUSE IT
DOESN'T HELP THE KURDISH NATIONALISTIC MOVEMENT. ALSO,
SOONER OR LATER, WE HAVE TO HAVE INTERIOR PEACE. NEITHER
K-D-P NOR P-U-K CAN KICK EACH OTHER OUT FOREVER. SO AS
FAR AS THIS IS THE TRUTH, WHAT ALTERNATIVE (DO) WE HAVE
MORE THAN PEACE?
///END ACT///
FOR NOW, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR EXACTLY HOW AND WHEN THE IRAQI
KURDISH LEADERS CAN RESUME TALKS. MANY IRAQI KURDS, HOWEVER,
PRIVATELY AGREE THAT THE U-S-SPONSORED NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL THE
BEST OPTION FOR ACHIEVING PEACE.
//REST OPT// IN THE MEANTIME, AS THE FIGHTING GOES ON -- ALBEIT
SPORADICALLY --KURDISH CIVILIANS ACROSS THE ENCLAVE ARE
CONTINUING TO SUFFER.
EMMA CAINE IS A FIELD WORKER WITH THE BRITISH-BASED CHARITY "SAVE
THE CHILDREN FUND." SHE SAYS CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY
AFFECTED BY THE INTERNAL CONFLICT.
///CAINE ACT///
CHILDREN HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE CONFLICT AS THEY ARE,
ALL AROUND THE WORLD, THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF
SOCIETY. AND THEY ARE THE ONES MOST AFFECTED BY
CONFLICT, FIGHTING, LANDMINES WHICH ARE LEFT BEHIND
AFTER THE CONFLICT, THE BAD ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE
WAKE OF CONFLICT.
///END ACT///
IRAQI KURDISH OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES AGREE THAT SHOULD THEIR
LEADERS FAIL TO OVERCOME THEIR DIFFERENCES, THE KURDS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE VIEWED BY THE REST OF THE WORLD AS UNFIT TO RULE
THEMSELVES. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/PCF
12-Jan-98 12:15 PM EST (1715 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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