Clash between army troops and Kurdish forces feared to prompt ethnic conflict

Kirkuk, April 26 (AKnews) – A clash between Kurdish security forces and a unit of the Iraqi army troops in Kirkuk on Monday that left three killed is feared to develop into an ethnic conflict in oil-rich city.

On Monday, an Iraqi military convoy passing through Atlas Street, one of the most crowded streets of Kirkuk, opened fire at a taxi driver and killed him on the spot.

The incident prompted Kurdish security forces near the scene to intercept the convoy and arrest the troops. Soon after, a large force of Iraqi army troops entered Kirkuk to have the arrested released which set off a skirmish that developed into an exchange of gunfire between the Kurdish security forces and the army troops.

Kirkuk mayor Kamil Salayi said the conduct of the Iraqi army troops in the streets of the city was "improper" and disseminated fear that "affected the semi-stability of the city".

"Crowded streets like Atlas… are not for military vehicles to move around on," he said, "We hope a committee formed to investigate the incident can conclude the initial cause of the incident and disclose the guilty party".

Kirkuk security forces media official Farhad Hamaali, told AKnews that the Iraqi army troops "have no duties in Kirkuk city…maintaining security inside the city is the duty of the security forces, not the army".

An Iraqi Intelligence officer who declined to be named told AKnews that the incident will negatively affect the psychology of the people in addition to developing into an ethnic-based dispute.

Kuridsh politicians have often accused the the Iraqi army in Kirkuk, mainly formed of Arab ethnics, of supporting the Arabs in their disputes with the Kurds.

The intelligence officer criticized the role of the media in covering the incident saying they should wait for the results of the investigations before judging who was to blame.

Two Kurdish security personnel and one civilian were killed in the incident in addition to three civilian injuries, according to the latest reports.

According to some reports, the Kurdish force intercepted the Iraqi army troops and opened fire, while other media sources said the Iraqi army troops attacked the Kirkuk security forces as part of their plan to put pressure on the Kurds so that the Iraqi army can take over maintenance the city's security which is currently the duty of the police and other security forces.

Sarhad Qadir the director of Kirkuk districts police, said on Monday that it was the Iraqi army trrops who initiated the gunfire and killed two security personnel from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headquarters.

Qadir told AKnews on Monday that a committee had been formed between the Iraqi army and Kirkuk police to investigate the incident. He said the commander of the troops was the brother of the Iraqi Army's 12th division in Kirkuk.

Qadir explained that the man who opened fire at the Kurdish security forces was a guard of the army commander's brother.

Reported by Nabaz Rostan

Ry/Ka/AKnews

26/04/2011 15:29

 

Raw over "heavy presence" of Peshmarga forces in Sulaimaniyah

Sulaimaniyah, April 26 (AKnews) – A heavy presence of Peshmarga (Kurdish defense forces) in Sulaimaniyah city following the violent protests in the city is driving a wedge between the ruling parties and the opposition forces. The Peshmarga forces were heavily deployed to Sulaimaniyah after the security forces, trying to disperse demonstrators in the city, clashed with the protesters leaving at least 200 injured last week. The Peshmarga Affairs minister said the forces were there to protect people and maintain stability in the city. The protesters in Sulaimaniyah have been calling for political reforms including a complete dissolution of the Kurdistan government and the end of corruption and nepotism. So far 10 people including two policemen have been killed in the protests and over 600 people injured since the protest erupted in late February. Opposition forces believe the stationing of Peshmarga forces is "illegal" because it is not in the authority of the Peshmarga minister to do so, while the ruling parties believe those forces can remain in Sulaimaniyah as long as they work to "normalize" the situations. "The Peshmarga Minister does not have the authority to mobilize forces," , said Burhan Rashid, a parliamentarian from the opposition movement – Gorran,  "and under the demo law, apart from the police forces, the Asayish (Kurdish intelligence police) and Peshmarga forces are not allowed to move." The president of the Kurdistan Region has the power to mobilize the Peshmarga forces however, as he is the commander general of the armed forces. Rashid described the mobilization of the Peshmarga as well as the use of Asayish forces as "unconstitutional". "…today, there is nothing left in the Kurdistan Region called law," he said, "neither is there any legitimate institution to resort to." The opposition forces have been calling for a complete government dissolution on the grounds that it has lost its legitimacy after the security forces opened fire on the protesters. Goran Azad, a member of the Legal Committee in the parliament of the Kurdistan Region from the Kurdistani bloc which includes the two ruling parties – the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – seems to think otherwise. " The mobilization of forces (internally) is within the powers of the Peshmarga Minister" he said. "Those forces have been moved to normalize the situations not for suppressing people or any political force because the Peshmarga forces have to be away from political conflicts and has to be used only for supporting the internal forces" Azad said. "The opinion that suggests the mobilization of forces is the authority of the President of the Region is actually about moving forces to outside the borders of the region" he continued. He justified the mobilization of those forces by accusing the demonstrations of being "unlawful". According to the demo law passed by the parliament of the Kurdistan Region, demonstrators are protected by the civil activities forces and the internal forces provided that they are lawful and licensed. The demo law requires that demonstrators obtain prior permission from the authorities. This law has been criticized by the opposition forces because it gives the authorities the power to reject demonstrations against the ruling parties of the government. Political activist, Sherko Jawdat, says the Peshmarga forces have to be used to protect the borders of Kurdistan against external forces, "but they have come to the Azadi Square (or Sara Square) in Sulaimaniyah and other cities of the region, committing violence against citizens." "They shouldn't be stationed in these areas because they could be used to clamp down on citizens which is against the constitution and law" he said. Kurdistan Region's Peshmarga Affairs Minister Jafaar Sheikh Mustafa, says the forces were deployed to the city by request of the security committee of Sulaimaniyah, "and they will stay here until the situation is normalized and risks are over". Mustafa also argued that more than 80% of those forces in Sulaimaniyah are police and other internal forces. Reported by Dilshad Saifaddin Edited by Raber Y. Aziz 26/04/2011 13:47

سەرنووسەری كۆواری "بەڵگە" لەبەردەم دادگەی كەلار ئامادە دەبێ

ئەگەر سەردێری هەواڵەكانی ئاكانیوزی ئەمڕۆ دووشەم، 25 نیسانتان خوێندبێتەوە، ئەوا دەبینن كە سەردێرێك هەیە بە ناوونیشانی "سەرنووسەری كۆواری "بەڵگە" لەبەردەم دادگەی كەلار ئامادە دەبێ"

من خۆشحاڵ بووم كە ئەمڕۆ ئەو هەواڵەم خوێندەوە. هیوادرام هەمووان ڕێز لە یاسا بگرن یاسا بۆ هەمووان سەروەر بێت و كەس خۆی لە سەرووی یاساەو دانەنێت.

هەژی گۆتنە من دوێنێ بابەتێكم بڵاوكردەوە دوای ئەوەی كاك جەمال لە دیمانەیەكی زاگرۆس تی ڤیدا دەركەوت و باسی لە یاسا و سەروەری یاسا دەكرد بە ناوونیشانی "خۆ هەبوونی پرەنسیپ شتێكی باشە" وتێیدا ڕەخنەم لە بەڕێز جەمال عەبدوڵا گرت كە ئەو باسی سەروەریی یاسا و دەستوور دەكات كەچی خۆی ئامادەی نەبووە دوای دوو مانگ بچێتە دادگە هەرچەندە فەرمانی گرتنیشی لەلایەن پۆلیسی كەلارەوە هەبووە.

http://aknews.com/ku/aknews/3/234739/

Islamic Parties report budget cut by authorities

Sulaimaniyah, April 25 (AKnews) – Two opposition Islamic parties in Kurdistan have complained that their parties' budgets have been cut by the authorities amid rising tensions between the ruling parties and opposition groups.

The complaints were raised after a local magazine Living Press said they had information that the budgets of the two Islamic parties; the Kuridstan Islamic Union (KIU) and the Kurdistan Islamic group (KIG) had been cut. According to the magazine, the government cut the budgets of these opposition forces under pressure from the ruling parties.

Earlier, another opposition group - Gorran - said that their budget had been suspended for the past two months.

"Our budget has been cut," the KIU politburo's Mohammed Faraj told AKnews.

"Today, without any justification, they refused to give us this month's budget which is 450 million Iraqi Dinars (around US$370,000)".

Andul-Sattar Majid from the KIG politburo however told AKnews that they would have to wait until the end of this month to ascertain whether their budget had been stopped.

AKnews contacted the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s Secretary of the Council of Ministers, Mohammed Qaradaghi, for an explanation, but he said he was not aware that the budgets of the two parties had been stopped.

"You had better contact the ministry of finance," he said.

The undersecretary of the KRG Finance Ministry Rashid Tahir, however, only returned the ball into the Council of Ministers' court by saying, "You better ask the Council of Ministers".

In 2010, the parliament of the Kuridstan Region passed the 2010 budget law under which a temporary sum of IQD90 billion (US$75 million) was allocated to the budgets of the political parties and organizations until the political parties budget law is ratified.

The parties' budget law has yet to be discussed by parliament.

Under the 2010 budget law, the KIU which has eight seats in the 111-seat Kurdish parliament receives IQD450 m (about USUS$370,000), and the KIG with four seats receives IQD350m (US$ 290,000).

Gorran with 25 seats in parliament received, before the authorities cut their budget, IQD580m (about US$480,000) while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani which has 29 seats receives about US$4 million. The budget of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is unknown.

Some small groups like the Kurdistan Communist Party which has only one seat in parliament receive the same allocation as Gorran.

Reported by Idris Abubakir
Edited by Raber Y. Aziz

25/04/2011 16:02

Erbil to host first annual cargo and logistics exhibition

Erbil, April 24 (AKnews) - Erbil is scheduled to host the first annual airport expansion, cargo and logistics conference and exhibition beginning on Wednesday. The two-day conference and exhibition will provide networking and business development opportunities for up to 250 delegates from companies working in the aviation, airports, cargo and logistics sectors, who are keen to tap into the lucrative Iraqi market. The Director of Erbil International Exhibition Ground Aref Latif, told AKnews that 50 leading companies from 15 countries across the world will participate in the fair which was expected to be opened on Tuesday but was postponed until Wednesday due to late arrival of some of the companies. In a press release, Arabian Reach, a Dubai-based company specializing in exhibitions and event management across the region, said that already 1,200 businessmen from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, UAE, Germany, Iraq, Britain, New Zealand, Egypt, Lebanon, France, South Korea, Switzerland, Uruguay, the US, Iran and Kuwait have registered to attend the event. Half of the registered visitors represent companies from the aviation and airports sector, while the rest are from the cargo and logistics sectors. Visitors from the UAE alone comprise 35% of the total number of those pre-registered. The company has also reported that leading companies from over 33 countries across the world will be participating in the event. Among the key participating companies are Boeing Middle East, Etihad Airways, Modern Freight, Agility and Cavotec Middle East. Starlight Airlines, the largest international air freight service provider based in Sharjah, UAE, will be the presidential sponsor and associate host for the event. Mateen Express Cargo, a leading UAE-based air cargo company specialized in Iraq for in and outbound shipments will also be a golden sponsor of the event. The conference and exhibition will feature security solutions, ground support equipment, supplies, airport revenue management, design and build, technology, air traffic management, operations, training and recruitment and also cargo and logistics service providers. Directors and CEOs of all the Iraqi airports are expected to be present at the conference and exhibition. "Iraq's aviation industry is on a path of revitalized growth, and it is envisaged that more than US$150 billion worth of airport and logistics infrastructure related projects are under consideration in Iraq," the press release from the general manager of Arabian Reach, Raj Menon, reads. "Considering that this is the inaugural edition of the event, the response we have received so far has been truly overwhelming, and underlines the growing interest in Iraq's aviation, cargo and logistics industries, especially with seven new airports and cargo villages being constructed," he said, "we anticipate more visitors to register closer to the opening date on the 26th of April." Erbil was chosen as the host city because of its business-friendly environment for foreign investment and stable security situation. The event also provides Erbil with an opportunity to showcase its new US$ 550 million international airport and terminal which boasts the fourth longest runway in the world, Arabian Reach says. Raber Y. Aziz (Raber@aknews.com), Dawan Hadi contributed to this story Ka/AKnews 25/04/2011 15:44