Talabani's interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqba

[berxwedan]

Talabani: There is none to support Iraqi Kurds other than Turkey

http://www.dozame.org/article.php/20050622013125470

[Vladimir]

I already read a part of this on KBU news and Kurdistani.
But he is a sleezeball, you don't know what to believe when Talabani speaks.

[kurdistani]

Mem Jalal is just shooting PUK in the ass...
I mean there being diplomatic towards turkey..... but that is too much...
You would not catch Kak Masud saying that

[berxwedan]

Kak Massoud have said worse things than this, don't get that happy. He hasn't just said it today. The only reason for that is the American troops in Iraq.

But Talabani knows that the American troops will have to leave one day, and this is his way of guaranteeing south Kurdistans security. Not that it will be secure if the Americans leave..

Plus, south Kurdistan is surrounded by "enemy" borders. When the Americans leave, the "enemies" will definatelly tighten the borders and isolate southern Kurdistan. Talabani knows this.

There is a dark scenario that could emerge in the future for Barzani. Turkey closes the Xabur border and opens up another border for Talabani. (We've seen them play out Talabani against Barzani and vice versa before.) Barzani knows this. The existence of KONGRA-GEL in southern Kurdistan guarantees that a second border won't be opened. (If it would be opened, it would be opened in the area which is controlled by KONGRA-GEL. The area bordering Hakkari.) Barzani is as pragmatic as Talabani. Suddenly, he has to make sure to keep two forces close to him. 1) the Americans, 2) the KONGRA-GEL. This is also why Barzani never touched or helped the PWD (Osman Öcalan, etc).

Barzani has also burned most of his bridges. Not that he doesn't have relations with Turkey (the KDP embassy in Ankara is still in operation), but the Turks doesn't have the same trust in Barzani as they did in the mid-90ies. Barzani knows this too.

Turkey is helping islamic terrorists in southern Kurdistan. Where have these terrorists been hitting lately? Like the two last days..?

You will see that the KDP area will suffer more of terror attacks than PUK areas. And this with the Americans being in Iraq. Imagine when the Americans leave..

Exactly every step Barzani has taken since the American invasion of Iraq has been a gamble. Barzani is playing very high. If he hits the jackpot, everything is his. If he loses... If he loses, you will see him doing the same statements that Talabani does, but he won't have the same trust that Talabani has.

Everything is totally up to whether the Americans stay in Iraq or not. Plus more..

[Vladimir]

So according to you Turkey is helping Al-Queda or Ansar-al Islam.
Ansar already got the support of Iran.. wouldn't suprise me that Turkey is also behaving in this way.

If we only could get some proof. Remember the Turks also helped wounded people from the Hewler attack..

[Diri]

Berxwedan - I think you are very wrong in talking about Barzanî and Telebanî as to different forces in Kurdistan...


What you ARE saying is that: There is still rivalry between the PUK and KDP... and further more that the KDP and PUK struggle over controll of certain areas of Kurdistan...


WOW - could you be mistaking more than you are? The KDP and PUK have become such ugly good friends that your get the creeps - and I don't believe this is a coverup just to please the people - we have CLEARLY seen that they HAVE had their share of disagreements. What is important here isn't wether or not one of them says a stupid thing...

It is WHAT IS THEIR MOTIVE?

Clearly Telebanî and Barzanî have become united in their cause - the sharing of power has already taken place - so i doubt any atempt of this before another 4 years when we have a new election...

We do however know that Barzanî and Telebanî have different relations to the "enemies" as you call them... Although I preffere to see them as potensial enemies... It all depends on what course the KRG and Iraqi Government take.

The KRG is pushing for more controll over its land and the Iraqi government is wroking against this monopoly... The outcome is vital for the future of a greater Kurdistan. If the KRG fails so will the greater Kurdistan. But we can see a million reasdons for the KRG to succeed - so I wouldn't give up my hopes just yet - Even though may think that Barzanî and Telebanî are gonna ruin it for the Kurds...

Oh, yes - that is what you are forgetting in all this - We should wait and see if Barzanî implements any of his promises -
http://www.kurdistanobserver.com/

And before making such harsh condemnation I for one will wait and see - the game played by Barzanî is one which is played along with Telebanî - I wouldn't be surprised if they had a common plan... They must have... otherwise an "enemy" would have succeeded in playing them up against eachother long ago...

[arcan_dohuk]

berxaden- that's if the americans leave, but it wont happen atleast not anytime soon. the war isn't very popular now so there might be reductions in a year or so IF the situation gets better. as long as there's unrest, the US will have to stay and fullfill its obligations.

also remember american casualties have to amount to something, so pulling out and retreating is not an option. it would hurt the american moral, its image abroad and its position as a world power. noone wants a repeat of vietnam.

if you haven't already noticed , US relations with israel are at an all time low. washington is pressuring the israeli government to stick to the oslo agreement. with the US in iraq it is able to achieve more throughout the region and that means it can deal with other allies like turkey better.

i think that turkey can be made to bend over on certain issues. iraq's success largely depends on how its neigbors behave. its not a secret that syria and iran are behind alot of the violence and the US doesn't exactly enjoy good relations with them. if turkey even attempts to destablise the region they would also be undermining the american mission.

btw its nice seeing you.

[cheryl]

<<Turkey closes the Xabur border and opens up another border for Talabani.>>

that has already been attempted and it has failed, berxwedan. not that they won't try again. . .

as for americans staying in iraq, there is still some time. but it looks like the american long-term stay will be based in south kurdistan. bashurî are already talking about and preparing for the contracts.

[Emmunah]

You're right Cheryl, the base is the most important thing. I've been saying it for a year. GET A BASE THERE!! Do you know anymore about it than you wrote above?

I do not know how long the US can answer the question "What are we doing there?" because it seems that Bush wants to keep saying the same thing (denial) and the Americans aren't buying it...but the next year will mean everything.

There is no other way out of Southern Kurdistan than through Turkey, and the US will secure a way in and out, for their own interests as long as Talabani and Barzani will talk to the Turks ect..

I want to add that for the first time yesterday, E.J. Dionne said "In Kurdistan...well...there is no Kurdistan...YET...but if it were up to the Kurds everything would be fine and we would have been able to withdraw by now". I think he's a big insider in D.C. and he slipped.

I got a letter today from a Lt. Col. in D.C. and he was complaining about the anti-war protesters in front of the Pentagon building, and he wanted to know if people could arrange a peaceful pro-military demonstration. The smartest thing I can think of for Kurds in the diaspora in the US to do, is to spend a few weekends in front of some military bases in support. Show the Kurdish flag! Show Kurds want troops there and it will get media.

There is a strategy called the "Enclave" strategy, that was proposed by a general in Vietnam...it called for protecting those people that wanted American troops there and letting the rest fight their civil war without US intervention. I have long suspected it might come down to that in this situation too.

Hopefully, that won't happen. I wouldn't wish that on the US or on the Iraqis, nor on the million Kurds that live in Baghdad. Sometimes I just wish the US would liberate Kurdistan, let the Shia in the South have their own country and give the western portion of Iraq to Jordan.

I sure hope that the US has some tricks left to defeat this terrorist butchers. But, they seem to be financed from outside the country, and they have an endless supply of suicide bombers so.... All I know, is if the US did pull out, I don't think that would be the end of it. I think it would eventually end up in a world war. If Saudi falls it will....

[kurdistani]

The reason their are more terrorist attacks in the Hewler region is becasue it is located on a plain... It is very easy for terrorists to get to the city form Kirkuk....
Kirkuk is the key to the stratigic position of Irbil...
Also terroism in Hewler has been supported by some of the left overs form Asar al Islam who fled to the region after they were cushed in halabja..

As for KDP and PUK...
There is an ideological shift taking place in KDP which is moving towards settling the Kurdish question on a national basis.... The PKK is doing the reverse and PUK is in the middle somewhere....

[Mosul]

talabani is very smart i am behdeen and i like him more then Massoud, he knows whats best for kurds, and the reason why he supported the badr miltia, is becuase he wants the peshmerga to stay a miltia to, he cant just support one milita and denouce another.