Iraqi president comes out of coma

[Aslan]

Tehran, May 7 (IANS/AKI) Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has come out of coma after suffering a stroke in December, Iran's Fars news agency reported.

"President Talabani has come back from a coma," Fars cited sources close to the president's medical team as saying.

Officials in Baghdad, however, did not initially confirm the report, Fars said.

Talabani, an iconic figure representing Iraq's Kurdish population in the government, was taken to a Baghdad hospital after his stroke and was flown to Germany for further medical treatment a few days later.

Iraq's presidential office denied media reports that Talabani had died in a Baghdad hospital a week after the stroke.

Meantime, Talabani's wife Hiro Ahmed Ibrahim and a delegation from Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party have reached Tehran for bllateral talks with Iranian officials, Fars said.

Talabani's recovery will play a key role in soothing ongoing ethnic and sectarian unrests in Iraq, according to observers.

[Piling]

Since many months, his wife, son, physician say all the time that he was ok, could eat, talk, etc. And now he is just going out coma ?Wonder who tells the truth…

[Anthea]

Since many months, his wife, son, physician say all the time that he was ok, could eat, talk, etc. And now he is just going out coma ?Wonder who tells the truth…

I remember, they also mentioned that he could move his hands I think

We have had so many different stories but most of them probably aimed at giving his family, friends and political party a chance to keep the region clam

[Piling]

People in coma can sometimes move their hand. But being called by PONE and TALKING is very very rare… a medical oddity or a miracle.

[Anthea]

People in coma can sometimes move their hand. But being called by PONE and TALKING is very very rare… a medical oddity or a miracle.

It is almost 5 months since his stroke, surely if there was going to be any major improvement it would have happened before now

[Piling]

As so long as everybody say he is ok but no one can verify, there will be no fight concerning his successor.

[Anthea]

As so long as everybody say he is ok but no one can verify, there will be no fight concerning his successor.

I did suspect that was the main reason we had not heard very much

Surely if there was a leak from the hospital in Germany, it would be in the German media not the Iranian media