Al Maliki studies Kurdistan rule

Baghdad: Sources close to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki told Gulf News that he believes the time is right to subject the Kurdistan region, which has enjoyed autonomy headed by Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, to the authority of the central government in Baghdad.

Al Maliki's success in attacking Shiite militia backed by Iran and hunting Al Qaida has made him think seriously about this in order not to keep the Kurds outside the authority and prestige of central government, sources close to Al Maliki told Gulf News.

This information comes at a time of a crisis in Kirkuk with tensions rising between the Kurds on one hand and Arabs and Turkmen on the other.

"The problem with the Kurds is not related to oil contracts, but there are no federal forces in the Kurdistan region, there are forces from Kurdish Peshmerga calculated on federal troops but on the ground they are not subject to the authority of Al Maliki but to the authority of Barzani, ...as there is no office of the President of the Federal Government in Baghdad within the capital of the Kurdistan province, Arbil ," the same source added.

Betrayed

Kurdish sources told Gulf News that the talks in Baghdad with Shiite and the Sunni Arab leaders were not comfortable and had left many disturbed because the Sunni and Shiite leaders, in reference to the coalition of Shiite leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, and leader of the Sunni Islamic Party, Tariq Al Hashimi, who were allies of the Kurds had changed their attitude and "done a 180-degree turn."

"We feel betrayed because Kurds have stood up to danger in all previous years, when Baghdad and other Iraqi cities suffered from terrorism and the danger of sectarian violence, for the security of Iraq and made sacrifices to combat groups that wanted evil to come to Baghdad.

Today, the central government wants to use this improvement of security against us," a leader in the Kurdish Democratic Party, who refused to reveal his name, told Gulf News.

Greater powers

The Kurds want greater powers in the management of security and defence affairs but the federal government headed by Al Maliki oppose this and insist on the presence of federal military and security personnel in the region whom Barzani has no jurisdiction over.

"The Americans are directly involved in the problem and enjoy strong influence on the Kurds and Arabs in Iraq, they stand at the crossroads between pleasing the Kurds who are faithful allies of the US and maintaining good relations with Sunni and Shiite Arabs and other minorities that have cooperated with the Americans for the success of the US strategy in Iraq, taking into account the political positions of Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt who are opposed to the fragmentation of Iraq," Wafik Al Hitti, a strategic researcher told Gulf News.