The Kurdistan region belongs to "the Kurdistani people"

[Anthea]

Kurdistan Fighting for Rights:

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday stressed that the people of the Kurdistan Region will not abandon their constitutional rights

"The people of Kurdistan will in no way give up on their fair and constitutional rights, nor will they succumb to pressure or threats from parties that want to drag Iraq back to the days of dictatorship, violence, aggression, and oppression of the people of Kurdistan," the Kurdish leader said during his meeting with a delegation from the Canadian parliament in Erbil.

The prime minister emphasized that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has fulfilled all its constitutional responsibilities and obligations towards Baghdad, yet the constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan are being consistently violated.

He also voiced concern about the continued disregard to standing agreements among the parties that formed the current cabinet of the federal government in Baghdad.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Barzani also expressed gratitude to the Canadian government for its support and assistance to the Kurdistan Region, especially in the war on the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

For their part, the Canadian parliamentary delegation commended the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious backgrounds in the Kurdistan Region and its religious and press freedoms.

Link to Article - Photos:

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/822270

[Anthea]

Kurdish Language Course

Harvard University has taken a significant step in promoting linguistic diversity by offering a Kurdish language course, specifically focusing on the Sorani dialect, for doctoral students

Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpour, a Kurdish professor teaching sociology and anthropology at Harvard, announced this initiative in a statement on his official Facebook page.

Expressing his pleasure in unveiling the course, Mohammadpour said, "It is a great pleasure that Harvard University is offering the first Kurdish language course, Sorani Dialect, for doctoral students who want to get acquainted with the Kurdish language."

This marks a historic development for both the university as well as the Kurdish language.

The inaugural course will commence this semester with enrollment from several doctoral students, all under the guidance of Dr. Mohammadpour himself. He also extended his gratitude to linguists who contributed to making this course a reality, including Dr. Haider Khazri, Dr. Mohammed Salih, and Dr. Hashim Ahmadzadeh.

The Kurdish professor emphasized the importance of this step for the Kurdish community, highlighting that he has selected Dr. Haider Khazri's book as the primary source for his students. This milestone reflects Harvard University's commitment to inclusivity and linguistic richness.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/822869

[Anthea]

Erbil-Baghdad Deal Implementation

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has called for the full implementation of agreements between Erbil and Baghdad to resolve ongoing political disputes, including issues related to the budget

In a statement marking the 62nd anniversary of the September Revolution, the KDP criticized certain forces for what it perceived as violations of the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region and its people.

Emphasizing the significance of understanding, peace, and coexistence for the prosperity and progress of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the KDP asserted that past experiences have consistently demonstrated that working together and strengthening the Kurdish people are the keys to realizing Kurdish rights.

The KDP further noted that “unfortunately we see a kind of regret [from the Iraqi side] about the agreements” which were reached between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to form the new Iraqi cabinet, in which the Kurdish party played a major role.

The Kurdistan Region remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the constitution and safeguarding its constitutional rights, with a particular focus on securing its rightful portion of the federal budget. Delays in the disbursement of these funds have presented challenges in ensuring the timely payment of public servant salaries. Consequently, there is a growing demand for the central government to honor the agreements reached with the new cabinet in Baghdad.

On September 3, the Iraqi Council of Ministers unilaterally decided to provide 500 billion Iraqi dinars (over $384 million) in the form of loans to cover salaries in the Kurdistan Region, a decision criticized by the KRG for its lack of consultation.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/822958

[Anthea]

Strides Towards Unifying Forces

The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry on Wednesday held an important meeting to highlight the latest developments in unifying the Kurdish forces as part of reforms within the ministry

This meeting included Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of Support Forces, US-led commanders, and representatives from the 70th and 80th Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region. Also present were senior officers and commanders from the first and second infantry divisions, as stated by the ministry.

The primary focus of this meeting was to speed up the reorganization of different units within the Peshmerga forces, aligning them with a strategic plan for unity.

Key discussions covered the need to support all military units comprehensively, ensure smooth coordination among divisions, fill critical positions faster, and transition officers and Peshmergas to various roles within the divisions.

A spokesperson for the Peshmerga Ministry emphasized the national importance of the Peshmerga Ministry reform bill during the meeting. This reform aims to create a strong, unified national force rooted in military principles.

"The Kurdistan Peshmerga forces are dedicated to streamlining and unifying the various forces under the Peshmerga Ministry's purview," the spokesperson stressed.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on the best ways to bring together these different forces and integrate them into the Ministry of Peshmerga.

This significant development highlights the Kurdistan Regional Government's unwavering commitment to strengthening the Peshmerga forces, ensuring they are ready and efficient for regional stability and security.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/823339

[Anthea]

Click Image to Enlarge:


Accelerating Peshmerga Reforms

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received Major General Joel Vowell, the Commander of Combined Joint Task Force of Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq, to underscore his cabinet's commitment to speeding up Peshmerga reforms

"A primary topic was the ongoing reforms within the Ministry of Peshmerga. The emphasis was on consolidating Peshmerga forces and refining their organisational structure," read a statement released by the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) media office today.

Prime Minister Barzani stressed the importance of both maintaining and accelerating these reform initiatives, in line with the KRG ninth cabinet's objectives. He emphasised that the ministry's work must remain free from party politics and personal agendas."

The current cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government has stepped up efforts to unify Peshmerga forces under one national command at the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. The government has already unified several brigades as part of a reform process to establish a fully unified Peshmerga force, which remains a top priority for this cabinet.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/824296

[Anthea]

Kurdistan Region councils

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has ruled to terminate the activities of the provincial councils in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, citing the completion of their electoral terms

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq decided on Sunday to conclude the activities of the provincial councils in the Kurdistan region of Iraq due to the completion of their electoral terms.

In an official statement, the court's media department declared, "The Federal Supreme Court has ruled that Article (2) of Law No. (2) of 2019, which amends the Law of the Governorates of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq No. (3) of 2009 is unconstitutional as it contravenes the provisions of Articles (2/First/) B and C) and (6) of the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq for the year 2005, by the ruling decision No. (124/Federal/2023) issued on 9/24/2023."

Head of the "New Generation" bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, MP Sarwa Abdel Wahed, confirmed that the decision by the Iraqi Federal Court was based on the lawsuit she had previously filed.

Additionally, Abdel Wahed asserted, "We will persist and continue to expose the legal and constitutional infringements of the ruling parties in the region," pointing out that "The New Generation has now won two lawsuits, the first being against the extension of the Parliament's term, and we are dedicated to upholding democratic principles through all means."

It is worth noting that in July 2019, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's Parliament passed a proposal to amend the law governing provincial councils in the region, including extending the terms of the existing councils to bridge the legal gap created by the expiration of their mandates.

Judge Jassim Muhammad Abboud, President of the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court, affirmed that the decision to extend the Kurdistan Parliament's term for one year, issued in 2022, was unconstitutional, describing it as a threat to democracy in the country.

Furthermore, it's noteworthy that in May, the Federal Court had already ruled that the decision to extend the Kurdistan Parliament's term, issued in 2022, was unconstitutional, declaring all decisions made by the regional parliament after the extension in October 2022 as "null and void."

The Kurdistan Region Presidency has scheduled parliamentary elections for November 18, which have faced delays due to disagreements among Kurdish parties regarding their conduct.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... tan-region

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Click Image to Enlarge:


No Obstacles to Election Date

All political parties in the Kurdistan Region have reached a consensus on the election date for the parliamentary election in the Region with no political obstacles facing the process, an official said on Wednesday

Speaking to Kurdistan 24, Fawzi Hariri, the Chief of Staff of the Kurdistan Region Presidency, assured that the electoral commission has already initiated preparations for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, and there are no political impediments hindering the process.

“The election commission will inform us of the preparations. Elections are necessary to support the governance of the Kurdistan Region,” Hariri added.

The announcement of the election date came on August 3, 2023, when Dilshad Shahab, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, held a press conference to reveal that President Nechirvan Barzani had issued a decree designating February 25, 2024, as the date for the sixth session of parliamentary elections.

Following the conclusion of the fifth session of the Kurdistan Parliament on October 9, 2022, the parliament passed Law No. 12 to extend the fifth session. However, on May 22, 2023, the Kurdistan Region’s parliament decided to reactivate the electoral commission, a move later declared "illegal" by the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/824175

[Anthea]

Former PUK Co-Chair Lahur Sheikh Jangi

Former Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Co-Chair Lahur Sheikh Jangi on Tuesday announced his candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary election in the Kurdistan Region and revealed his intention to lead a new electoral list

This announcement, made via a televised message, came one day head of the PUK's fifth congress, and Sheikh Jangi's message expressed concern about the internal divisions and conflicts within the party.

The PUK has been grappling with internal power struggles, notably in July 2021 when Bafel Talabani, the co-chair of the party, removed Sheikh Jangi from his position within the PUK, citing the need to address issues like smuggling and extortion within the party.

After a two-year absence from politics, Sheikh Jangi revealed his plan to challenge the current PUK leadership by participating in the parliamentary election scheduled for February 25. However, he did not disclose the name of his new electoral list

Sheikh Jangi criticized the current PUK leadership for what he described as attempts to impose their agenda by force. He also expressed his disappointment with the party's perceived deviation from its core values and objectives, characterizing it as an institution serving the interests of a select few.

Furthermore, Sheikh Jangi accused the current PUK leadership of being responsible for the persecution and expulsion of PUK members, which he argued has tarnished the party's reputation as a social democratic entity. He highlighted the party's diplomatic and democratic shortcomings, suggesting that promised reforms had not materialized.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/824887

[Anthea]

Commemorate Independence Referendum

Kurdistan’s top leaders on Monday commemorated the sixth anniversary of the Region’s independence referendum held in 2017

“Today symbolizes the triumph of a nation’s will,” Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Today is a historic day. It is the anniversary of the victory of the will of the Kurdish people against the oppression and injustice committed against our people,” he said, speaking during the inauguration ceremony of Project Bloom in Erbil. “There are still people and entities who believe that the Kurdish people should be punished simply for expressing their will to achieve their rights.”

Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and former Kurdistan Region president, released a statement commemorating the occasion.

“Today marks the anniversary of the day on which the will of the people prevailed,” he said.

The Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum on September 25, 2017, despite a ruling from the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court a week prior to suspend the vote.

In November 2017, Iraq’s top court ruled that the Kurdish independence referendum was "unconstitutional," rendering its results null and void.

In 2014, the joint administration of Kirkuk between Erbil and Baghdad came to an end when Islamic State (ISIS) militants seized control of a third of the country. When ISIS entered Kirkuk province, Iraqi forces dissipated and Peshmerga forces filled in the vacuum.

Kirkuk remained under full Kurdish control until October 16, 2017, when Iraqi forces retook the city, expelling Kurdish security forces, following the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) independence referendum.

Since then, the city’s majority Kurdish component have reported being unable to freely celebrate cultural events.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/25092023

I BELIEVE IN A

FREE - INDEPENDENT - KURDISTAN

[Anthea]

US Would Be Wrong to Abandon Kurds

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – The Wall Street Journal, along with The New York Times and the Washington Post, is one of the three most important U.S. newspapers

On Monday, the Journal carried an important opinion piece, entitled “Biden Would be Wrong to Abandon the Kurds.” Written by Majeed Gly, a Kurdish journalist based in New York, and David Harris, who is also based in New York, it details the multiple ways in which Kurds have shown themselves consistent and loyal allies of the U.S. over the past three decades, since they were freed from Saddam Hussein’s ruthless repression with the 1991 Gulf War.

But, as they argue, Washington does not value that loyalty as much as it should, in part, because the Biden administration still appears to seek, in some fashion, a restoration of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA.)

Reaching out to Iran often hurts the Kurds, because Tehran is hostile to them.

And there is a second way in which the Biden administration subordinates Kurdish interests to Iranian interests. That is through its commitment to the unity of Iraq, which entails the subordination of Erbil to Baghdad, where Iranian proxies exert significant influence.

Kurds as U.S. Allies

“Iraq’s Kurds shouldered much of the burden in defeating Islamic State,” Gly and Harris write, and the “Kurdistan Regional Government, which oversees the relatively autonomous northern third of Iraq, offers one of the most liberal, open societies in the region.”

“There, vulnerable minorities can find refuge, women enjoy greater equality, religion doesn’t seek to suffocate,” they add.

Indeed, U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed similar views. For example, Amb. Sam Brownback, the State Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, earlier told Kurdistan 24, “The Kurdish region has been phenomenal in saving lives,” while he noted that persecuted groups regularly “found a safe haven in the Kurdish region.”

Gly and Harris warn that any growing distance between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region would redound to the benefit of Iran.

“Such a shift would bolster Tehran’s relentless efforts to make Iraq a satellite state akin to Syria and Lebanon,” they write.

Hostile Actions Against the Kurdistan Region

Denying funds to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is a major way that Iran and its proxies in Baghdad have sought to undermine the political and social cohesion of the Kurdistan Region and control the KRG’s policies.

The KRG has two potential sources of revenue. One is income from oil exports via a pipeline through Turkey to its Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The other is the KRG’s share of the federal budget of Iraq.

Both have been severely restricted. Kurdish oil exports have been stopped for six months, resulting in the loss of a stunning amount of money: some $6 billion. This followed an adverse ruling on a lawsuit brought before the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Court of Arbitration (ICC-ICA) in 2014 by Baghdad, when Nuri al-Maliki was Iraqi Prime Ministeri.

Maliki is a highly sectarian Shi’ite figure, and as ISIS emerged later in 2014, seizing one-third of Iraq, the Obama administration made Maliki’s resignation a condition for U.S. support against the terrorist organization.

Nine years later, the ICC-ICA issued its judgment, which was in favor of Iraq, and it decreed that Ankara owed Baghdad $1.5 billion for the illicit use of its pipeline. Although Turkey has said that it is now ready to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, other obstacles remain.

At the same time, the Baghdad government failed to pay the KRG its agreed-upon share of the federal budget: some 12.67%. Consequently, the KRG could not pay ordinary expenses, including the salaries of government employees.

“This increasingly dire situation,” Gly and Harris explain, “prompted KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to write a letter to President [Joe] Biden in early September seeking assistance to prevent the autonomous region’s collapse.”

Indeed, three Congressmen responded to Barzani’s letter with a letter of their own, also addressed to Biden, urging him “to end the unacceptable treatment of Iraqi Kurds and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government by Iran-aligned elements in Iraq.”

The immediate crisis was resolved after the KRG Prime Minister met with Iran’s ambassador to Iraq a week after he had written Biden. He then led a large delegation to Baghdad. They met with expected figures, like the Iraqi Prime Minister, but they also met with Iran’s proxies, including Qais al-Khazali.

Supported by Iran, Khazali was a major figure in attacking U.S. troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2020, Washington even designated him as a foreign terrorist and his group, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, as a foreign terrorist organization.

The pilgrimage to Baghdad secured a three-month loan to the KRG from Iraq’s federal government, averting an immediate crisis.

But what will happen three months from now? Is the KRG, again, supposed to demonstrate its obeisance to Tehran in order to avert yet another crisis?

Clearly, it is necessary either to restore the KRG’s oil revenues by renewing its exports through the Turkish pipeline or ensure that the KRG receives its agreed upon share of the federal budget.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... 4WSJ-Op-Ed

The US has let Kurds down badly in the past, Kurdistan must become self-reliant and INDEPENDENT

[Anthea]

Importance of resolving Erbil-Baghdad issues
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday received a delegation led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, Victoria Taylor

PM @masrourbarzani received a US delegation led by Victoria Taylor, DAS @StateDept_NEA. Discussing the current overall situation in Iraq and the region, the importance of resolving Erbil-Baghdad issues, and the resumption of oil exports, as well as KRG reforms and joint projects. pic.twitter.com/FJb9xp2mD5
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) October 12, 2023

During the meeting they discussed the latest developments in the general situation in Iraq and the region and the importance and necessity of fundamentally resolving the issues of the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, especially after the recent visit of the Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to Baghdad in September.

They also stressed the importance of resuming the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region through the port of Ceyhan as soon as possible.

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday confirmed that Baghdad is ready to resume oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The export was halted on March 25 at the request of Baghdad after Iraq claimed victory against Turkey at the International Arbitration Court in Paris, which awarded the Iraqi side $1.4 billion in compensation.

Moreover, PM Barzani stressed that the federal system of Iraq and the constitutional structure of the Kurdistan Region must be respected and the rights of all Iraqi communities must be protected.

The reforms of the ninth cabinet, especially the digitization of services and the streamlining of the banking system, as well as intensifying efforts and carrying out joint work and projects to address the negative impacts of climate change, were some of the other topics of discussion.

During the MERI Forum on Wednesday, US Deputy Assistant Secretary Taylor underlined that the US remains "strongly supportive of a strong and resilient Kurdistan Region within a federal Iraq. This is in Iraq's best interest as well."

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/32 ... -Secretary

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16 October Treason:
Today Marks 6th Anniversary of Fall of Kirkuk

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the fall of Kirkuk after a faction within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) made a backroom deal with authorities in Baghdad and allowed the Iran-backed militias of Hashd al-Shaabi, together with the Iraqi Army, to overrun the city

What happened on October 16, 2017?

On 16 October 2017, the pro-Iran Hashd al-Shaabi militias, together with the Iraqi army and after a secret deal with a group from the PUK, attacked the Peshmerga positions in Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu, and Khanaqin to push them back from the disputed Kurdish territories. The move was apparently in retaliation for the landmark independence referendum a few weeks earlier. However, it resulted in the killing and injuring of hundreds of civilians while more than 200,000 Kurds were displaced from these areas

A faction within the PUK was immediately held responsible for the catastrophic event. A day later, Jafar Sheikh Mustafa, the then Commander of the PUK’s Unit 70 of the Peshmerga forces, who was also a member of PUK’s politburo, revealed that a small group from his party “was responsible for the treason”. He said that late PUK Secretary General Jalal Talabani would punish this group as “traitors” if he was alive on that day.

“Those immature people within the PUK are responsible for the disaster in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu,” Kosrat Rasoul, another senior official of the party said on 18 October 2017.

Aras Jangi, brother of now deposed PUK co-chair Lahur Jangi, is known as one of the key elements responsible for the fall of Kirkuk. He defended the developments from the first moment, and repeatedly appeared on televised interviews describing the situation in Kirkuk as “absolutely safe” while the local Kurds were escaping Kirkuk in fear of mass detentions by Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

Bafel Talabani, on the other hand, appeared later in an interview showing a document to prove that “38 officials” from the PUK had signed the secret agreement with Baghdad to allow Hashd al-Shaabi into Kirkuk. However, some of the officials on the list later denied ever signing such a paper

The signs of the treason were almost evident two days before the actual operation. On some fronts outside Kirkuk, some PUK-affiliated forces were smoothly withdrawn. Other Kurdish forces resisted when the Iraqi forces, backed by a neighboring country, launched the multi-front operation, but the treason had already handed over Kirkuk.

Up to date, Kirkuk and other disputed Kurdish territories remain under the control of the Iraqi forces where Hashd al-Shaabi is the de facto ruler to oppress the Kurdish population, for which the blame is mainly put on a faction within the PUK.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/827027

Bafel Talabani is an evil, manipulative, lying, traitorous piece of bovine excrement

[Anthea]

Why is Evil Bafel Talabani

Impeding Peshmerga Unification Process?

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is, on the surface and in terms of privileges and power, one of the main partners of the ninth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The party has been given more posts and power than it actually deserves

The PUK is not only playing a negative role against the Kurdistan Region and its people, it is also the biggest impediment standing in the way of carrying out reforms as well as efforts to unify Peshmerga forces

The conduct of the PUK is such as if its primary duty is to oppose the constitutional status of the Kurdistan Region and its people.

The party has been embezzling public revenues in Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Garmian, and Raparin district. Moreover, the PUK has also monopolized revenues generated at border crossings, is involved in smuggling commodities, and also taking bribes from traders. The party has also confiscated all strategic pieces of land in these areas, using them to advance its interests and those of its companies.

The PUK, which is monopolized by Bafel and Qubad Talabani, doesn't use revenues generated in Sulaymaniyah for public service projects in the province, nor does the party allow the Kurdistan Regional Government to execute service and infrastructure development projects in these areas. The party's security establishment has been found complicit in plotting to assassinate party members and leaders critical of the PUK in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Garmian, and Raparin district.

Yet, the Evil Bafel and Qubad Talabani continue to harbor murderers and terrorists, and have consistently refused to hand them over to the judiciary. What's more, the PUK has consistently been hindering efforts to unify Peshmerga forces and carry out Peshmerga reforms.

Bafel and Qubad Talabani seized power without having competence or experience. They are inept, and are fit for anything other than leading a party or governing a province. These two brothers are currently very close allies of Iraqi militia groups blacklisted as terrorist groups by the US and the EU. Therefore, they behave with a militia mentality, fearing the fact that Peshmerga forces will be under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs if they are unified, and not under their control

Shorish Ismael was Minister of Peshmerga Affairs from the beginning of this KRG cabinet. He was known to be a supporter of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and his vision for reform making and a unified Peshmerga force.

Ismael also had good coordination with US and coalition forces. He was very serious and determined to unify Peshmerga forces. That's why Bafel and Qubad Talabani removed him from his position as minister to prevent the unification of Peshmerga forces and reforms.

We all know that the US and its allies including the UK, Germany, France, and Italy, have been supporting the KRG and have been very serious in their support for the unification of Peshmerga forces. But, PUK's Bafel and Qubad Talabani have consistently been impeding the Peshmerga unification process, disappointing the US and allies in this regard.

So, why would Bafel and Qubad Talabani prevent the unification of Peshmerga forces?

1.Current PUK's ruling leaders are not statesmen. Rather, they are solely concerned with money making and enriching themselves.

2.Current PUK's ruling leaders, Bafel and Qubad Talabani in particular, think with a militia mentality. That's, they want their Peshmerga forces to remain under their command, not under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.

3.Current PUK's ruling leaders are closest allies with leaders of Iraq's militia groups, who are blacklisted. Note that Bafel Talabani appears wearing a pair of boots and black costume normally worn by militia groups.

4.Current PUK's ruling leaders are complicit in the financial corruption endemic in PUK Peshmerga budget. That's why they want to keep access to this financial corruption.

5.Current PUK's ruling leaders are very hostile to the KRG despite being main partners in this cabinet, and this is because Prime Minister Masrour Barzani remains committed to confronting corruption.

6.There's a dangerous regional agenda working to undermine the government in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Current PUK's ruling leaders are part of this agenda.

7.Current PUK's ruling leaders want PUK's Peshmerga forces to serve the interests of Iraqi militia groups.

The people of the Kurdistan Region, as much as the KRG Prime Minister, want to see Peshmerga forces unified. The US and its allies along with other friends of the Kurdistan Region share the same wish. That's why, the PUK, Bafel and Qubad Talabani will pay a heavy price for opposing the unification process of Peshmerga forces. Until then, I hope they cannot do more harm to the Kurdistan Region and its constitutional status.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/816611

[Anthea]

Kurdistan constitutional rights

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received the newly appointed Canadian Ambassador to Iraq, Kathy Bunka, according to an official readout from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)

The Prime Minister congratulated Bunka on her assumption of office and wished her success in her endeavors.

Barzani also expressed his full aspiration for the development of relations between Canada and the Kurdistan Region.

The Canadian envoy expressed her country's desire to develop relations with their Kurdish counterparts, particularly in the areas of investment, trade, and cultural exchange.

Several other topics were also discussed, including the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region, strengthening the Iraqi federal system, and battling climate change.

The meeting between the two sides comes as Canada earlier on Oct. 24 issued a travel advisory to Iraq in light of recent drone and rocket attacks on Coalition bases in the country.

Having been a member of the US-led Coalition against ISIS since Sept. 2014, Canada has provided training for Iraqi and Kurdish forces as part of international efforts to defeat the terror group.

Canada has about 200 Coalition soldiers in the Kurdistan Region who are involved in training local Peshmerga in the fight against ISIS.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... nal-rights

[Anthea]

PUK Requests Meeting with KDP

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has officially reached out to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to request a meeting, aiming to address various pressing matters. The party’s Political Bureau is currently awaiting a response from the KDP

Speaking to Kurdistan 24, KDP Spokesperson Mahmood Mohammed confirmed the receipt of the official message from the PUK and stated that they would provide a response in the coming days. The delegation on both sides has been determined, and only the meeting's time and location remain to be decided.

The upcoming meeting marks the first interaction between the new PUK leadership and the KDP. Numerous issues are on the agenda for discussion, including political relations between the two parties, the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, and the Kurdistan Regional Government's interactions with the Iraqi government regarding salary disbursements and financial entitlements for the Kurdistan Region.

PUK spokesperson Saadi Pira emphasized that both leading parties are prepared for the upcoming meeting, signaling a willingness to engage constructively in addressing these critical issues, according to the report.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/828882

New PUK leadership I missed that

Does that mean the evil, lying, traitorous Bafel Talabani has been thrown out