Gorran meet with al-Abadi - all lying scumbags together

[Anthea]

So what ? How many Iraqi Arabs speak Kurdish ?…

I think Nechirvan Barzani also speaks English
Unlike most Arabs who only speak Arabic

This new government is a shame. Massoud Barzani is probably sick to see it.

It is such a shame because Massoud Barzani is a good-hearted man

[Anthea]

DPM Talabani is in Sulaimani to restore situation to normal following protests

KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani has been tasked with restoring peace and security in the province of Sulaimani following violent anti-government protests that resulted in the death of at least two people.

Talabani headed two meetings of security forces in Sulaimani on Thursday that were also attended by Sulaimani governor Haval Abubakir, Samir Hawrami, media officer of Talabani’s office told Rudaw on Thursday.

Talabani, who is from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), visited Sulaimani because of the “special situation” in the province, Hawrami added.

“He will stay in Sulaimani until the situation is back to normal,” the KRG official said.

Sulaimani is the stronghold of the PUK, as well as Gorran Movement. Governor Abubakir is from Gorran.

The PUK has great influence over security forces and Peshmerga soldiers in provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja where anti-government protests began on Monday.

The KRG has deployed security forces to affected cities in the two provinces including Raniya where at least two people were killed, 87 more injured and a number of government and party offices were set ablaze during Tuesday and Wednesday clashes.

Thousands of people took to the streets in most of the cities of the two provinces demanding an end to wide-spread corruption, calling for better basic services and a reverse of often delayed or reduced public sector-salaries.

PM Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday said people have the “just right to protest,” in the Kurdistan Region, a democratic value respected by the KRG. He warned, however, the “course of protests” had been manipulated by some to cause violence.

“We know there is a hand behind the events,” Barzani said.

He said the KRG is determined to put an end to the “chaos” caused by the deadly protests.

He said the people should realize that the KRG’s revenues “have been slashed by half” since the loss of the oil-fields in Kirkuk in mid-October.

The KRG also maintains that is also unable to pay the state salaries in full or on time because of the continued Iraqi budget cuts since early-2014.

However, Barzani said that they are still able to pay the salaries.

Gorran, Kurdistan’s second-largest party, announced on Wednesday to withdraw from the KRG coalition government. They decided though to stay part of the local government in Sulaimani and Halabja.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/221220174

[Anthea]

Kurdistan’s largest Islamic party to stay in KRG for now
(Life is full of disappointments)

The largest Islamic party in the Kurdistan Region has announced its decision to stay within the current KRG cabinet, but conditioned that the government should improve the livelihood of people.

“The meeting found it necessary for the KIU to connect staying within the government to the improvement of the livelihood of the people. Therefore, it decided to give an ultimatum to the government until January 15, 2018,” Hadi Ali, the KIU spokesperson told the press following a meeting which lasted 13 hours. If these demands are implemented by January 15, 2018, the KIU will remain; otherwise, “it will make its own decision,” he added.

The KRG’s Ministry of Culture stated on Tuesday that they suspended NRT, a Kurdish news organization, for a week on charges of inciting violence following deadly protests in Sulaimani province. The channel called the KRG decision a “dangerous threat” to press freedom in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The outlet's offices were also raided.

The KIU’s also stated from its meeting readout that “during this [limited] period, a KIU delegation will hand a petition to the government concerning the demands of the people and urge it to immediately make serious decisions. “

Ali announced his party wants the protests of the last few days mainly in Sulaimani province to be investigated.

“The meeting called for the formation of a committee in the Kurdistan parliament to investigate and follow up on the events of the past few days in the towns and cities of the Kurdistan Region in which unfortunately the direction of peaceful and civil protests were derailed resulting in many unwanted and heartbreaking incidents,” he explained.

The desired committee “must also do serious work to immediately free the innocent arrestees and reveal the hand or persons who turned the protests violent and question them according to law and by a court.”

KIU urges the Kurdistan Regional Government to respond to the “rightful demands of the protests by providing salaries on time and improving the living conditions and services in general.”

KIU called for an end to “militarization of the cities,” and also rejected “silencing the media outside law.”

The Islamic party with 10 seats is one of the five parties who formed the so-called broad-based coalition government following the 2013 parliamentary elections.

Gorran and the smaller Islamic Group (Komal) on Wednesday announced they would withdraw from the KRG after they had lost “hope” for the other parties to bring about reform or fight corruption.

The KIU, however, is known to have taken a line that is close to the two main ruling parties in the past few years, namely with the powerful Kurdistan Democratic Party of Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan of Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.

Asked about the KIU’s stance on elections which the KRG called the parliament last week to set a day for parliamentary and presidential elections within the next three months, Ali responded: ““Election is important, but the current situation has to be deescalated and several issues resolved notably the economic crisis and the living conditions of people.”

“The voters’ registration list has to be cleaned,” he demanded.

The KIU, among other issues, supported the Kurdish vote on independence held on September 25 that triggered the Iraqi military incursion into the disputed or Kurdistani areas such as the oil-rich Kirkuk that is claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad in mid-October, halving KRG’s revenues compared to September.

KIU is a moderate Islamic party whose founding principle is based on non-violent struggle. It was formed when the Kurdistan Region entered into a bloody civil war in 1994. It called on Kurdish parties to stop fighting and instead seek a path of dialogue to resolve their differences.

Angry protesters set ablaze the offices of the five major parties and that of government in the provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja last week including KIU offices.

Gorran with 24 seats, KIU with 10 seats, and Komal with 6 seats entered the KDP-dominated coalition government after the 2013 elections following spending 2009-2013 as official opposition parties.

Anti-government protests which turned violent last Tuesday call for the full payment of delayed or reduced salaries, a fight against widespread corruption, and better basic services such as electricity. The KRG maintains that the loss of oil-fields in Kirkuk, and the continued budget cut by the Iraqi government since early-2014 means they have failed to pay the state salary in full or on time.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/24122017

[Anthea]

PUK head warns about Kurdish protests:

United we stand - divided we fall

Kosrat Rasul, the top official of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) said in a warning message to all Kurdish parties and people of Kurdistan that the Kurdish house is suffering from lack of unity, a fact that may push the Kurdish Region “towards the unknown.”

His message comes as a wave of violent protests affected many Kurdish cities in the provinces of Sulaimani and Halabja. At least two people were killed, and 300 more injured earlier this week when anti-government protests turned violent, with some setting ablaze party and government offices such in Raniya.

Kurdish security forces have since been deployed to places where the protests occurred and dozens of people, such as protest organizers, were briefly arrested. A Kurdish media network, NRT based in Sulaimani remains suspended since Wednesday, and the whereabouts of two politicians, MP Rabun Maruf and businessman-turned-politician Shaswar Abdulwahid remain unknown; both are from the newly-established New Generation party.

Rasul, the PUK acting head is in Germany receiving medical treatment after he fell ill in early November. He has undergone two surgeries so far for a stoppage of blood flow to his small intestines.

He apologized to the people of Kurdistan that he is outside of the country at this critical time. He said he wrote his message to the nation “on my hospital bed.”

“I want to openly state that expressing dissatisfaction, the protest of public employees as well as the people of Kurdistan to obtain their rights and freedoms is a necessary, and respected basic right,” Rasul said.

He said, however, targeting public and private places is not the right way to demonstrate against “lack of justice, lack of salaries, and a deterioration of services.”

“The right path is demonstration and expressing dissatisfaction through peaceful and civic ways, not the way it is taking place now,” Rasul explained.

It is the duty of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in coordination with other Kurdish institutions, to take “necessary procedures to calm the situation, and meet the demands of the people,” Rasul said in his message to the government, demanding the Kurdish security forces and the riot police to deal with the protesters in a “civilized way,” as they try to protect lives and properties.

It is unfortunate that the Kurdish parties are not united to face the “difficult and sensitive situation” in the Kurdistan Region, while forces opposed to Erbil are united in their stance against the Kurdish experience, Rasul said.

In reference to the Kurdish vote on independence held in September, Rasul said that the enemies of Kurdistan, namely Iraq and the neighboring countries, put aside their differences “and put their voices and forces together against our nation.”

He demanded that all Kurdish parties sacrifice their interests for the sake of the unity in the Kurdistan Region.

“If we fail to do that, and instead we continue to remain disunited as we are now, the fate of our experience [of the Kurdish governance] will head towards the unknown,” Rasul said in a warning message.

Anti-government protests which turned violent on Tuesday call for the full payment of delayed or reduced salaries, a fight against widespread corruption, and better basic services such as electricity. The KRG maintains that the loss of oil-fields in Kirkuk, and the continued budget cut by the Iraqi government since early-2014 means they have failed to pay the state salary in full or on time.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/241220175

[Anthea]

Baghdad wants to destabilize the Kurdistan Region: Kurdish MP

A Kurdish MP in Baghdad has accused the central government of deliberately refusing to send the KRG its budget share in the hope that it will lead to the collapse of the Kurdistan Region and give Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi a boost in next year’s elections.

Baghdad has been refusing to send the Kurdistan Region its rightful share of the budget so that “internal crises in the Kurdistan Region deepen further, people bear arms against one another, the hungry revolt, all our achievements are destroyed, and internal war is instigated,” Dr Muthana Amin, head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw TV.

Financial hardship is one of the grievances that brought people into the streets in anti-government protests that broke out last week, largely in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani and Halabja provinces.

Under austerity measures, the KRG has reduced or delayed payment of civil servant salaries. The KRG maintains that the loss of oil-fields in Kirkuk and the continued budget cut by the Iraqi government since early-2014 are the primary reasons they have failed to pay state salaries in full or on time.

Kurdish security forces have been deployed to several cities to put an end to the protests that have seen the deaths of two and scores more injured and others arrested.

A Kurdish media network, NRT based in Sulaimani remains suspended since Wednesday. And the whereabouts of two politicians, MP Rabun Maruf and businessman-turned-politician Shaswar Abdulwahid remain unknown; both are from the newly-established New Generation party.

Two political parties, Gorran and Komal, which have long-standing discord with the ruling parties, have subsequently quit the coalition government and Amin’s KIU has set out demands with the threat it too could withdraw.

Kurdish officials, including Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, have said they respect the people's right to protest, but warned that violent attacks against party and government offices must end. They have also alleged that the protests are being manipulated by some outside hand.

Amin accused Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of using the situation in Kurdistan for political gain.

“Abadi shouldn’t use us, our livelihood and hunger as an election campaign tool. He shouldn’t show himself as a hero over the Kurds. This is an immoral and non-political thing to do and we shouldn’t support this,” he said.

Iraqis will go to the polls on May 12.

KRG’s Minister of Education Pishtiwan Sadiq agrees that Baghdad is deliberately seeking to harm the Kurdistan Region.

“The current sectarian government in Baghdad doesn’t regard the Kurds as its partners. This government is trying to destabilize Kurdistan, end this calm and make the people of Kurdistan hungry,” Sadiq asserted to Rudaw.

The solution, he argues, is to build up the Region’s independent economy.

“We shouldn’t depend on Baghdad. Instead, we should make quick reforms, improve peoples’ living conditions, and develop the economic conditions of Kurdistan by using our own revenues.”

Relations between Erbil and Baghdad have collapsed in the wake of Kurdistan’s independence vote and Iraq’s military advances into the disputed areas.

Amin believes that Kurds must be unified in order to begin dialogue with Iraq.

The Kurds “can engage in serious dialogue with Baghdad politicians through (forming) internal unity, serious dialogue, resolving the problem of government legitimacy which has been there for a while,” he said.

Baghdad has so far resisted sitting down and talking with the KRG, despite international pressure and concessions from Erbil.

“Now that the KRG has shown complete readiness for talks, there currently are no excuses for them to come forward in order to hold these talks,” Sadiq said.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/251220173

[Anthea]

Baghdad sends salaries to Kurdistan's dam employees
also medical supplies

The Iraqi government has sent salaries to employees working at the Kurdistan Region's dams. Additionally, some medical supplies are being sent by Baghdad.

Akram Ahmed Rasul, the director-general of the dams in the Kurdistan Region told Rudaw on Wednesday that the Iraqi government sent November salaries to dam employees last week.

He said that the federal government has only sent salaries for dam employees, but the salaries were complete and according to Baghdad’s system.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday evening said in during a news conference that Baghdad had started paying salaries of the Kurdistan Region employees, firstly those of the water resources employees.

He added that the Iraqi government is currently checking the names of employees within the education and health ministries.

KRG Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Abdulstar Majid told Rudaw in November that they have been trying for nearly a year to ensure that salaries of Kurdistan Region dam employees are paid by the Iraqi government.

There are 17 dams across the Kurdistan Region, which supply much of the water to Iraq. Dukan and Darbandikhan. Dukan holds nearly 7 billion cubic-meters of water and Darbandikhan has 3 billion cubic-meters. There are nearly 400 employees and managers working at dams in the Kurdistan Region.

Additionally, “some medical supplies” have been received in Sulaimani, Dr. Miran Mohammed, the director-general of Sulaimani Health Department told Rudaw on Wednesday.

“Some medical supplies have been sent by Baghdad to Sulaimani, and we are expecting other medicines to be sent,” he said.

Technocrats from the Kurdistan Region have been meeting this week in Baghdad with Iraqis including the ministers of interior and health. They are the first official meetings between the two governments since the Kurdistan Region held an Iraqi-opposed independence referendum in September.

“The amount is not that much to account for the pharmacies in our hospitals. But it is better than sending nothing. The supply consists mostly of tablets, syrups and other medications. But we think they will send cancer medicine too in a near future,” added Mohammed.

Baghdad’s initiatives follow a statement last week indicating the Iraqi government would begin paying groups of some civil servants as their payrolls are audited beginning with groups like teachers and essential security personnel.

Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad remain strained after Iraqi forces including Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitaries took control of disputed or Kurdistani areas such as oil-rich Kirkuk in October. Both capitals claim the areas.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has not received its 17 percent share of the Iraqi federal budget since 2013, namely because of disputes over the Kurdistan Region exporting oil to the global markets.

Iraq’s draft 2018 budget proposes the KRG receiving 12.6 percent.

KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has said the people should realize that the KRG’s revenues “have been slashed by half” since the loss of the oil-fields in Kirkuk in mid-October.

A representative of the International Monetary Fund told Rudaw on December 22 that Iraq's 2018 budget share proposals "do not suffice in our view to cover the needs of the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

People in Sulaimani and Halabja provinces staged demonstrations through the week of December 18 which protested a lack of salaries — many of which have been delayed including those of teachers for years.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/27122017

[Anthea]

Kurdistan needs total control of it's land and oil

Kurdistan needs to break free from the evil clutches of the Baghdad government

When Kurdistan is in complete control there will be no more financial difficulties - no more reasons to argue

People have to work together to build up Kurdistan and not allow others, with outside interests and financial backing, to divide and destroy Kurdistan

[Anthea]

Kurd Region Govt frees detained New Generation leader

Northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday released Shaswar Abdulwahid, a leader of the ‪New Generation movement, after nine days of detention.

Abdulwahid was detained last week for organizing and participating in anti-corruption protests in the city of Sulaymaniyah.

"I continue to have the utmost respect for all those protesters still in detention," the movement leader said in a statement issued following his release.

He went on to voice hope that the demonstrations would continue despite the KRG’s efforts to suppress them.

The New Generation movement came to prominence after campaigning against the KRG’s illegitimate Sept. 25 referendum on regional independence.

Last week, two political parties -- Gorran and Komal -- withdrew from the Erbil-based KRG in a show of support for the protests in Sulaymaniyah.

One of the Kurdish region’s largest cities, Sulaymaniyah -- where both parties are based -- was rocked by demonstrations last week by civil servants demanding payment of overdue salaries and an end of perceived government corruption.

The KRG has remained in crisis since late September, when it insisted -- despite widespread regional and international opposition -- on holding a popular referendum on regional independence.

In the immediate wake of the poll, federal forces moved into parts of Iraq "disputed" between Baghdad and Erbil, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/kurd-regio ... ion-leader

Me thinks I smell a RAT a nasty GORRAN RAT

Every time someone mentions the recent referendum they should also mention the earlier mini referendum - where 98% of Kurds voted for independence - and the fact that the people have waited more than 10 years since the first referendum to have a countrywide referendum so they could have their say

The name KURDISTAN means LAND OF THE KURDS

NOT land of the Iraqis

NOT land of the Turks

NOT land of the Iranians

NOT land of the Syrians

LAND OF THE KURDS

[Anthea]

Islamic Union visits Gorran party HQ to share positions on joint steps

A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) led by the party’s leader Salahaddin Bahaddin on Saturday met with Change Movement (Gorran) leader Omar Sayid Ali to discuss joint steps to improve people's living conditions in the Kurdistan Region and ease internal tensions.

The two parties agreed that in the next few months “all the reform parties as a whole should have shared positions and take steps jointly in a bid to improve peoples’ living conditions and calming the situations,” according to a statement seen by Rudaw reporter Arkan Ali released after the meeting at Gorran's headquarters in Sulaimani.

Gorran withdrew from the Kurdistan Parliament on December 20.

KIU, the largest Islamic party in the Kurdistan Region, did not follow suit. They gave the government an ultimatum of January 15, 2018, for "the improvement of the livelihood of the people."

“The situations of the Kurdistan Region, peoples’ living conditions and pressures on the authorities to execute reform projects were discussed,” the KIU statement from the meeting added.

Thousands of people began protests on December 18, pouring into the streets in Sulaimani and Halabja provinces condemning lack of services and the continued delay of civil servants' wages from the government. Protests turned violent when demonstrators clashed with riot police and security forces.

“Attempts to derail civil protests and taking military measures toward the problems were rejected flat-out [in the meeting],” the statement detailed.

In addition to Gorran, Islamic Group (Komal) also withdrew from the coalition KRG on the same day.

Both Gorran and Komal called on the KRG to form an interim government to be tasked with preparing for the upcoming elections and holding talks with the Iraqi government in the aftermath of the loss of the disputed or Kurdistani areas in October.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/301220171

2 evil groups of not nice people

[Anthea]

Kurdish opposition parties dispatch delegation to Baghdad
I know where I would dispatch the bunch of trouble makers to

A joint delegation of three Kurdish parties has arrived in the capital of Iraq on Wednesday evening with an agenda to discuss strained relations between Erbil and Baghdad following Kurdistan’s September referendum.

The delegation includes Gorran and the Islamic Group (Komal), two parties who withdrew from the KRG coalition government in December, as well as the newly-established Coalition for Democracy and Justice Democracy (CDJ) of former Prime Minister Barham Salih.

They will hold talks with Iraqi parties and government officials while in Baghdad, a Gorran official who asked not to be named told Rudaw.
Probably too embarrassed for fear his friends and relations discover he belongs to that group of ****s

KNN, an official media outlet of Gorran, confirmed the visit, adding that each party has sent two delegates.

The three parties have all called for the dissolution of the current KRG cabinet and the establishment of an interim government to prepare for general elections and enter talks with Baghdad. The two main ruling parties of the Kurdistan Region, KDP and PUK, have rejected the suggestion to form an interim government.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani argues that his government has the backing of the regional parliament and the international community to negotiate outstanding issues with the Iraqi government, including the budget and control over international borders.

Baghdad has resisted entering talks with Erbil despite repeated calls by the Kurdistan Region. Relations have seen some improvements recently, when the two sides agreed to conduct an audit of the KRG’s state employees with an eye towards Baghdad paying civil servant salaries.

The KRG has 1.249 million people on its payroll. Baghdad has so far paid the salaries of about 420 Kurdish employees.

[Anthea]

Kurdish opposition parties meet Abadi, first since referendum

A delegation of three Kurdish opposition parties met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday in Baghdad to discuss problems between Erbil and Baghdad, such as the budget dispute. It is the first meeting between Abadi and a Kurdish delegation since Kurdistan voted to leave Iraq on September 25.

The Kurdish delegation found the visit necessary in order to put an end to the “political and financial crises” of the Kurdistan Region, read a joint statement from the three parties: Gorran, the Islamic Group (Komal), and the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ).

The Kurdish parties and the Iraqis confirmed that Abadi promised to pay the salaries of KRG employees after an audit is conducted as well as long overdue payment of farmers for their wheat.

The representatives of the three parties arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday in a bid to break the ice that has frozen relations between the central and regional governments.

“We discussed the protection of the achievements of the people of Kurdistan and the political framework of the Region,” the statement explained, adding that the keys to lasting peace are “real partnership” in decision-making in Iraq and reaching a radical solution to their problems in light of the constitution.

According to Abadi’s office, the Kurds threw their support behind a united Iraq.

“The delegation stated that they are convinced that Iraq should be unified and the problems must be solved within the framework of the Iraqi constitution,” read a statement from his office following the meeting.

The Kurdish delegation said they discussed the KRG’s share of the budget and salaries of the public employees, including the Peshmerga, with the prime minister.

“We requested Mr Abadi to put a limit to the suffering of the people and to turn a new political page as part of his duties and responsibility towards the citizens of the Kurdistan Region,” the delegation said.

They demanded Iraqi elections be held on time, May 12, adding that they “asked” Abadi to end fraud in “elections of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”

The Iraqi statement said the Kurdish delegation “congratulated Dr Haider al-Abadi on the victories made and for his wisdom of leadership in the war against the terrorist group of ISIS.”

The KRG is yet to comment on the three parties’ visit to the Iraqi capital independent of other parties and the government. Both Gorran and Komal withdrew from the coalition government, mainly because the KRG leadership refused to dissolve the cabinet and form an interim one.

Kurdish MPs, including those from Gorran and Komal, did not attend a session of the Iraqi parliament on Wednesday that was due to debate the 2018 draft budget law. They published a list of demands, including allocating 17 percent of the budget to the KRG and using the terminology “Kurdistan Region,” per the constitution.

The Kurdish delegation also met with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, a Kurd, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, a Sunni Arab, and Ammar al-Hakim, head of the ruling Shiite National Alliance.

They are scheduled to meet with Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki on Friday, Payam, a Komal media outlet, reported.

Jabouri stated on Wednesday that they will take the Kurdish concerns about the budget into consideration, adding that the parliament will hold talks with the Iraqi government on the matter.

Abadi had said on Tuesday that he will not allow the Kurdistan Region to receive 17 percent of the budget, insisting the amount must be determined by population ratios, arguing that the Kurdistan Region is less than 17 percent.

US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman, accompanied by US Consul General to Erbil Ken Gross, met with Gorran leader Omar Sayid Ali in Sulaimani on Thursday.

Ali told the Americans that the main ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), have failed in governing the Kurdistan Region. Gorran and its allies are the “alternative,” he said, reported Sbeiy, a Gorran media outlet.

He also asked the United States to help the Kurdistan Region to hold free and fair elections, especially cleaning the voter list which Gorran believes contains many irregularities.

The US Ambassador met with PM Barzani and his deputy Qubad Talabani in Erbil on the same day. The two sides emphasized the need to maintain the recent calm following tensions between Erbil and Baghdad to pave the way for “serious dialogue” between the two governments, according to a statement from the KRG.

The US and KRG also discussed the need to “intensify efforts” to resolve the disagreement over Iraq’s 2018 budget and the issue of KRG state salaries.

The US delegation “welcomed” the fact that a joint delegation from Gorran and others visited the Iraqi capital today, according to the Gorran media.

The Kurdish delegation discussed the issue of the disputed areas in their meeting with PM Abadi with a focus on oil-rich Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu where many Kurds have been displaced since Iraqi forces took control in mid-October.

They asked Abadi to normalize the situation in the disputed areas to secure the safe return of Kurdish citizens and insisted the prime minister must fight any attempts to resume the process of Arabization.

Kurdish officials in late December sounded alarm over a new cycle of Arabization in the Kirkuk area. Iraqi officials claimed there was only an isolated case and they punished the military commander allegedly responsible.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/040120181