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Al-Zarqawi Death Poses Problems For Kurdish Militants
Erbil, 9 June (AKI) - The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will have repercussions on the morale of armed Kurdish Islamist groups active in some areas of Iraqi Kurdistan, especially at Kirkuk and Mosul, a senior Kurdish intelligence source has said. There is a strategic relationship between these formations and al-Zarqawi's group, the official told Adnkronos International (AKI), explaining that these ties date back to the Saddam regime. "Al-Zarqawi visited Kurdistan for the first time in the winter of 2002 when in the border area of Horaman, controlled then by the Ansar al-Islam of Mullah Krekar, he met some leaders to discuss jihadi issues and coordination.""This initial contact was consolidated thanks to Omar Baziyani, who was head of the Tawhid (Unity) which had broken away from Ansar al-Islam, after they had suffered serious military losses to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan working with the US forces at the start of the war to topple Saddam. These defeats forced Tawhid militants to retreat beyond the border into Iran" the source said. "After Baziyani and his group shifted to Iran, they tried to resume contact with al-Zarqawi whose base was in Fallujah. Posted by: Steve 2006-06-09 |
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