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Kirkuk celebrates first Kurdish head of state in Iraq
Yes.
KIRKUK: Hundreds of Kurds marched late Friday through the streets of this northern city, firing into the air to celebrate the month-long rotating presidency of Jalal Talabani, the first Kurd to head Iraq, which began on Saturday. Tribal leader Sheikh Said al-Bazrashi, 52, told AFP that “this is the first time in the history of modern Iraq that a Kurd takes the responsibility of ruling Iraq, a fact that shows the importance of the Kurds."
Too bad it's only for a month...
"This is a historical day in the lives of the Kurds who have been seeking hard to achieve their dream to rule Iraq and let their voice be heard in the world,” said businessman Serdal Sader.
Ummm... I think the idea is to govern, not to rule. A problem with translation? Or a problem with the concept?
Hiwa Fateh Ahmad, 46, called on Talabani “to seek to allow the Kurds to regain their due rights and grant them compensation for the years of repression and killings.”
This article actually contains two stories...
Meanwhile, Talabani himself revealed on Saturday that he had unsuccessfully mediated for the surrender to US troops of Saddam Hussein’s top aide Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. He told Al-Rai Al-Aam daily that the ousted regime’s number two offered to surrender provided he is not handed to Kuwait and he receives a pardon. “One of his relatives requested us to mediate with the US government that he (Douri) gives himself up provided he is not handed to Kuwait and that he gets medication,” Talabani, in Kuwait on an official visit, said. “I relayed to him that the Americans will not hand him over to Kuwait but he will be tried like other Iraqis. I believe he refused because he wanted to be pardoned,” he said.
So he’s admitting guilt and copping a plea already?
Talabani said he believes Douri is currently inciting people to carry out suicide attacks against the US troops in Iraq, adding credibility to US suspects that the former vice president may be coordinating the attacks.
Posted by: Seafarious 2003-11-02
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=20670