Reuters, 11 December 2005
WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Kurdish leaders believe it is better to remain part of Iraq rather than pursue secession, Washington's representative to Iraq, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said on Sunday days before Iraq's historic parliamentary elections.
Zalmay Khalilzad said the Kurds realized they would become isolated and surrounded by unfriendly neighbors if they split from the rest of Iraq.
"The leadership of Kurdistan, Mr Jalal Talabani and Mr Masoud Barzani -- I have talked with them repeatedly -- have decided that it is better for the Kurds to be to be part of Iraq, rather than to go on their own and try for independence because they will be isolated in this area and they will have many enemies around them, which will not be good for the survival of a mini-Kurdish state," Khalilzad told CNN's "Late Edition."
Iraqi Kurds, who were persecuted under Saddam Hussein, have long pushed for secession, but Turkey, Iran and Syria -- all with substantial Kurdish minorities -- oppose the establishment of a Kurdish state on their borders.
Kurds make up about 15 percent of Iraq's population of 27 million and most Iraqi's oppose Kurdish secession. The international community has said it is committed to establishing a unified but federal Iraq in which Kurds have a degree of autonomy.
"More probable at the present time is for Iraq to hold together. That is what we seek," Khalilzad added.
As Thursday's election approached, Khalilzad said the "single most important development" was that Saddam's once dominant Sunni minority, who mostly stayed away from polls in January, would participate in the vote.
He said it was likely they could win between 40 to 55 seats in the new 275-member Iraqi parliament.
"If they don't get disappointed, this could be a very positive development and over time could isolate the terrorists and reduce the violence here," he said.
Khalilzad confirmed he had held talks with representatives of Iraqi Sunnis close to the insurgents behind some of the violence in attempts to bring them into the political fold.
"We are making progress as indicated by the fact that two Sunni alliances are running in the elections and will participate in the next assembly," he said, adding that with the talks the United States was seeking to isolate al Qaeda and other groups opposed to the U.S. military presence.
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Citation: "Kurds want to remain part of Iraq - US ambassador," Reuters, 11 December 2005.
Original URL: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N11243456.htm
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