27-12-2009
By Hawar Abdulrezaq
Erbil - The Americans cannot make any promises to the Kurds concerning Kirkuk, says the advisor to the US consulate in Erbil, Kenneth Katzman.
The American government declared it’s support for article 140 after the election law was signed, in exchange for the Kurds supporting this law. Article 140 specifies three phases for implementation that includes normalization, a census, and a referendum on troublesome city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas between Baghdad and the Kurdish government in Erbil. The Kurdish government is eager to carry out a referendum and to include Kirkuk into the Kurdistan region.
But US advisor Katzman told Rudaw that America doesn’t have the authority to promise things. “I don’t think we have made a decision. This problem is an issue between the central government of Iraq and the Kurds. The Obama-government cannot speak in name of the Iraqi government.”
Katzman emphasizes a dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil to solve the issues between Kurds and Arabs. “The Iraqi’s should solve this problem themselves.”
The American analyst also said the rise of the Kurdish opposition list Change is a good thing, but will also influence the Kurdish unity and would worsen relations with Baghdad. Katzman says it’s possible Kurds will now vote for other parties than the Kurdistan alliance (Photo: Rflerl).
© Rudaw
