VZCZCXRO2282
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1261 1020813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120813Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0695
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BAGHDAD 001261
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS IR TU IZ
SUBJECT: KURDISTAN OFFICIAL: WE USED THE LANGUAGE OF
SELF-DEFENSE, NOT THE LANGUAGE OF THREATENING
REF: BAGHDAD 01256
1. The below article highlights statements made by Dr. Fouad
Hussein, Chief of Staff to Kurdistan Regional Government
President Massoud Barzani on April 10, 2007, which was posted
in English on the Kurdish news website Peyamner.com.
2. Begin Text: National - Kurdistan Official: We used the
language of self-defense not the language of threatening (10
Apr 07, 10:35).
Erbil, Kurdistan region (Iraq), (KUNA) - PNA - An Iraqi
Kurdish official said on Monday, Kurdish people were seeking
to have one-to-one dialogue with Turkish leaders to ponder
over unsettled disputes between both sides.
Fouad Hussein, of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Presidency, said
in news remarks that Kurdish leaders had extended their hands
to political leaders in Turkey, and there were several
efforts to sit and negotiate with them, but, unfortunately,
Ankara used to respond in the negative. "If a clear-cut
invitation is extended to any official in Kurdistan (for a
meeting), with an unequivocal and articulate agenda, then the
response will be in the positive. Relevant efforts were
exerted, and a date was set for a meeting with Mr. Prime
Minister of Kurdistan with Turkish officials. But,
regrettably, the meeting was canceled at the last moment," he
said. However, he affirmed that Kurdish leaders did not
support Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements. "We have
repeatedly said that we do not poke our noses into the
affairs of neither Turkey nor Iran, neither do we back
violence or PKK elements on the border between Turkey and
Iraq or the border between Turkey and Iran." "Kurdish people
do not use the language of threatening against anybody in our
political dictionary. Instead, we used to adopt the language
of self-defense to defend our land and Kurdistani society.
But, at the same time, we cannot allow others to use the
language of threatening against the Iraqi people or
Kurdistan's people." End Text.
CROCKER