1.7 Million Iraqi Kurds Sign Petition Asking UN for Autonomy Vote

[Barrett808]

1.7 Million Iraqi Kurds Sign Petition Asking UN for Autonomy Vote By VOA News
26 December 2004

More than 1.7 million Iraqi Kurds have signed a petition calling for a referendum on whether northern Iraq should become an independent Kurdish state.

A spokesman for the Referendum Movement of Kurdistan says the petition has been presented to the United Nations and the Iraqi government. Baghdad has ruled out a separate Kurdish state, and has not commented on the petition.

Neighboring Turkey also has a large Kurdish minority, and is strongly opposed to independence moves by Iraqi Kurds for fear it could encourage unrest inside Turkey.

Ankara has warned repeatedly it is prepared to act militarily, if necessary, to prevent the formation of a separate Kurdish state.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-12-26-voa34.cfm

[Spinzonner]

1. Tick, tick, tick ...

[KDLarsen]

2. This is definantly not going to be good for Turkey..

I think in either case, they're going to have a riot on their hands. And I doubt that they'll be able to solve it in a way that will anti-EU people say "Look how cruel Turkey is, why should we let them in?".

[Kagemusha]

4. If you hadn't heard, Turkey just is not going in. Ever.

And that's more clear than ever to Turks and they may respond accordingly..

[termo]

18. they should wait to be attacked first,

then rightly request NATO help, how ridiculous it will be...
Aren't US/UK/Mercs supposed to control the area ?
:nopity:

[robertpaulsen]

11. Wow! Just read your signature line, KDLarsen.

When did the Chimp say that? Talk about trying to incite jihad!

[KDLarsen]

15. It wasn't the chimp

.. it was a guy in the documentary called "The World According to Bush", but I just can't remember who it was. But I was floored by the accuracy of the statement.

[robertpaulsen]

3. Wow! What percentage of the Kurdish population is that?

This is a huge development. The UN either honors the referendum risking a potential military conflict with Turkey, or it doesn't and disenfranchises millions of Kurds, increasing the possibility of civil war in Iraq.

Can you say Catch-22?

[robertpaulsen]

8. Answering my own question, that's HALF the entire Kurdish population!

Kurds Petition U.N. For Independence from Iraq
BY BENNY AVNI - Special to the Sun
December 24, 2004

UNITED NATIONS - A group of Kurdish activists has delivered to the United Nations a petition calling for an independent Kurdistan that was signed by more than 1.7 million Kurds, or almost half the Kurdish population in northern Iraq.

Members of the American-led coalition and the U.N. fear that an independent Kurdistan could lead to the breakup of Iraq. It is also a major concern for neighboring Turkey, which has its own Kurdish population with aspirations for independence.

The American-led coalition, as well as the transitional law that currently governs Iraq, calls for a unified nation. The petition, signed by residents in what the Kurdish activists define as "southern Kurdistan, "demands a referendum that will lead to independence and the breakup of Iraq.

The petition was handed Wednesday night to Carina Perelli, director of the U.N. electoral assistance division that is helping to organize Iraq's crucial nationwide election on January 30.A U.N. spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said yesterday that the organization receives similar petitions on a "routine" basis.

more...

http://www.nysun.com/article/6761

THIS IS SERIOUS SHIT!

[leftchick]

16. that is where the Largest oilfields in Iraq are, correct?

I'ld hate to think the USA did all that killing for nothing.

[robertpaulsen]

22. Looks like the largest lie between Kurdistan & the Sunni triangle.

We've got a recipe for disaster brewing here.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/IraqOilMap.pdf

[henslee]

17. Talk about a Friday doc dump. nt

[acmavm]

5. Hey, I thought that (pre Shock and Awe of course) this was not going

to happen.

And now the Kurdish problem is full blown. Wonder what the geniuses in Washington are going to do about this one? I imagine it will be "shit on the Kurds by a member of the bush* family", Round Two.

[daleo]

6. Bush will have to start killing Kurds soon

Unless he can get the oil out easier by splitting up the country. I am inclined to think the BFEE won't go for this development, though, as it brings in more actors to split the loot with.

[Karenina]

24. Kurds flee murder wave in North Iraq...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1101746

[Just Me]

7. I am imagining a "blue", "red", "purple", "green" and "fascist",....

,..."Divided States of America",...CHUCKLE!!!

Poor ole' neoCONimperialists. They must be really stressin' out about this "free market" profiteering venture that's fallin' apart under the pressure of human FREEDOM!!!

Dumbass utopian far-leftist lot calling themselves "neocons".

They deserve every human smear that they get.

[Sara Beverley]

9. Shouldn't they be asking the US instead of the UN?

Aren't we the boss of the world?

[Disturbed]

10. Three states of Iraq.

Seems to me that is inevitable.

[Barkley]

12. Three states of Iraq: Regular, Plus and Super - nt

[0007]

20. A high octane super cluster fuck this is!

[okieinpain]

13. I'm beginning to believe this is what bush had in mind all along

he just didn't tell the three groups involved.

[robertpaulsen]

26. That's exactly what I'm thinking. Check out the map on post 22.

I think this is Dumbya's version of "triangular diplomacy". I'm not sure if this was Plan A or Plan B, but it was always a plan in the works.

It makes my jaw drop when I hear people talk about "exit strategy". We're not leaving, and that's been the plan from the beginning.

[rfkrfk]

21. portions of a partioned 'Iraq', could re-unite if desired.

If Iraq breaks up, then later reunites {or not},
why does anyone in the West, care?
........
Iraq was drawn on a map, in 1920, by Winston Churchill.
The modern state of Iraq, is an arbitrary creation,
imposed from the outside.
.........
Look at a map of Africa.
Do you think that's how the borders should be?

[Doohickie]

14. This was a concern from Day 1.

Remember when we asked the Turks for bases and they said no?

I think the solution would be to keep Iraq together, but offer some level of autonomy. If they can keep Quebec in Canada, they can keep the Kurds in Iraq.

[Karenina]

25. The Kurds have been shuttled about

for a bit too long... The young ones in my language class ALL made a point of telling me (on separate occasions) that they were from KURDISTAN, but had no land to call their own. At this point, I'd wager all bets are OFF.

[annabanana]

19. picture in my mind

B*sh up to his ass in alligators while simultaneously chucking rocks at hornets nests with his right hand and jerking off with his left. surrounded by worshiping hoards of starry-eyed followers.

sorry... I know it's ugly

[rocktivity]

23. And in a possibly related story

U.S. Is Suggesting Prominent Posts for Iraq's Sunnis

The Bush administration is talking to Iraqi leaders about guaranteeing Sunni Arabs a certain number of ministries or high-level jobs in the future Iraqi government if, as is widely predicted, Sunni candidates fail to do well in Iraq's elections.

An even more radical step...is the possibility of adding some of the top vote-getters among the Sunni candidates to the 275-member legislature, even if they lose to non-Sunni candidates...

:headbang:
rocknation

[robertpaulsen]

27. More on the Sunnis & their response to * machinations: withdrawal.

Iraq's Top Sunni Party Withdraws from January Election
by Lin Noueihed

BAGHDAD - Iraq's top Sunni Muslim party said Monday it was withdrawing from Jan. 30 elections because relentless bloodshed would keep people from voting in the long dominant Sunni north and west.

"The Iraqi Islamic Party is withdrawing from the elections because we do not think the situation will improve in the next few weeks to give conditions for credible elections," party Secretary-General Tareq al-Hashimi said.

Persistent violence in Sunni Arab cities, most of which are under curfew, has raised fears that voters there will be too intimidated to cast their ballots, skewing the poll in favor of Iraq's 60-percent Shi'ite Muslim majority.


more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1227-06.htm

[robertpaulsen]

28. Kick for Tuesday crowd

:kick: