Iraqi police fire on anti-federation protesters in Kirkuk; two reported ki

[Judi Lynn]

Iraqi police fire on anti-federation protesters in Kirkuk; two reported killed

Wednesday, December 31, 2003



(12-31) 02:06 PST KIRKUK, Baghdad (AP) --

Gunfire erupted Wednesday as hundreds of protesters marched in Kirkuk and at least two people were reported killed in the oil-rich northern city where plans for a new democratic Iraq are dividing Kurd, Arab and Turkmen residents.

Police Col. Salem Taha said two protesters were killed and 16 were wounded in the shooting. A reporter saw six people hit by gunshots, and heard sirens as ambulances rushed to the rescue.

Witnesses fleeing the scene said police opened fire on the crowd, but police said the shots came from members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as demonstrators tried to converge on that party's office.

U.S. soldiers moved in with tanks to barricade the area and set up checkpoints at major intersections.

Hundreds of Arabs and Turkmen began protesting Wednesday morning to demand that Kirkuk remain under a central Iraqi government and not be incorporated into any proposed Kurdish federation.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/12/31/international0506EST0457.DTL

[bowens43]

1. Meet the new boss.......

same as the old boss.

[are_we_united_yet]

2. Yeah

I would say the situation in Iraq is improving

[Jacobin]

3. "federation"? Is that what they are calling the bush puppet regime?

How original

[0rganism]

5. I had the same thought -- that's a new term for the occupation regime

As for putting down the uprising in Kirkuk... well, there's a happy little bloodbath waiting to happen.

Federation? Fuck that, they've got a civil war to get through first.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Turkey will not allow the Kurds to form a federation

Turkey made this quite clear to Bush since last year. Any attempt by Iraqi Kurds to create a federated state, will be met by Turkish military intervention.

At least one Turkman has been killed in this demonstration. I don't expect Turkey to remain silent much longer. Ankara will pressure Bush to squash the Kurdish federation moves, or else Ankara will take care of the Kurdish problem.

This was predicted before the war began!

[Aidoneus]

6. it flies from both ends there

The Turcoman of Kirkuk are on friendly terms with Turkey from outside Iraq, and also backed by Muqtada Sadr from within Iraq and some by Iran as well. The Sunni al-Obeidi Arabs in the north are also on friendly terms with Turkey, sharing a similar view about what should be done about the northern cities like Kirkuk & Mosul (that being, as little changed as possible).

I suspect the southern Kurds want to grab and occupy as much as they can before the US regime betrays them again.

[bvar22]

7. The Civil War in Iraq is beginning to percolate.

This will only get worse. 150,000 troops will not be able to stop this blood bath.