DATE=9/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237980
TITLE=KURDS / IRAQ / U-S (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THE LEADER OF ONE OF THE MAIN KURDISH FACTIONS BASED IN 
NORTHERN IRAQ -- MASSOUD BARZANI -- IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN 
TURKEY WEDNESDAY WHERE HE WILL SPEND THREE DAYS MEETING TURKISH 
LEADERS, INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER MESUT YILMAZ, BEFORE FLYING TO 
WASHINGTON.  AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA, MR. BARZANI'S 
UPCOMING VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES -- HIS FIRST IN FIVE YEARS --
MARKS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS REVITALIZING THE U-S-BACKED IRAQI
OPPOSITION MOVEMENT AGAINST IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN.

TEXT:  MR. BARZANI -- WHO LEADS THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY --
HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE KURDISH RESISTANCE MOVEMENT 
AGAINST SUCCESSIVE IRAQI REGIMES.  SO HIS UPCOMING TRIP TO 
WASHINGTON HAS TRIGGERED SPECULATION THAT HE'LL BE DISCUSSING 
PLANS WITH U-S OFFICIALS TO REVIVE THE IRAQI OPPOSITION MOVEMENT 
AT A TIME WHEN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS REAFFIRMED ITS 
COMMITMENT TO CONTAINING IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN.

DURING HIS TRIP, MR BARZANI IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MEET WITH HIS 
ARCH RIVAL JALAL TALABANI LEADER OF THE PATRIOTIC UNION OF 
KURDISTAN -- P-U-K.   IT WOULD BE THEIR FIRST MEETING SINCE 
FACTIONAL FIGHTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN THEIR TWO GROUPS IN NORTHERN
IRAQ IN MAY 1994.

BUT SENIOR K-D-P OFFICIAL HOSHYAR ZEBARI -- WHO WILL ACCOMPANY 
MR. BARZANI TO WASHINGTON -- TELLS V-O-A THAT PLANS TO REVIVE THE
IRAQI OPPOSITION ARE NOT ON THE K-D-P LEADER'S AGENDA. RATHER, HE
SAYS, MR. BARZANI WILL FOCUS ON BILATERAL TIES WITH THE UNITED 
STATES AND ON REPAIRING RELATIONS WITH MR. TALABANI.

// OPT// THE BLOODY POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE TWO FACTIONS IS 
WHAT LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE U-S-BACKED IRAQI OPPOSITION 
MOVEMENT  IN AUGUST 1996.  NORTHERN IRAQ, NEVERTHELESS, REMAINS 
UNDER KURDISH CONTROL.  SINCE THE END OF THE 1991 GULF WAR, 
ALLIED FORCES, LED BY THE UNITED STATES,  HAVE ENFORCED A NO-FLY 
ZONE OVER THE KURDISH ENCLAVE USING WAR PLANES BASED IN SOUTHERN 
TURKEY. //END OPT //

//OPT// MEMBERS OF THE IRAQI OPPOSITION FRONT -- KNOWN AS THE 
IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS OR "I-N-C" -- WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THE 
KURDISH CONTROLLED REGION AFTER MR. BARZANI INVITED IRAQI TROOPS 
TO HELP DRIVE OUT IRANIAN BACKED P-U-K FORCES FROM THE STRATEGIC 
CITY OF ERBIL. //END OPT// 

MR ZEBARI SAYS KEY ISSUES WHICH REMAIN TO BE SOLVED INCLUDE THE 
COMPOSITION OF AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL LEAD THE KURDISH 
REGION TO PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THE K-D-P SAYS THE INTERIM 
GOVERNMENT SHOULD REFLECT THE OUTCOME OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
HELD IN 1992, IN WHICH IT WON 51 PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND THE 
P-U-K 49 PERCENT. THE P-U-K INSISTS THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT SHOULD
BE BASED ON WHAT IT CALLS THE "50-50 POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT" 
WHICH THE TWO PARTIES REACHED BEFORE FORMING A JOINT GOVERNMENT 
WHICH COLLAPSED IN 1994.

MR. ZEBARI SAYS A FURTHER STICKING POINT IS THE STATUS OF ERBIL 
WHICH IS NOW UNDER K-D-P CONTROL. THE P-U-K WANTS THE CITY TO BE 
DEMILITARIZED AS A PRECONDITION FOR PEACE.  MR. ZEBARI SAYS 
CHANGING EXISTING SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS NOW WOULD DESTABILIZE THE
ENCLAVE.

//REST OPT// ANOTHER AREA OF DISCORD IS OVER THE MILLIONS OF 
DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUES THE K-D-P COLLECTS AT THE HABUR BORDER 
CROSSING INTO TURKEY, OF WHICH THE P-U-K WANTS A SHARE.

MR ZEBARI IS HOPEFUL THE TWO PARTIES WILL FINALLY SET ASIDE THEIR
DIFFERENCES AND MAKE PEACE.  HE SAYS THE TWO GROUPS NOW RECOGNIZE
THAT NEITHER CAN BECOME THE DOMINANT POWER IN NORTHERN IRAQ, AND 
THAT UNLESS THEY JOIN FORCES AGAIN, THEY WILL REMAIN VULNERABLE 
TO MANIPULATION AND ATTACK BY WHAT HE CRYPTICALLY TERMS "OUTSIDE 
FORCES." (SIGNED)

NEB/AZ/PCF

01-Sep-98 10:00 AM EDT (1400 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.