US to leave Iraqi Kurds semi-autonomous: newspaper

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 06, 2004

US to leave Iraqi Kurds semi-autonomous: newspaper

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The Bush administration has decided to let the Kurdish region remain semi-autonomous as part of a newly sovereign Iraq despite warnings from Iraq's neighbors and many Iraqis not to divide the country into ethnic states, The New York Times reported Monday.

The US position on the Kurdish area was effectively dictated bythe Nov. 15 accord with Iraqi leaders that established June 30 as the target date for Iraqi self-rule, the newspaper quoted US and Iraqi officials as saying.

Such a rapid timetable, the officials said, has left no time tochange the autonomy and unity of the Kurdish stronghold of the north, as many had originally wanted.

"Once we struck the Nov. 15 agreement, there was a realization that it was best not to touch too heavily on the status quo," saida US official.

"The big issue of federalism in the Kurdish context will have to wait for the Iraqis to resolve. For us to try to resolve it in a month or two is simply too much to attempt," he added.

The issue of whether Iraq is to be divided into ethnic states in a federation-style government is of great significance both inside of the country and throughout the Middle East, where fears are widespread that dividing Iraq along ethnic or sectarian lines could eventually break the country up and spread turmoil in the region.

US and Iraq officials insist that leaving the Kurdish autonomous region intact does not preclude Iraq from consolidatingitself in the future when Iraq writes its own constitution.

According to The New York Times, the Bush administration plans to continue to press Iraq not to divide itself permanently along ethnic lines, but many experts fear once a Kurdish government is formalized even temporarily, it will be hard to dislodge.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Could Iraq issue lead to Bush's political demise?

US to create stability force for Iraq's rebuilding

US to formally launch handover of power to Iraq

Will China's rise trigger Sino-US confrontation? ( 47 Messages)

China may participate in reconstruction of Iraq ( 8 Messages)

Gas field blowout kills 191in SW China, 290-odd hospitalized ( 32 Messages)

HK singer Anita Mui dies of cancer ( 7 Messages)

China offers emergency humanitarian aid to Iran ( 14 Messages)