This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/world/middleeast/kerry-kurds-iraq.html
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Kurdish Leader Warns Kerry of Challenges of ‘New’ Iraq | Kurdish Leader Warns Kerry of Challenges of ‘New’ Iraq |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| ERBIL, Iraq — The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region said Tuesday that Secretary of State John Kerry was confronting an enormous challenge in seeking a multisectarian national government, declaring, “We are facing a new reality and a new Iraq.” | ERBIL, Iraq — The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region said Tuesday that Secretary of State John Kerry was confronting an enormous challenge in seeking a multisectarian national government, declaring, “We are facing a new reality and a new Iraq.” |
| Mr. Kerry’s trip to the Kurdish regional capital, Erbil, was his first as secretary of state, and he met with Masoud Barzani, the Kurdish president, after meetings in Baghdad on Monday with the Shiite prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, and Shiite and Sunni politicians. (The last secretary of state to visit Erbil was Condoleezza Rice, in 2006.) | Mr. Kerry’s trip to the Kurdish regional capital, Erbil, was his first as secretary of state, and he met with Masoud Barzani, the Kurdish president, after meetings in Baghdad on Monday with the Shiite prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, and Shiite and Sunni politicians. (The last secretary of state to visit Erbil was Condoleezza Rice, in 2006.) |
| After Sunni militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria took over the northern city of Mosul two weeks ago and began to move south, Kurdish security forces responded by moving into Kirkuk, a city located in an oil-rich region that has long been divided between Arabs and Kurds. | After Sunni militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria took over the northern city of Mosul two weeks ago and began to move south, Kurdish security forces responded by moving into Kirkuk, a city located in an oil-rich region that has long been divided between Arabs and Kurds. |
| The Kurds’ expansion has put them in a position to demand more autonomy in political talks over Iraq’s future. But it may also complicate the effort to cobble together a new Iraqi government, particularly one that does not include Mr. Maliki, who has long been accused of autocratic tendencies by Iraqi politicians. | The Kurds’ expansion has put them in a position to demand more autonomy in political talks over Iraq’s future. But it may also complicate the effort to cobble together a new Iraqi government, particularly one that does not include Mr. Maliki, who has long been accused of autocratic tendencies by Iraqi politicians. |
| American officials have made it clear privately that they are open to the selection of a new prime minister, but it is uncertain whether Sunni and Kurdish political parties can find enough common ground in forming a new government now that Kurdish pesh merga fighters have taken control of Kirkuk. | American officials have made it clear privately that they are open to the selection of a new prime minister, but it is uncertain whether Sunni and Kurdish political parties can find enough common ground in forming a new government now that Kurdish pesh merga fighters have taken control of Kirkuk. |
| “Ousting Maliki will require the cooperation of all the other blocs,” said Ramzy Mardini, an expert on Iraq and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, an independent think tank. “But Iraq isn’t a place where collective interests reign over parochial ones. The crisis is creating new facts on the ground, and will likely affect how the next government is formed. For example, Sunni and Kurdish cooperation is likely to diminish on government formation after the Kurds grabbed Kirkuk.” | “Ousting Maliki will require the cooperation of all the other blocs,” said Ramzy Mardini, an expert on Iraq and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, an independent think tank. “But Iraq isn’t a place where collective interests reign over parochial ones. The crisis is creating new facts on the ground, and will likely affect how the next government is formed. For example, Sunni and Kurdish cooperation is likely to diminish on government formation after the Kurds grabbed Kirkuk.” |
| The Kurds are a critical element of the political equation in Iraq. But Mr. Barzani has had a difficult relationship with Mr. Maliki. | The Kurds are a critical element of the political equation in Iraq. But Mr. Barzani has had a difficult relationship with Mr. Maliki. |
| Kurdish officials have insisted in recent days that the pesh merga expanded their footprint to better defend the Kurds against ISIS extremists, but the oil in the Kurdish region has long been at the center of friction between Baghdad and Erbil. | Kurdish officials have insisted in recent days that the pesh merga expanded their footprint to better defend the Kurds against ISIS extremists, but the oil in the Kurdish region has long been at the center of friction between Baghdad and Erbil. |
| The American goal during Mr. Kerry’s trip has been to insist that the Kurds put aside any thoughts of actual or de facto independence and play an active role in forming a new government. | The American goal during Mr. Kerry’s trip has been to insist that the Kurds put aside any thoughts of actual or de facto independence and play an active role in forming a new government. |
| “I think there’s a debate going on in the Kurdish region with some people saying, ‘Hey, this is actually pretty good, look what’s happening here,’ and others saying, ‘So we should just kind of build a moat and kind of do our own thing,’ ” said a senior State Department official, speaking anonymously under protocols imposed by the department. “That’s a minority debate.” | “I think there’s a debate going on in the Kurdish region with some people saying, ‘Hey, this is actually pretty good, look what’s happening here,’ and others saying, ‘So we should just kind of build a moat and kind of do our own thing,’ ” said a senior State Department official, speaking anonymously under protocols imposed by the department. “That’s a minority debate.” |
| “There’s a more majority debate out there that it is in nobody’s interest to have kind of Al Qaeda on steroids on our southern border, and the only way to make sure they are not is to make sure a moderate Sunni component is able to clear these areas,” the State Department official added. “And to do that it’s really essential that the Kurds are an effective and active part of the national political process, including with a very strong Kurdish president.” | “There’s a more majority debate out there that it is in nobody’s interest to have kind of Al Qaeda on steroids on our southern border, and the only way to make sure they are not is to make sure a moderate Sunni component is able to clear these areas,” the State Department official added. “And to do that it’s really essential that the Kurds are an effective and active part of the national political process, including with a very strong Kurdish president.” |
| In recent years, the largely ceremonial post of president in Iraq has been held by a Kurd — the prime minister holds much greater authority — and American officials accept that the position is likely to remain in Kurdish hands. | In recent years, the largely ceremonial post of president in Iraq has been held by a Kurd — the prime minister holds much greater authority — and American officials accept that the position is likely to remain in Kurdish hands. |
| Mr. Kerry, for his part, stuck to basic themes at the start of the meeting. | Mr. Kerry, for his part, stuck to basic themes at the start of the meeting. |
| “I look forward to a good conversation today about how the government formation process can produce the broad-based inclusive government that all the Iraqis I have talked to are demanding,” Mr. Kerry said. | “I look forward to a good conversation today about how the government formation process can produce the broad-based inclusive government that all the Iraqis I have talked to are demanding,” Mr. Kerry said. |
| The meeting came against the backdrop of reports of new airstrikes on ISIS positions in western Iraq, and scattered violence linked to the Sunni insurgency. | The meeting came against the backdrop of reports of new airstrikes on ISIS positions in western Iraq, and scattered violence linked to the Sunni insurgency. |
| In Qaim, an insurgent-controlled town near the border with Syria, at least one military aircraft attacked on Tuesday at about 9:45 a.m., according to local officials and residents. It was not immediately clear what air force was behind the attack. | In Qaim, an insurgent-controlled town near the border with Syria, at least one military aircraft attacked on Tuesday at about 9:45 a.m., according to local officials and residents. It was not immediately clear what air force was behind the attack. |
| “I was sleeping when a big explosion shook our house,” said Mohammad al-Ani, a resident reached by telephone. “I went directly to the hospital to check if any of my relatives or friends had been killed or wounded but the militants prevented all the people from getting into the hospital.” | “I was sleeping when a big explosion shook our house,” said Mohammad al-Ani, a resident reached by telephone. “I went directly to the hospital to check if any of my relatives or friends had been killed or wounded but the militants prevented all the people from getting into the hospital.” |
| Local medical workers said a market and a nearby building had been struck in the attack, and that at least 19 people had been killed and 30 wounded. | Local medical workers said a market and a nearby building had been struck in the attack, and that at least 19 people had been killed and 30 wounded. |
| The officials in Qaim said the strikes had been carried out by the Syrian Air Force, although their account could not be immediately confirmed, and a representative of Mr. Maliki’s office disputed the claim. | The officials in Qaim said the strikes had been carried out by the Syrian Air Force, although their account could not be immediately confirmed, and a representative of Mr. Maliki’s office disputed the claim. |
| Dr. Kareem Bardan, a physician who treated the wounded at Qaim hospital, said that initial reports that many women and children had been killed were untrue but that he knew of one woman and three children younger than 15 who were among the dead. | Dr. Kareem Bardan, a physician who treated the wounded at Qaim hospital, said that initial reports that many women and children had been killed were untrue but that he knew of one woman and three children younger than 15 who were among the dead. |
| The Syrian side of the border has long been under the control of various rebel groups. | The Syrian side of the border has long been under the control of various rebel groups. |
| The Iraqi border crossing at Qaim was captured on Friday by ISIS fighters. With the help of Sunni tribes and using weapons captured from the Syrian and Iraqi militaries, including many weapons provided to Iraq’s security forces by the United States, the insurgents have been driving government forces from Sunni-dominated areas in Iraq’s west. | The Iraqi border crossing at Qaim was captured on Friday by ISIS fighters. With the help of Sunni tribes and using weapons captured from the Syrian and Iraqi militaries, including many weapons provided to Iraq’s security forces by the United States, the insurgents have been driving government forces from Sunni-dominated areas in Iraq’s west. |
| In a separate strike, also attributed by local residents to Syrian aircraft, 24 people were killed and 27 wounded in the western Iraqi town of Rutba when government buildings and a gas station used by militants were hit, witnesses said. One witness, Omar, said most of the victims were civilians. | In a separate strike, also attributed by local residents to Syrian aircraft, 24 people were killed and 27 wounded in the western Iraqi town of Rutba when government buildings and a gas station used by militants were hit, witnesses said. One witness, Omar, said most of the victims were civilians. |
| Rutba, recently seized by ISIS, is about 90 miles east of the Jordan border. It would be unusual for Syrian aircraft to strike so deeply inside Iraqi territory, and the claim could not be independently verified. | Rutba, recently seized by ISIS, is about 90 miles east of the Jordan border. It would be unusual for Syrian aircraft to strike so deeply inside Iraqi territory, and the claim could not be independently verified. |
| Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman, said in a televised news conference that government forces had regained full control of border crossings near Trebil and Waleed, both of which had been reported by witnesses to have fallen out of government hands. The general said the security forces had received tribal help in reclaiming the border points, although people contacted in both areas contradicted his assessment. | Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman, said in a televised news conference that government forces had regained full control of border crossings near Trebil and Waleed, both of which had been reported by witnesses to have fallen out of government hands. The general said the security forces had received tribal help in reclaiming the border points, although people contacted in both areas contradicted his assessment. |
| At the border point near Trebil, which is the only legal crossing point to Jordan, an employee of the border service, reached by telephone and speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Iraqi security forces had abandoned the post and no tribal presence was visible. | At the border point near Trebil, which is the only legal crossing point to Jordan, an employee of the border service, reached by telephone and speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Iraqi security forces had abandoned the post and no tribal presence was visible. |
| The employee said some of the civilian border service employees remained at the post. He said that traffic was flowing across the border, and that militants in the area had allowed the staff to continue working. ISIS, the employee said, controls the nearby territory but sent a message indicating that it will not occupy the post, at least for the moment, a move that would cause the Jordanian government to close the other side. | The employee said some of the civilian border service employees remained at the post. He said that traffic was flowing across the border, and that militants in the area had allowed the staff to continue working. ISIS, the employee said, controls the nearby territory but sent a message indicating that it will not occupy the post, at least for the moment, a move that would cause the Jordanian government to close the other side. |
| The border crossing at Waleed also remained abandoned by Iraqi security forces, according to a resident reached by telephone, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, who said ISIS had allowed Sunni border employees to continue their work but the militants had established a presence at the crossing point. | The border crossing at Waleed also remained abandoned by Iraqi security forces, according to a resident reached by telephone, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, who said ISIS had allowed Sunni border employees to continue their work but the militants had established a presence at the crossing point. |
| The militants’ control of border crossing points, both formal and informal, has led to shifts in the fighting and balance of forces in Syria and Iraq alike. | The militants’ control of border crossing points, both formal and informal, has led to shifts in the fighting and balance of forces in Syria and Iraq alike. |
| ISIS’s rivals among the antigovernment rebels in Syria said that ISIS had been moving former American military equipment, including armored vehicles, into Syria, and that they feared the ISIS militants would use them to claim territory from more moderate rebel groups in Syria’s north. | ISIS’s rivals among the antigovernment rebels in Syria said that ISIS had been moving former American military equipment, including armored vehicles, into Syria, and that they feared the ISIS militants would use them to claim territory from more moderate rebel groups in Syria’s north. |
| They also said ISIS’s success in Iraq had spread fear among its rivals, some of whom are pledging allegiance to ISIS to avoid fighting it. They said the group had established a logistics corridor from the battlefields in Iraq and was evacuating wounded fighters to Raqqa, Syria, for treatment at the general hospital there, which has been under ISIS control since last year. | They also said ISIS’s success in Iraq had spread fear among its rivals, some of whom are pledging allegiance to ISIS to avoid fighting it. They said the group had established a logistics corridor from the battlefields in Iraq and was evacuating wounded fighters to Raqqa, Syria, for treatment at the general hospital there, which has been under ISIS control since last year. |
| Elsewhere in Iraq, Sunni militants ringing the sprawling oil refinery in Baiji again claimed to have overrun the complex and taken control. | Elsewhere in Iraq, Sunni militants ringing the sprawling oil refinery in Baiji again claimed to have overrun the complex and taken control. |
| An Iraqi officer defending the refinery, reached by telephone, said the claim was false. He said the militants had advanced deeper into the complex but the battle had not ended. | An Iraqi officer defending the refinery, reached by telephone, said the claim was false. He said the militants had advanced deeper into the complex but the battle had not ended. |
| “Everything is still under control,” said the officer, Brig. Gen. Arras Abdul Qadir. “The militants took over the towers around the external fence, but they lost a lot of people doing it.” | “Everything is still under control,” said the officer, Brig. Gen. Arras Abdul Qadir. “The militants took over the towers around the external fence, but they lost a lot of people doing it.” |
| In Mosul, the ISIS forces that are now governing the city with their version of strict Islamic law were said by residents to have destroyed six historically significant or religious sites, including statues of a famous Muslim historian, poet and musician. In southern Kirkuk, the police said unidentified gunmen killed the Turkmen head of a local city council and wounded his driver. The motive for that attack was unclear. | In Mosul, the ISIS forces that are now governing the city with their version of strict Islamic law were said by residents to have destroyed six historically significant or religious sites, including statues of a famous Muslim historian, poet and musician. In southern Kirkuk, the police said unidentified gunmen killed the Turkmen head of a local city council and wounded his driver. The motive for that attack was unclear. |
| In Washington, the Pentagon said the first team of American military personnel had deployed to Iraq, part of the operations that President Obama announced last week to help the Iraqi government combat the Sunni insurgency. | |
| Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said the first team included 90 special operations and technical advisers sent to Baghdad, joined by 40 American advisers who were already in Iraq, assigned to the United States Embassy. An additional 170 advisers were expected to travel to Iraq later. | |
| Admiral Kirby, reiterating Mr. Obama’s pledge, maintained that the role of the advisers would be to assess and assist Iraqi troops, not engage in any combat themselves. |