The PRT missions are now coming to an end and will be replaced by US consulates.
The US has opened a consulate in Basra and in Erbil, they are now going to open one in Kirkuk.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Trailing iraq's cigarette smugglers: bandits, border guards and big profits
niqash
Saleh Elias
wed 20 jul 11
NIQASH’s correspondent follows the illegal nicotine trail, as he joins local smugglers taking cigarettes into Syria. Dodging border guards and bandits, he meets the locals risking their lives to deliver millions of profitable packs to smokers every day.
Several days ago, two soldiers and a member of the public were wounded and around 50 others arrested, following a clash between the Iraqi armed forces and militants. But these casualties and arrests were not the result of any “war against terror”. Instead it was to do with a war against one particular drug: nicotine. The violence had been between cigarette smugglers and military operating along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Gunmen apparently fired on the vehicle that the commander of the border guards’ regiment near Bi'r Qasim in western Ninawa province was travelling in. A member of the same patrol, Khaled Ahmad, reported that the group was on a mission to intercept smugglers ferrying goods into Syria.
“We have fought many battles with smugglers who outnumbered us and were better armed,” Ahmad said. “They carry machine guns and binoculars and their trucks are escorted by 4WD vehicles until they get to the border of Syria and Iraq.”
“Smuggling cigarettes is a profitable business,” Mosul stock market trader Hamed al-Jibouri told NIQASH; deals between cigarette traders are often done in Mosul’s local stock market with brokers playing a major role in the transactions and negotiations. “Cigarettes are imported legally from Turkey and Jordan, then brought in through Erbil and Anbar by influential Mosul merchants.”
Turkey and Jordan, from where many of the cigarettes originally come, also border on Syria, but these are far harder to cross illicitly. Dozens of warehouses receive millions of cigarettes every day. A master case costs between US$200 and US$300 – each master case contains 50 cartons of cigarettes, which in turn contains 10 packs of cigarettes each. Each master case contains 10,000 cigarettes.
But in fact, most of this activity is legal. The dubious activity really only begins at the Syrian border. In Syria cigarette prices are higher and smugglers make a profit by bringing the cigarette cartons from Mosul to Syrian border areas, around 160km away.
Most of the journey is made openly though and recently NIQASH correspondent, Elias Saleh, undertook the same journey as the cigarettes do every day.
The first leg of the journey involved riding with Hassan Yousef, a young villager in his 20s. Yousef was carrying the cases of cigarettes in a lightweight, late-model Kia truck to Sinjar, a small town near the Syrian border. The young man had not completed his education but worked for what he described as one of the “companies” smuggling cigarettes across the border.
“Actually it’s not a company officially,” Yousef explained himself. “But the structure is like that of a real company.”
His “company” charges US$8 per pack of cigarettes if the buyer wants insurance; the price goes down to US$4 if they don’t want insurance. “Then guys like me transport the goods. There are around 50 Kia trucks and each can carry up to 120 master cases. There are also some other larger vehicles that can take bigger loads,” he said. Yousef loaded around a hundred master cases onto his truck and the journey began.
Another smuggler, who wanted to remain anonymous, believed that around 3,000 master cases were being smuggled into Syria daily. This was despite the tense political situation in Syria. When Syria was more peaceful, he was sure that this amount would have been double.
“And if the money we pay the border guards isn’t enough to guarantee the safe delivery of our goods, then we will use our guns to make sure our Syrian customers get their deliveries,” he added.
Indeed, at a security checkpoint overseen by the Iraqi army Yousef’s truck was stopped. The soldier on duty asked him what his destination was. Without any hesitation whatsoever Yousef told the soldier that his goods were bound for Syria. With a complicit smile, the soldier waved him onwards.
At this stage, the mid-sized Kia was joined by four other vehicles and the group made for a ragged convoy along a rough dirt road. During the two hour journey, the only sights one saw were a few dusty villages, one of which was Yousef’s home town.
At one point, the convoy appeared to be trying to avoid being another military checkpoint. At the previous checkpoint nobody seemed to have been worried about what they were doing with so many cigarettes but the drivers had been forewarned that the soldiers at this next checkpoint would not be so friendly.
During the voyage, Yousef also continually telephoned the convoy’s forward scout. The scout’s role was to check the road ahead and to tell the drivers which route to take and whether it was safe to proceed. The smugglers take many risks. Some of the biggest dangers are the border guards, army troops and customs officers. Even worse though, are local bandits.
When we met this trip’s scout later on, he explained the importance of his role. "There is no room for mistakes,” he told NIQASH. “The total value of the car and its cargo is estimated at US$45,000.”
Near the Sanouni neighbourhood in Sinjar, Yousef and the other drivers stopped their trucks and allowed some other men, who were waiting for them there, to unload their precious cargo into more vehicles.
Sinjar is located in one of the areas subject to territorial disputes between the Iraqi government and the government of the semi-autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan. And the looser security situation there, with a variety of different military forces in charge, together with complicity between locals, smugglers and border guards, make this area an optimal one for the smuggling goods across the two nations’ borders.
At this last stop for Yousef in Sinjar, he explains that the Kurdish border guards here have ties with the smugglers but that they will not allow foreigners to bring vehicles into the area. This is why the local men must transfer the contraband to other vehicles and then take them into the town proper. At this point Yousef’s job was done. “The goods will find their way into Syria with others,” he declared.
NIQASH’s correspondent however continued, following the path that the smugglers would take and eventually encountering a police patrol. The patrol, headed by Lieutenant Said Khader, was stationed only a few meters away from the Iraq-Syria border.
And the lieutenant was quick to deny what insiders had already said: that border police charged US$1 for every master case of cigarettes they see carried by smugglers.
“The smuggling is illegal,” Khader said. “But it does not harm the local economy. On the contrary, it’s bringing in foreign currency, stimulating commerce here and providing unemployed villagers with employment opportunities,” he explained.
Khader said he knew how badly local villagers needed work and explained that he would actually prefer to be far more lenient on the smugglers. However he was concerned that if he was, this might also aid would-be terrorists and militant extremists.
“We fear that the profits from smuggling would be used to finance terrorist acts or as a cover for the smuggling of more dangerous items such as guns and drugs,” Khader concluded.
The last stop on the cigarette smuggling route is a village just 500 meters away from Syria. After the sun sets, hundreds of porters start their work day, loading the cigarettes onto their backs, preparing to complete the last leg of the contraband’s journey by foot.
One of the porters, Sabah Shammo, 21, told NIQASH that since he had started working for the smugglers he had not had a peaceful night’s sleep. “Every night I carry four cases of cigarettes on my back. They weigh around 60 kilograms and I get IQD75,000 [around US$63] for that. Sometimes I carry two loads and earn double,” he boasted.
As the policeman Khader had said, there was little alternative for many of the young people like Shammo, living in the remote area and coping with high unemployment. “Hundreds of families live on the income from smuggling,” Khader explained. “If the smugglers were not here, then I think people would join the gangs of thieves here and become bandits.”
Saleh Elias
wed 20 jul 11
NIQASH’s correspondent follows the illegal nicotine trail, as he joins local smugglers taking cigarettes into Syria. Dodging border guards and bandits, he meets the locals risking their lives to deliver millions of profitable packs to smokers every day.
Several days ago, two soldiers and a member of the public were wounded and around 50 others arrested, following a clash between the Iraqi armed forces and militants. But these casualties and arrests were not the result of any “war against terror”. Instead it was to do with a war against one particular drug: nicotine. The violence had been between cigarette smugglers and military operating along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Gunmen apparently fired on the vehicle that the commander of the border guards’ regiment near Bi'r Qasim in western Ninawa province was travelling in. A member of the same patrol, Khaled Ahmad, reported that the group was on a mission to intercept smugglers ferrying goods into Syria.
“We have fought many battles with smugglers who outnumbered us and were better armed,” Ahmad said. “They carry machine guns and binoculars and their trucks are escorted by 4WD vehicles until they get to the border of Syria and Iraq.”
“Smuggling cigarettes is a profitable business,” Mosul stock market trader Hamed al-Jibouri told NIQASH; deals between cigarette traders are often done in Mosul’s local stock market with brokers playing a major role in the transactions and negotiations. “Cigarettes are imported legally from Turkey and Jordan, then brought in through Erbil and Anbar by influential Mosul merchants.”
Turkey and Jordan, from where many of the cigarettes originally come, also border on Syria, but these are far harder to cross illicitly. Dozens of warehouses receive millions of cigarettes every day. A master case costs between US$200 and US$300 – each master case contains 50 cartons of cigarettes, which in turn contains 10 packs of cigarettes each. Each master case contains 10,000 cigarettes.
But in fact, most of this activity is legal. The dubious activity really only begins at the Syrian border. In Syria cigarette prices are higher and smugglers make a profit by bringing the cigarette cartons from Mosul to Syrian border areas, around 160km away.
Most of the journey is made openly though and recently NIQASH correspondent, Elias Saleh, undertook the same journey as the cigarettes do every day.
The first leg of the journey involved riding with Hassan Yousef, a young villager in his 20s. Yousef was carrying the cases of cigarettes in a lightweight, late-model Kia truck to Sinjar, a small town near the Syrian border. The young man had not completed his education but worked for what he described as one of the “companies” smuggling cigarettes across the border.
“Actually it’s not a company officially,” Yousef explained himself. “But the structure is like that of a real company.”
His “company” charges US$8 per pack of cigarettes if the buyer wants insurance; the price goes down to US$4 if they don’t want insurance. “Then guys like me transport the goods. There are around 50 Kia trucks and each can carry up to 120 master cases. There are also some other larger vehicles that can take bigger loads,” he said. Yousef loaded around a hundred master cases onto his truck and the journey began.
Another smuggler, who wanted to remain anonymous, believed that around 3,000 master cases were being smuggled into Syria daily. This was despite the tense political situation in Syria. When Syria was more peaceful, he was sure that this amount would have been double.
“And if the money we pay the border guards isn’t enough to guarantee the safe delivery of our goods, then we will use our guns to make sure our Syrian customers get their deliveries,” he added.
Indeed, at a security checkpoint overseen by the Iraqi army Yousef’s truck was stopped. The soldier on duty asked him what his destination was. Without any hesitation whatsoever Yousef told the soldier that his goods were bound for Syria. With a complicit smile, the soldier waved him onwards.
At this stage, the mid-sized Kia was joined by four other vehicles and the group made for a ragged convoy along a rough dirt road. During the two hour journey, the only sights one saw were a few dusty villages, one of which was Yousef’s home town.
At one point, the convoy appeared to be trying to avoid being another military checkpoint. At the previous checkpoint nobody seemed to have been worried about what they were doing with so many cigarettes but the drivers had been forewarned that the soldiers at this next checkpoint would not be so friendly.
During the voyage, Yousef also continually telephoned the convoy’s forward scout. The scout’s role was to check the road ahead and to tell the drivers which route to take and whether it was safe to proceed. The smugglers take many risks. Some of the biggest dangers are the border guards, army troops and customs officers. Even worse though, are local bandits.
When we met this trip’s scout later on, he explained the importance of his role. "There is no room for mistakes,” he told NIQASH. “The total value of the car and its cargo is estimated at US$45,000.”
Near the Sanouni neighbourhood in Sinjar, Yousef and the other drivers stopped their trucks and allowed some other men, who were waiting for them there, to unload their precious cargo into more vehicles.
Sinjar is located in one of the areas subject to territorial disputes between the Iraqi government and the government of the semi-autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan. And the looser security situation there, with a variety of different military forces in charge, together with complicity between locals, smugglers and border guards, make this area an optimal one for the smuggling goods across the two nations’ borders.
At this last stop for Yousef in Sinjar, he explains that the Kurdish border guards here have ties with the smugglers but that they will not allow foreigners to bring vehicles into the area. This is why the local men must transfer the contraband to other vehicles and then take them into the town proper. At this point Yousef’s job was done. “The goods will find their way into Syria with others,” he declared.
NIQASH’s correspondent however continued, following the path that the smugglers would take and eventually encountering a police patrol. The patrol, headed by Lieutenant Said Khader, was stationed only a few meters away from the Iraq-Syria border.
And the lieutenant was quick to deny what insiders had already said: that border police charged US$1 for every master case of cigarettes they see carried by smugglers.
“The smuggling is illegal,” Khader said. “But it does not harm the local economy. On the contrary, it’s bringing in foreign currency, stimulating commerce here and providing unemployed villagers with employment opportunities,” he explained.
Khader said he knew how badly local villagers needed work and explained that he would actually prefer to be far more lenient on the smugglers. However he was concerned that if he was, this might also aid would-be terrorists and militant extremists.
“We fear that the profits from smuggling would be used to finance terrorist acts or as a cover for the smuggling of more dangerous items such as guns and drugs,” Khader concluded.
The last stop on the cigarette smuggling route is a village just 500 meters away from Syria. After the sun sets, hundreds of porters start their work day, loading the cigarettes onto their backs, preparing to complete the last leg of the contraband’s journey by foot.
One of the porters, Sabah Shammo, 21, told NIQASH that since he had started working for the smugglers he had not had a peaceful night’s sleep. “Every night I carry four cases of cigarettes on my back. They weigh around 60 kilograms and I get IQD75,000 [around US$63] for that. Sometimes I carry two loads and earn double,” he boasted.
As the policeman Khader had said, there was little alternative for many of the young people like Shammo, living in the remote area and coping with high unemployment. “Hundreds of families live on the income from smuggling,” Khader explained. “If the smugglers were not here, then I think people would join the gangs of thieves here and become bandits.”
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı İran’da
Irak Türkmen Cephesi Başkanı ve Kerkük Millet Vekili Erşet Salihi başkanlığında bir heyet İran İslam Cumhuriyeti’ne ziyarette bulundu. Ziyarette bulunan heyet, İran Dışişleri Bakanlığındaki sorumlular ve İran Şura Meclisi üyeleri ile bir araya geldi. Görüşmelerde Irak Türkmen Cephesi ile İran İslam Cumhuriyeti arasındaki ilişkiler ve bu ilişkilerin devamı ele alınırken, taraflar; Irak’ın istikrarı bölgenin istikrarı için çok önemli olduğunu vurguladılar. İranlı yetkililer; Irak Anayasasında yer alan tüm Türkmen halkının haklarını onayladıklarının altını çizdiler. Taraflar ayrıca; İranlı iş adamları ile Türkmen iş adamlarının aralarında ticari ilişkilerinin ilerlemesini ve 30 milyona yakın olan İran Türkmenleri ile Irak Türkmenleri arasında kültürel işbirliğin önemi de vurgulandı. Heyette; Türkmen Millet Vekili Hasan Özmen ve Millet Vekili Mudrike Ahmet de yer aldılar.
Kerkuk.net
Yorum Kapalı
IRAQ: The UN Chapter Seven Sanctions continue
U.N. SANCTIONS ON IRAQ expire 31 Dec 2011 ?
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1284 (1999), published on Dec 1999 has 4 sections.
The UNSC has stated that they (Iraq and Kuwait) have made limited progress on the fate of Kuwaiti national archives.The UNSC press release is also requesting that the Iraqi government create a Inter-Ministerial Committee. Prime Minister Maliki has supported this however, this has not been completed. The UNSC requested that the funds in support of this operation continue for another six months bringing this to 31 Dec 2011.
This particular UN Resolution against Iraq has an expiration date of 31 Dec 2011 and at this time the UNSC will conduct a review and will advise if this will be extended into 2012.
Security Council Press Statement on Iraq/Kuwait - 22 June 2011
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2011/sc10289.doc.htm
United Nations Security Resolution 1284
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1284
Paragraph 14 - UN Resolutions 1284
http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom/Keyresolutions/sres99-1284.htm
Security Council Press Statement on Iraq/Kuwait - 22 June 2011
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2011/sc10289.doc.htm
www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/.../Iraq%20Kuwait%20S2008205.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38804&Cr=iraq&Cr1=
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1284 (1999), published on Dec 1999 has 4 sections.
The UNSC has stated that they (Iraq and Kuwait) have made limited progress on the fate of Kuwaiti national archives.The UNSC press release is also requesting that the Iraqi government create a Inter-Ministerial Committee. Prime Minister Maliki has supported this however, this has not been completed. The UNSC requested that the funds in support of this operation continue for another six months bringing this to 31 Dec 2011.
This particular UN Resolution against Iraq has an expiration date of 31 Dec 2011 and at this time the UNSC will conduct a review and will advise if this will be extended into 2012.
Security Council Press Statement on Iraq/Kuwait - 22 June 2011
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2011/sc10289.doc.htm
United Nations Security Resolution 1284
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1284
Paragraph 14 - UN Resolutions 1284
http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom/Keyresolutions/sres99-1284.htm
Security Council Press Statement on Iraq/Kuwait - 22 June 2011
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2011/sc10289.doc.htm
www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/.../Iraq%20Kuwait%20S2008205.pdf
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38804&Cr=iraq&Cr1=
Friday, 1 July 2011
Turkey's Main Opposition Leader Meets Iraqi President at Socialist International Gathering
w w w . t u r k i s h w e e k l y . n e t
Turkey's Main Opposition Leader Meets Iraqi President at Socialist International Gathering
Head of Turkey's main opposition party on Friday met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on the sidelines of a council meeting of the Socialist International in Athens, Greece.
"I am here to talk to Mr. Kilicdaroglu and to strengthen ties with Turkey. I am inviting him to Iraq," Talabani told reporters in his meeting with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party.
Talabani said Turkey constituted "an important example" for the Muslim world, adding Turkey also played a crucial role for Syria.
Turkey's Main Opposition Leader Meets Iraqi President at Socialist International Gathering
Head of Turkey's main opposition party on Friday met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on the sidelines of a council meeting of the Socialist International in Athens, Greece.
"I am here to talk to Mr. Kilicdaroglu and to strengthen ties with Turkey. I am inviting him to Iraq," Talabani told reporters in his meeting with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party.
Talabani said Turkey constituted "an important example" for the Muslim world, adding Turkey also played a crucial role for Syria.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
DR. SİNAN SAİT ANILDI
26/06/2011: Türkmen medyasının unutulmayan ismi Sinan Sait anıldı.
Vefatının yirminci yıl dönümü dolaysıyla Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği rahmetili Sait’a anma merasimi düzenledi.’’Türkmenlerin sembolik insanlarına olan vefadarlıkları asaletlerinden kaynaklanıyor’’sloganı altında yapılan anma merasimine çok sayıda edebiyatçı ve medyacı katıldı.
’’Türkmenlerin sembolik insanlarına olan vefadarlıkları asaletlerinden kaynaklanıyor’’.Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği bu slogan altında Sinan Saiti andı.Türkmen medyasının unutulmayan ismi Sinan Sait’in vefatının yirminci yıl dönümünde de unutulmadı.Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği rahmetili Sinan Sait için düzenlediği anma merasimine çok sayıda edebiyatçı ve medyacı katıldı.Anma merasiminde açılış konuşmasını yapan Türkmen Edebiyatçılar Birliği başkanı Hasan Kevser medyacı Sinan Saiti ve çalışmalarını anlattı.
Daha sonra kürsiye gelen Türkmen edebiyatçı Münevver Molla Hassun yaptığı konuşmada rahmetli Sait’in sadce medyacı olmadığını iyi bir şair ve edebiyatçı olduğunu da anlattı.Edebiyatçılar Aydın Kerkük ve Muhammet Ömer Hamzeli yaptıkları konuşmada rahmetilinin edebi hayatını anlattılar.
Rahmetli Sinan Sait Bağdat Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi eğitimini aldı.Arapça’nın yanında İngilizce,Rusca ve Türkçe dillerini iyi kullanan Sait Azarbaycan şarkılarının içerdiği’’Azarbaycan’dan Arap Dünyasına şarkılar’’ kitabı yayınladı.Rahmetli 1991 yılında İngitere’de geçirdiği beyin krizi nedeniyel hayata veda etti.
Kaynak: Türkmeneli TV
Vefatının yirminci yıl dönümü dolaysıyla Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği rahmetili Sait’a anma merasimi düzenledi.’’Türkmenlerin sembolik insanlarına olan vefadarlıkları asaletlerinden kaynaklanıyor’’sloganı altında yapılan anma merasimine çok sayıda edebiyatçı ve medyacı katıldı.
’’Türkmenlerin sembolik insanlarına olan vefadarlıkları asaletlerinden kaynaklanıyor’’.Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği bu slogan altında Sinan Saiti andı.Türkmen medyasının unutulmayan ismi Sinan Sait’in vefatının yirminci yıl dönümünde de unutulmadı.Türkmen Edabiyatçılar Birliği rahmetili Sinan Sait için düzenlediği anma merasimine çok sayıda edebiyatçı ve medyacı katıldı.Anma merasiminde açılış konuşmasını yapan Türkmen Edebiyatçılar Birliği başkanı Hasan Kevser medyacı Sinan Saiti ve çalışmalarını anlattı.
Daha sonra kürsiye gelen Türkmen edebiyatçı Münevver Molla Hassun yaptığı konuşmada rahmetli Sait’in sadce medyacı olmadığını iyi bir şair ve edebiyatçı olduğunu da anlattı.Edebiyatçılar Aydın Kerkük ve Muhammet Ömer Hamzeli yaptıkları konuşmada rahmetilinin edebi hayatını anlattılar.
Rahmetli Sinan Sait Bağdat Üniversitesi Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi eğitimini aldı.Arapça’nın yanında İngilizce,Rusca ve Türkçe dillerini iyi kullanan Sait Azarbaycan şarkılarının içerdiği’’Azarbaycan’dan Arap Dünyasına şarkılar’’ kitabı yayınladı.Rahmetli 1991 yılında İngitere’de geçirdiği beyin krizi nedeniyel hayata veda etti.
Kaynak: Türkmeneli TV
Kürt Bölgesel Yönetiminin ITC Fobisi, Dilşat Terzi
Kürt Bölgesel Yönetiminin ITC Fobisi
Kürt bölgesel yönetiminden bir yetkilinin yaptığı açıklamada, Irak Türkmen Cephesi (ITC)’nin yerel yönetimden onay almadığı sürece Erbil'de ITC'nin büro açmasına izin vermeyeceklerini söyledi.
Kürt Bölgesel Yönetimi İçişleri Bakan Vekili Faik Tofik AK News’a verdiği demeçte, ITC’nin bölgede büro açabilmesi için yerel yönetimden henüz onay almadığını ifade etti. Tofik içişleri Bakanlığı olarak hükümetten resmi izin alınmadığı sürece hiçbir partiye çalışma izni vermeyeceklerini belirtti.
Kürt yetkili Tofik, “Bir partinin siyasi faaliyet yapabilmesi için 500 üyelik bir genel kurul ve 50 kişilik bir kurucu kurula sahip olması şarttır” diye konuştu.
AK News’un haberine göre; ITC Başkanı Erşet Salihi'nin 16 Haziran’da yapmış olduğu açıklamada, ITC’nin genel karargâhını Kerkük’ten Erbil’e taşımasına izin vermesi için Kürt yönetimine müracaat ettiği iddia edildi.
Kuklalar devrede
Öte yandan 2005’te Barzani asayişinden aldığı doğrudan silahlı destekle ITC’nin Erbil’deki tüm kurum ve kuruluşlarına el koyan Abdülkadir Ekrem Bezirgân, Kürt haber ajansına yaptığı açıklamada Kürt yetkililere benzer açıklamalarda bulundu.
ITC’nin bölgede büro açabilmek için federasyonu kabul etmesi, Kürt idaresi ve parlamentosunu tanıması gerektiğini ifade eden Bezirgân, ITC'nin, Kürt bölgesine düşmanlık eden gruplarla ittifak yapmamasını da istedi.
ITC’nin Erbil Türkmenlerini gözardı ettiğini öne süren Bezirgân, ITC’nin Kürtlere ve bu halkın menfaatine karşı bir tavır içinde olan Arap gruplarla ittifak yaptığını söyledi.
Abdülkadir Ekrem Bezirgân, ITC’nin bölgede büro açmadaki hedefinin bölgede fitne tohumu dikmek olduğu ithamında bulundu.
ITC’nin Kürt yönetiminin bu tavrı ve açıklamaları ile Bezirgân’ın iddialarına nasıl bir tepki vereceği ise merak ediliyor.
Dilşat Terzi-Erbil
Kürt bölgesel yönetiminden bir yetkilinin yaptığı açıklamada, Irak Türkmen Cephesi (ITC)’nin yerel yönetimden onay almadığı sürece Erbil'de ITC'nin büro açmasına izin vermeyeceklerini söyledi.
Kürt Bölgesel Yönetimi İçişleri Bakan Vekili Faik Tofik AK News’a verdiği demeçte, ITC’nin bölgede büro açabilmesi için yerel yönetimden henüz onay almadığını ifade etti. Tofik içişleri Bakanlığı olarak hükümetten resmi izin alınmadığı sürece hiçbir partiye çalışma izni vermeyeceklerini belirtti.
Kürt yetkili Tofik, “Bir partinin siyasi faaliyet yapabilmesi için 500 üyelik bir genel kurul ve 50 kişilik bir kurucu kurula sahip olması şarttır” diye konuştu.
AK News’un haberine göre; ITC Başkanı Erşet Salihi'nin 16 Haziran’da yapmış olduğu açıklamada, ITC’nin genel karargâhını Kerkük’ten Erbil’e taşımasına izin vermesi için Kürt yönetimine müracaat ettiği iddia edildi.
Kuklalar devrede
Öte yandan 2005’te Barzani asayişinden aldığı doğrudan silahlı destekle ITC’nin Erbil’deki tüm kurum ve kuruluşlarına el koyan Abdülkadir Ekrem Bezirgân, Kürt haber ajansına yaptığı açıklamada Kürt yetkililere benzer açıklamalarda bulundu.
ITC’nin bölgede büro açabilmek için federasyonu kabul etmesi, Kürt idaresi ve parlamentosunu tanıması gerektiğini ifade eden Bezirgân, ITC'nin, Kürt bölgesine düşmanlık eden gruplarla ittifak yapmamasını da istedi.
ITC’nin Erbil Türkmenlerini gözardı ettiğini öne süren Bezirgân, ITC’nin Kürtlere ve bu halkın menfaatine karşı bir tavır içinde olan Arap gruplarla ittifak yaptığını söyledi.
Abdülkadir Ekrem Bezirgân, ITC’nin bölgede büro açmadaki hedefinin bölgede fitne tohumu dikmek olduğu ithamında bulundu.
ITC’nin Kürt yönetiminin bu tavrı ve açıklamaları ile Bezirgân’ın iddialarına nasıl bir tepki vereceği ise merak ediliyor.
Dilşat Terzi-Erbil
Friday, 24 June 2011
TÜRKMEN EĞİTİMCİLER AYAKTA
Perşembe, 23 Haziran 2011 20:52
24/06/2011
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Türkmen okulları eğitim görevlileri bugün gösteri düzenledi.
Gösteri Kerkük il milli eğitim müdürlüğü’nde düzenlendi.
Gösteride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarına karşı uygunsuz davranışları protesto edildi.
Irak Türkmen Cephesi Enformasyon Dairesi ise olayı yayınladığı bir bildiriyle kınadı.
Bu sabah Kerkük’te gösteri düzenlendi.
Gösteri Türkmen okulları eğitim görevlileri tarafından düzenledi.
Kerkük il milli eğitim müdürlüğü’nde düzenlenen gösteride Eğitim bakanlığına bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarına karşı uygunsuz ve yakışmaz davranışları kınandı.Gösteriye katılan Türkmen eğitimciler Türkmeneli televizyonuna konuştular.Eğitimciler adı geçen dairenin müfettişleri adeta Türkmen okullarını hedef aldığını ve global eğitim ve eğitmene yakışmayan davranışlarda bulunduklarını söylediler.
Gösteriye Türkmen Öğretmenler Birliği başkanı Abdulselam Bayraktar da katıldı. yapılan davranışları kabul edilmez olarak niteledi.
Kerkük il Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü Türkmence bölüm başkanı Talal Hamit ,yanlış olaylar hakkında ne yazık ki sadce Türkmen okullarındaki eğitmenler hakkında soruşturma yapıldığını ve bunun başka okullarda görmediklerini söyledi.
Kerkük il milli eğitim müdür yardımcısı Fevziye Avanis ise yaptığı konuşmada göstericilerin taleplerini gereken mercilere ileteceklerini söyledi.
Bu olaya karşı Irak Türkmen Cephesi Enformasyon Dairesi bir bildiri yayınladı.Yayınlanan bildiride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarındaki eğitim ve öğretim görevlilerine karşı uygun olmayan davranışlarından dolayı üzüntü doyduğu ifade edildi.Bildiride,Bakanlığın bünyesindeki daire müfettişlerinin davranışlarına açıklık getirmesini istedi.
Türkmen Öğretmenler Bilriği de bir bildiri yayınladı.Birliğin yayınladığı bildiride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin müfettişeleri yapmış oldukları bu davranışlarla özellikle Türkmen okullarını hedef aldıklarını ve tür davranışlara dur demek için tüm yasal ve anayasal hakların kullanılacağı ifade edildi.
24/06/2011
Türkmen okulları eğitim görevlileri bugün gösteri düzenledi.
Gösteri Kerkük il milli eğitim müdürlüğü’nde düzenlendi.
Gösteride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarına karşı uygunsuz davranışları protesto edildi.
Irak Türkmen Cephesi Enformasyon Dairesi ise olayı yayınladığı bir bildiriyle kınadı.
Bu sabah Kerkük’te gösteri düzenlendi.
Gösteri Türkmen okulları eğitim görevlileri tarafından düzenledi.
Kerkük il milli eğitim müdürlüğü’nde düzenlenen gösteride Eğitim bakanlığına bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarına karşı uygunsuz ve yakışmaz davranışları kınandı.Gösteriye katılan Türkmen eğitimciler Türkmeneli televizyonuna konuştular.Eğitimciler adı geçen dairenin müfettişleri adeta Türkmen okullarını hedef aldığını ve global eğitim ve eğitmene yakışmayan davranışlarda bulunduklarını söylediler.
Gösteriye Türkmen Öğretmenler Birliği başkanı Abdulselam Bayraktar da katıldı. yapılan davranışları kabul edilmez olarak niteledi.
Kerkük il Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü Türkmence bölüm başkanı Talal Hamit ,yanlış olaylar hakkında ne yazık ki sadce Türkmen okullarındaki eğitmenler hakkında soruşturma yapıldığını ve bunun başka okullarda görmediklerini söyledi.
Kerkük il milli eğitim müdür yardımcısı Fevziye Avanis ise yaptığı konuşmada göstericilerin taleplerini gereken mercilere ileteceklerini söyledi.
Bu olaya karşı Irak Türkmen Cephesi Enformasyon Dairesi bir bildiri yayınladı.Yayınlanan bildiride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin Türkmen okullarındaki eğitim ve öğretim görevlilerine karşı uygun olmayan davranışlarından dolayı üzüntü doyduğu ifade edildi.Bildiride,Bakanlığın bünyesindeki daire müfettişlerinin davranışlarına açıklık getirmesini istedi.
Türkmen Öğretmenler Bilriği de bir bildiri yayınladı.Birliğin yayınladığı bildiride Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı Genel Denetleme Dairesi’nin müfettişeleri yapmış oldukları bu davranışlarla özellikle Türkmen okullarını hedef aldıklarını ve tür davranışlara dur demek için tüm yasal ve anayasal hakların kullanılacağı ifade edildi.
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Militia set up within Iraqi Ministry, Maliki says
Roy Gutman and Laith Hammoudi
McClatchy Newspapers
last updated: June 16, 2011
BAGHDAD — In a dramatic revelation after a series of major security breaches, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has linked the assassinations of security officials to his government and said a "militia" of more than 400 men had been set up within the Interior Ministry, answerable only to an outside political figure he didn't name.
Speaking before his Cabinet in a live television broadcast late Tuesday, Maliki said "investigations, investigating committees and confessions" had indicated that assassinations were carried out using "government weapons, government cars and government IDs."
Some operations "have been done under the cover of some officials, in some ministries," he said, without going into detail.
"It's one thing to face an enemy that doesn't have real capabilities," he said. "But if the enemy is within your lines, and doesn't believe in the political process, the enemy will take benefit from government facilities to carry out these actions."
Maliki blamed the country's continuing insecurity on political interference in the security ministries during the period after the March 2010 elections, when Iraq's politicians were arguing about forming a government. "What happened of late is a clear reflection of the confusion in the political process," he said.
"Those who have destroyed the Ministries of the Interior and Defense are we, the (political) parties, who come with a list and tell the officials, 'Employ these people.' "
Maliki said he found a list of 470 names that "one person," whom he didn't name, had presented to the Interior Ministry for hiring. "And they were employed!" he declared. "That means he formed a militia inside the ministry."
The individual in question had just been released from jail, where he'd been held on terrorism allegations, the prime minister said. He didn't identify the person, and government spokesman Ali al Dabbagh didn't respond to requests to elaborate.
Maliki had pledged May 11 to launch a thorough investigation of the Interior Ministry after al Qaida in Iraq terrorism suspects tried a few days earlier to break out of the main Interior Ministry compound in downtown Baghdad. He said that "connivance ... collaboration" and "infiltration" had led to the escape attempt, which resulted in the deaths of six police officers and 11 of the suspects.
In January, 12 detainees linked to al Qaida in Iraq escaped from a fortified prison in the southern city of Basra.
The prime minister put at least some of the blame for the security breaches — and possibly for attacks on Iraqi and U.S. forces — on the vast number of security guards, who are a feature of life now in Baghdad.
In an exchange with an unnamed security official who was attending the meeting, Maliki said that Iraqi authorities had found a wide range of illegal weapons in the arsenals of foreign security companies, many of which were within Baghdad's international zone, known during the period of the U.S. occupation as the "Green Zone."
The weapons included 53 improvised explosive devices as well as "hundreds of unauthorized weapons, sniper rifles, silencers and forged (identity) cards."
The security official, defending his work, said, "We closed the security companies whose contracts had expired, and they left the Green Zone after we confiscated their weapons."
Maliki responded: "Do the same thing with security companies outside the Green Zone."
The prime minister also chided politicians and ministers in his government for having vast security entourages — up to 50 vehicles, in some cases — and he said he'd shortly announce a maximum number of guards permitted.
Currently, he said, the Interior Ministry has provided 16,652 bodyguards to its officials and the Ministry of Defense has allotted 17,500.
"We believe that the need to increase guards has ended," he said. "That doesn't mean the director or minister should move without protection," he said, but that protection should be at the "old way," he said without being specific.
Some of the blame for the country's insecurity lies in the continuing battle between Maliki and politician Ayad Allawi after Allawi's Iraqiya List won a plurality of seats in the 2010 elections over the prime minister's Rule of Law bloc.
The two men agreed in December on a power-sharing arrangement that would give Allawi a key role in security policy, a breakthrough that established the new government. But a continuing disagreement over the government's composition and policies has resulted in Maliki himself taking the reins of the Interior and Defense ministries.
The prime minister's acknowledgement that "we, the parties" had helped destroy the security ministries was a sign of candor that's long been missing in most discussions of Iraq's security situation.
A major element of Maliki's message to the public was aimed at his fellow politicians, including those in his own Cabinet. "I hope those who can hear me will not be involved in the police and army," he said.
(Hammoudi is a McClatchy special correspondent.)
McClatchy Newspapers
last updated: June 16, 2011
BAGHDAD — In a dramatic revelation after a series of major security breaches, Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has linked the assassinations of security officials to his government and said a "militia" of more than 400 men had been set up within the Interior Ministry, answerable only to an outside political figure he didn't name.
Speaking before his Cabinet in a live television broadcast late Tuesday, Maliki said "investigations, investigating committees and confessions" had indicated that assassinations were carried out using "government weapons, government cars and government IDs."
Some operations "have been done under the cover of some officials, in some ministries," he said, without going into detail.
"It's one thing to face an enemy that doesn't have real capabilities," he said. "But if the enemy is within your lines, and doesn't believe in the political process, the enemy will take benefit from government facilities to carry out these actions."
Maliki blamed the country's continuing insecurity on political interference in the security ministries during the period after the March 2010 elections, when Iraq's politicians were arguing about forming a government. "What happened of late is a clear reflection of the confusion in the political process," he said.
"Those who have destroyed the Ministries of the Interior and Defense are we, the (political) parties, who come with a list and tell the officials, 'Employ these people.' "
Maliki said he found a list of 470 names that "one person," whom he didn't name, had presented to the Interior Ministry for hiring. "And they were employed!" he declared. "That means he formed a militia inside the ministry."
The individual in question had just been released from jail, where he'd been held on terrorism allegations, the prime minister said. He didn't identify the person, and government spokesman Ali al Dabbagh didn't respond to requests to elaborate.
Maliki had pledged May 11 to launch a thorough investigation of the Interior Ministry after al Qaida in Iraq terrorism suspects tried a few days earlier to break out of the main Interior Ministry compound in downtown Baghdad. He said that "connivance ... collaboration" and "infiltration" had led to the escape attempt, which resulted in the deaths of six police officers and 11 of the suspects.
In January, 12 detainees linked to al Qaida in Iraq escaped from a fortified prison in the southern city of Basra.
The prime minister put at least some of the blame for the security breaches — and possibly for attacks on Iraqi and U.S. forces — on the vast number of security guards, who are a feature of life now in Baghdad.
In an exchange with an unnamed security official who was attending the meeting, Maliki said that Iraqi authorities had found a wide range of illegal weapons in the arsenals of foreign security companies, many of which were within Baghdad's international zone, known during the period of the U.S. occupation as the "Green Zone."
The weapons included 53 improvised explosive devices as well as "hundreds of unauthorized weapons, sniper rifles, silencers and forged (identity) cards."
The security official, defending his work, said, "We closed the security companies whose contracts had expired, and they left the Green Zone after we confiscated their weapons."
Maliki responded: "Do the same thing with security companies outside the Green Zone."
The prime minister also chided politicians and ministers in his government for having vast security entourages — up to 50 vehicles, in some cases — and he said he'd shortly announce a maximum number of guards permitted.
Currently, he said, the Interior Ministry has provided 16,652 bodyguards to its officials and the Ministry of Defense has allotted 17,500.
"We believe that the need to increase guards has ended," he said. "That doesn't mean the director or minister should move without protection," he said, but that protection should be at the "old way," he said without being specific.
Some of the blame for the country's insecurity lies in the continuing battle between Maliki and politician Ayad Allawi after Allawi's Iraqiya List won a plurality of seats in the 2010 elections over the prime minister's Rule of Law bloc.
The two men agreed in December on a power-sharing arrangement that would give Allawi a key role in security policy, a breakthrough that established the new government. But a continuing disagreement over the government's composition and policies has resulted in Maliki himself taking the reins of the Interior and Defense ministries.
The prime minister's acknowledgement that "we, the parties" had helped destroy the security ministries was a sign of candor that's long been missing in most discussions of Iraq's security situation.
A major element of Maliki's message to the public was aimed at his fellow politicians, including those in his own Cabinet. "I hope those who can hear me will not be involved in the police and army," he said.
(Hammoudi is a McClatchy special correspondent.)
Saturday, 18 June 2011
The New Ottomans? on Al-Jazeera
Empire
The new Ottomans?
One of the fastest-growing economies in the world Turkey gazes in many directions to become the superpower it once was.
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2011/06/201161682640911172.html
Following another resounding electoral victory, Prime Minister Erdogan's Justice and Development Party has been emboldened to further increase Turkey's role on the world stage.
Ankara has rediscovered its global ambitions. This emerging regional power is now the fastest-growing G20 country after China, and has risen to be the 16th largest economy in the world.
The Turkish government prides itself on promoting a foreign policy as unique as the country's geography. Straddling both East and West, it has tried to maintain good diplomatic relations with all sides. But when the European Union started moving the goalposts, Turkey began to look East.
Could this be Turkey's moment in the limelight? Or has the Arab spring taken Turkey by surprise? And how will it balance its NATO membership when its rhetoric is not aligned? What direction will Turkey take under a dominant AK party?
Much like its symbol, the two-headed eagle, Turkey gazes in many directions. Will it pick the right path to become the super power it once was?
Empire finds out.
Joining us to discuss the issues are: Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister; Professor Binnaz Toprak, member of parliament in the Turkish opposition; Suat Kiniklioglu, deputy chair, external affairs; Professor Soli Özel, international relations at Bilgi University.
Interviewees: Fadi Hakura, Turkey analyst at Chatham House; and Professor Sevket Pamuk, chair of Turkish Studies at the London School of Economics.
This episode of Empire can be seen from Thursday, June 16, at the following times GMT: Thursday: 2000; Friday: 1200; Saturday: 0100; Sunday: 0600; Monday: 2000; Tuesday: 1200; Wednesday: 0100; Thursday: 0600.
The new Ottomans?
One of the fastest-growing economies in the world Turkey gazes in many directions to become the superpower it once was.
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2011/06/201161682640911172.html
Following another resounding electoral victory, Prime Minister Erdogan's Justice and Development Party has been emboldened to further increase Turkey's role on the world stage.
Ankara has rediscovered its global ambitions. This emerging regional power is now the fastest-growing G20 country after China, and has risen to be the 16th largest economy in the world.
The Turkish government prides itself on promoting a foreign policy as unique as the country's geography. Straddling both East and West, it has tried to maintain good diplomatic relations with all sides. But when the European Union started moving the goalposts, Turkey began to look East.
Could this be Turkey's moment in the limelight? Or has the Arab spring taken Turkey by surprise? And how will it balance its NATO membership when its rhetoric is not aligned? What direction will Turkey take under a dominant AK party?
Much like its symbol, the two-headed eagle, Turkey gazes in many directions. Will it pick the right path to become the super power it once was?
Empire finds out.
Joining us to discuss the issues are: Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister; Professor Binnaz Toprak, member of parliament in the Turkish opposition; Suat Kiniklioglu, deputy chair, external affairs; Professor Soli Özel, international relations at Bilgi University.
Interviewees: Fadi Hakura, Turkey analyst at Chatham House; and Professor Sevket Pamuk, chair of Turkish Studies at the London School of Economics.
This episode of Empire can be seen from Thursday, June 16, at the following times GMT: Thursday: 2000; Friday: 1200; Saturday: 0100; Sunday: 0600; Monday: 2000; Tuesday: 1200; Wednesday: 0100; Thursday: 0600.
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