"Kurdish chieftains support Kurdish political leaders not Maliki"
26/06/2012 15:02KIRKUK, June 26 (AKnews)- During their meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday, Kurdish tribal leaders stressed their support is for the Kurdish political leaders in all the issues related to Kurdish people's fate, a chieftain said.
The remark by Seyyed Taher Hussein Jabbari, of Kirkuk, came in response to the reports which alleged the Kurdish delegation stressed they support the territorial unity of Iraq, Zakho through Faw, in the same way they support the PM.
The report, while the Kurdish leaders are trying to replace Maliki, created concerns among Kurdish politicians.
The visit with Maliki was to demand that seven Kurdish people who have been detained in Baghdad for more than six months be released, said Jabari.
He continued the PM promised to release the detainees on Friday despite the complexity of their cases.
Jabari said "the visit was in no way to support Maliki… and we do not support him.
"We yield to the wish of the Kurdish political leadership and whatever they order…we will comply with their decisions and support the Kurdistan Region President [Massoud Barzani] with regard to any issue related to Kurdish fate.
"How can we support a leader, against the Kurdish leaders, while we remember the past when no Arab chieftains recognized Kurds."
Jabari stressed in the meeting only Sheikh Kamel Chuwesa and he spoke to Maliki and did not allow for any of the 18 delegation members from Suli, Kalar and Khanaqin to submit any letters or private demands to PM.
"We told Maliki we support Kurd and our region [Kurdistan] in the first place and the unity of Kurds and Shiites in the second," Jabari said.
He added the delegation demanded that Kurds and Shiites join efforts for settling the issues because in some way they share a common history; the mass graves in Iraq which date back to Saddam Hussein's era contain either the Kurdish or Shiite victims of atrocities of Hussein's regime.
Jabari continued in response to the delegation's demand, Maliki complemented Kurdistan president while indicating that he and Barzani have an issue with "misunderstanding which will be solved."
Jabari refuted the reports that said the PM allocated a sum of money to the delegation, saying the delegation itself paid even for its stay and travel expenses.
Barzani, Muqtada Sadr who leads the Shiite Sadr Current, and Iraqiya List Leader Ayad Allawi all have labeled Maliki as a "dictator" and demand replacing him.
After a signature campaign for withdrawing confidence from Maliki failed, the MPs are now setting the stage for interrogation Maliki over constitutional violations and hope to be able to oust him.
By Hazhar Rashid
LL/AKnews
