(Dawn - Pakistan) Michael Howard - The leaders of the two Kurdish groups controlling northern Iraq have agreed to set aside long-standing rivalries and adopt a united approach on the country's future. Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic party and Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have signed an agreement to resolve their differences and commit themselves to a "democratic, federal Iraq." Kurds could raise as many as 80,000 fighters and are seen as an essential part of any U.S.-led attempt to change the regime in Baghdad. The KDP and the PUK control the predominantly Kurdish region of northern Iraq which has been free from Baghdad's control since 1991, with the KDP controlling the east and the PUK controlling the west.
2002-09-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive