Daesh terrorist group a threat to security of the entire region: Iraqi Kurdistan envoy
Tehran, June 15, IRNA – Daesh terrorist group is a threat to security the entire region, Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nazem Dabbagh, said on Sunday.
Talking to IRNA, he noted that certain regional governments and global powers as well as the outlawed Iraqi Baath Party are supporting the Daesh terror group.
Daesh is desperate and has no place in the future of Iraq and Syria democratic process, Dabbagh noted referring to the recent presidential election in Syria and parliamentary election in Iraq.
He called for international support for the Iraqi government in campaign against the terrorists.
He said that Iraqi Kurdistan regional government troops are on full alert to thwart the menace of terrorism.
He also reported that half a million refugees who have escaped Mosul have already entered the Iraqi Kurdistan province.
Daesh is a Salafi organization affiliated to al-Qaeda. The terror group was first founded in Iraq in 2004.
Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister expresses support for Kurdistan
Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, today welcomed Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli and his delegation to discuss the latest security, humanitarian, and political developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Minister Mustafa thanked the Deputy Minister for his visit and the attention that the government of Italy has paid to the recent developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
The Minister highlighted the latest developments and expressed the KRG’s disappointment in the lack of humanitarian and military support offered by the international community. He said, “We expected more than expressions of gratitude and appreciation. The international community is turning a blind eye to the urgent security and humanitarian challenges facing the people of Kurdistan.”
He spoke of the security threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), stating, “Kurdish Peshmerga forces are facing a terrorist organization with members across the globe. This is a serious situation. Peshmerga forces are left alone and are fighting on behalf of the entire international community. ISIS poses a global threat; therefore, the international community has a moral responsibility to actively support the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in fighting ISIS militants.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Pistelli praised the role of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the KRG in response to recent security and humanitarian developments. He also condemned in strongest terms the violence perpetrated against Christians and Yezidis, lamenting the plight of these communities. He said, “The world is fully aware of the humanitarian assistance provided by the KRG to the refugees and IDPs, and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces are doing an excellent job.”
In response to the KRG’s call for urgent humanitarian and military assistance, the Deputy Minister stated, “I will convey the message of the Kurdistan Regional Government to the government of Italy and the European Union. We understand the situation in the Kurdistan Region. You are shouldering a heavy burden on behalf of the international community, and you can not be left alone.”
Minister Mustafa reiterated the determination of the Kurdish leadership and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to continue to fight ISIS terrorists.
Italy’s Ambassador to Iraq, Massimo Moratti, and the Head of the Foreign Ministry’s Iraq Desk, Alessandro Motti, also attended the meeting. Deputy Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Karwan Jamal, and KRG Representative to Italy Rezan Kadir participated as well.
Prime Minister Barzani: Rest assured that we will defeat the terrorists
Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has issued a statement reassuring the people of Kurdistan that Peshmerga forces are advancing and will defeat the terrorists, and that the people should not panic.
The full text of the Prime Minister’s statement:
A message to the people of Kurdistan
We reassure the beloved and resilient people of Kurdistan that our Peshmerga are advancing on the Sinjar front and have defeated the terrorist forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Makhmour and Jalawla. The Kurdistan Regional Government, with its faith in Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, promises the people of Kurdistan that it will not allow terrorists to defile the sacred land of Kurdistan nor hinder the continuation of life in Kurdistan.
We urge the people not to panic and to remain calm in their places and continue their normal work and life. We promise the people of Kurdistan to strike the terrorists with an iron fist. We will abolish the threat facing Kurdistan and the region. We must all have faith in the Peshmerga and support them.
We ask the people and the youth of Kurdistan to keep their spirits high. We should all believe in our legitimate cause. We are now defending the sacred land of Kurdistan against an invading terrorist force. That requires the highest morale, especially as the terrorists are suffering defeat due to pressure from Peshmerga forces. Therefore, we ask the people of Kurdistan to keep up their spirits and remain calm.
Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government
6 August 2014
KRG briefs diplomats on security developments and humanitarian emergency
Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (DFR.KRG.org) – The KRG Department of Foreign Relations and the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs today briefed diplomats and representatives of international organizations based in Erbil on the latest security, humanitarian and political developments.
The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, thanked the diplomats for their attendance and discussed the security threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the entire Middle East. Minister Mustafa said, “ISIS considers all who do not share their ideology as enemies. They are against the fundamental principles of humanity.”
He added, “We are dealing with a terrorist organization with members across the world, and it is a threat to all. Fighting ISIS is not only the responsibility of the Kurdistan Region. Terrorism is an international threat, and therefore the international community has a responsibility to support the KRG as it combats ISIS.”
The Minister asked diplomats to urge their countries to take action. “We have received expressions of appreciation and gratitude from the international community as we provide a safe haven for refugees and IDPs and combat a ruthless terrorist organization. It is now time for the international community to step forward, urgently, and provide the KRG with humanitarian assistance and military support, particularly air support.”
Jabar Yawar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, briefed diplomats about military developments on the ground. Highlighting the Peshmerga forces’ urgent need for military support, he said, “Prior to the withdrawal of the U.S forces and long before the fall of Mosul, 100,000 Iraqi soldiers, 20,000 American soldiers, and the Peshmerga forces were jointly protecting the line between the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq, which is 1050 km. Unfortunately, the Peshmerga forces are now alone in protecting those areas with their limited military weaponry.”
Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis on Mount Sinjar, Minister Mustafa called upon the international community to provide urgent support, including humanitarian aid and air transportation, for the thousands of families stranded on the mountain.
The Minister addressed the tension between Erbil and Baghdad, stating that “the federal government has not sent the Kurdistan Region any share of the federal revenue, in violation of the Iraqi Constitution. Meanwhile, the political process in Iraq remains at an impasse.”
Egyptian Consul Soliman Osman, Dean of the consular corps, expressed his gratitude for the briefing on behalf of the diplomats. During the meeting, several diplomats and representatives exchanged thoughts on the recent developments.
The meeting was attended by diplomats from Egypt, France, the Russian Federation, Jordan, Palestine, the United States of America, Turkey, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Iran, Italy, Romania, France, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, the United Nations, and the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Organisation, ECHO.
The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.
Prime Minister Barzani and Italian Consul discuss Iraq and internally displaced people
Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Italian Consul Carmelo Ficarra on Saturday discussed the bilateral relationship between Italy and the KRG as well as recent developments in Iraq.
Both sides pointed to the importance and mutual benefit of the growing bilateral relations between Italy and the Kurdistan Region. The Consul explained that his office plays a key role in serving as a channel for communication and information sharing with his government and Italian firms, regularly providing insight to business representatives and delegations visiting the Kurdistan Region.
He also noted that the Italian government is aware of the security and stability in Kurdistan and that the Region is investor-friendly. Italian companies have dramatically increased their trading activity in Kurdistan in recent years, and more than 100 Italian companies are expected to participate in this year’s Erbil International Fair.
During the meeting the recent developments in Iraq, particularly the security challenges and terror threat caused by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), were discussed. Prime Minister Barzani pointed to the fundamental difference in Iraq’s political and security landscape after the fall of Mosul, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian support for Iraq’s internally displaced people (IDPs). He noted that, regrettably, the Iraqi Government has not taken responsibility for the well being of the displaced nor has it provided assistance for Syrian refugees. The Iraqi Government has also cut the Kurdistan Region’s entire budget, making it extremely difficult for the KRG to cope with the humanitarian crisis.
Consul Ficarra asserted that his country would do its utmost to better understand the situation. He said that Italy will continue, as before, to work with the relevant KRG institutions to assist refugees and the internally displaced, explaining that seven Italian NGOs are currently operating in the field. Prime Minister Barzani appreciated this effort, noting that the international community must come forward to assist refugees and IDPs. The Prime Minister added that the KRG has provided equal protection and assistance to all IDPs, regardless of ethnicity or creed, with the majority of displaced people coming from Mosul and the diverse Ninewa Plains area
World should help 'generous' Kurdistan: UN refugee chief
AL-KHAZAR CAMP, July 17, 2014 (AFP) - The head of the UN's refugee agency praised Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan for welcoming hundreds of thousands of displaced people and urged the world to offer it "massive" support.
Antonio Guterres told reporters during a visit to the Al-Khazar camp for displaced Iraqis that he was "humbled by the generosity and the solidarity of the government and of the people of Kurdistan in this very difficult moment."
People forced from their homes in Iraq's Nineveh governorate since a jihadist-led offensive that started on June 9 have fled en masse to neighbouring Kurdistan, which has remained largely stable.
Guterres stressed that the autonomous region had already borne a heavy burden with an earlier influx of refugees from war-torn Syria and he added that the strain was made worse by the fact that the government in Baghdad had stopped sending Arbil its share of federal oil revenue.
"And even without those resources, the government and people of Kurdistan have been receiving all these people and sharing with them everything they have," he said.
Kurdistan and the Shiite-dominated federal government have been locked in an escalating war of words in recent weeks.
Arbil blames Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for the security collapse that saw extremist Sunni militants seize large swathes of land in western and northern Iraq.
Maliki has in turn accused the Kurdish leadership of taking advantage of the chaos to expand the borders of its envisioned independent state by moving into disputed territories, and of illegally exporting Iraqi oil.
Guterres, who met Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on Wednesday, urged the international community "to provide massive support for the Iraqis displaced, for the Iraqi victims of this conflict, but also to provide massive support to the government and the people in Kurdistan."
He said that the population of internally displaced people in Iraq now topped two million.
Prime Minister Barzani calls for urgent assistance to displaced Christians
Erbil, Kurdistan (KRG.org) – KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has issued a statement regarding the mass exodus of Christian families from the city of Mosul.
He has called upon the people of Kurdistan to help these families, as well as urging the international community to provide emergency aid and relief to the people who were forced to flee the city of Mosul due to intimidation and threats issued by the armed terrorist groups. The terrorists placed deplorable threats throughout the city of Mosul, ordering Christian families to leave the city by noon today.
The Prime Minister’s statement:
Following the seizure of the city of Mosul by armed terrorist groups, the Christians of Mosul have been subjected to continuous threats. Tragically, over the past few days, Christians have been threatened with mass murder and have been forced to leave the city of Mosul in a mass exodus. They have come towards Erbil and Duhok without being allowed to take any of their belongings or necessities.
In the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, the Kurdistan Regional Government is intensifying its efforts and its capacity to assist the displaced. At the same time we call upon the people of the Kurdistan Region in general, and the generous people of Erbil and Duhok in particular, to provide all that they can in terms of aid and assistance to the displaced Christian families.
The Kurdish people enjoy good relations with their Christian brothers and sisters as well as all other ethnic and religious groups, and we are proud to protect the diversity that exists in Kurdistan. This diversity and culture of tolerance have been effective over the past few years in our society. The people of Kurdistan now must also provide assistance to the Christian families that have been forced to flee their homes and abandon their property and belongings.
The Kurdistan Regional Government, in full coordination with the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR), has assisted hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people who have found refuge in the Kurdistan Region. However, the number of refugees and displaced people is increasing each day. The Iraqi Government, which has cut the Kurdistan Region’s share of the national budget, has at the same time refused to bear any responsibility for the internally displaced people who are now sheltered in the Kurdistan Region.
Due to these circumstances and the dire economic situation that the Iraqi Government has caused in the Kurdistan Region, we call upon countries, charitable organisations, and the international community in general to provide refugees and internally displaced people in the Kurdistan Region with relief. We call for support and assistance to the Kurdistan Regional Government in order to better provide relief to the affected families.
Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government
19 July 2014
Statement from President Masoud Barzani
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
Proud people of Kurdistan,
The people of Kurdistan are accustomed, in their culture, to respect and abide by religious pluralism and coexistence. They have not intimidated anyone and throughout history they have always been in a defensive position. However, the enemies never stand still and they aim, whenever possible, to harm our people in every way they can.
Following the events of Mosul, Kurdistan has only defended itself. However, the terrorists started to provoke and attack Kurdistan, resulting in the recent distressing incidents. Therefore, we decided to go beyond the defensive position and fight the terrorists to the last breath. We have ordered the Peshmerga forces to attack the terrorists and the enemies of the people and the land of Kurdistan with all their power.
The recent developments in the areas of Zumar and Sinjar and the tragedy that faced our Yezidi brothers and sisters are heartbreaking. We reassure the people of Kurdistan that we will not relinquish an inch of the territory of Kurdistan and that we will defend Sinjar and our Yezidi brothers and sisters dearly, and that Sinjar Mountain will continue to stand tall. This beloved and indigenous part of our nation will remain proud and it is our duty to protect it.
Terrorism is a global issue and it requires an international response and effort to combat it. For years, Kurdistan has been the victim of terror and terrorists. It is unfortunate that we have been alone and that no one has helped the people of Kurdistan to defend against terror. Yet, in fighting terror we have always relied on the support of our people, the Peshmerga, and security forces. We have always adhered to the principles of freedom and the genuine culture of coexistence and tolerance in Kurdistan, and this is our point of strength when it comes to attaining victory against our enemies and terrorists.
Today, our valiant forces have started offensive attacks against the terrorists and they are marching forward. I urge the people of Kurdistan, the political parties and the Kurdish media to treat the situation with utmost responsibility and to preserve national unity more than ever. I reassure our courageous Peshmerga that the people of Kurdistan will support them using all means at their disposal, and that they are looking up to your courage, bravery and sacrifices.
Finally, I thank the people of Kurdistan for demonstrating resilience – the courageous Peshmerga forces, the voluntary forces, and the proud families of the martyrs. And rest assured that a bright future awaits the people of Kurdistan.
Long live Kurdistan
Glory and immortality to the martyrs of freedom
Masoud Barzani
President of the Kurdistan Region
4 August 2014
President Barzani visits President Jalal Talabani
Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (KRP.org / KRG.org) – Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani yesterday visited President Jalal Talabani at his residence in Sulaimaniya. He was accompanied by Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
President Barzani expressed his joy for President Talabani's return and wished him a prompt recovery.
Earlier, Prime Minister Barzani issued a statement congratulating the people of Kurdistan on the occasion of the return of President Talabani. He described the political role President Talabani has played in Kurdistan and Iraq as historic.
The Prime Minister said, "Along with President Masoud Barzani, he played an important role in securing the democratic experience for the people of Kurdistan, ensuring political pluralism and the establishment of parliamentary life in Kurdistan. His absence in Kurdistan and Iraq, due to his illness, has been keenly felt in the political life and governance of Iraq.”
He added, "On behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government and in my name, I warmly welcome him back, and I congratulate all the people of Kurdistan and wish him a prompt recovery and longevity. We are confident that his return will bring good and joy to the people of Kurdistan."
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani returned to the Kurdistan Region last Saturday after having received medical treatment in Germany following a stroke he suffered in late 2012.
President Barzani Pays Visit to President Jalal Talabani
Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, (krp.org)- President Masoud Barzani visited President Jalal Talabani at his house in Sulaimaniya today. Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani returned to the Kurdistan Region last Saturday from medical treatment in Germany following a stroke a year and a half ago.
During the meeting President Barzani expressed his joy for President Talabani's return and wished for a speedy recovery.
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