.Army Commander Says Iraq Provinces Restive
WASHINGTON — The failure thus far of Iraqi political leaders to form a national unity government has hindered efforts to resolve simmering problems at the local level, a U.S. Army commander said Friday.
Speaking by videoteleconference with reporters at the Pentagon, Col. David Gray, commander of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, said the political vacuum in Baghdad is troubling Iraqis in Kirkuk, the capital of the oil-rich region in northern Iraq. Kurds would like to incorporate the Kirkuk area into their self-ruled region known as Kurdistan, a move opposed by Arabs, Turkomen and the Turkish government in Ankara.
"They're a little bit apprehensive," Gray said, referring to provincial and local leaders in the Kirkuk area.
In Baghdad, there appeared to be progress Friday toward forming a unity government. Shiite politicians agreed to nominate Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister, replacing the incumbent Ibrahim al-Jaafari, whose nomination had sparked sharp opposition from Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders and caused a four-month deadlock.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House is hopeful that the latest political developments in Iraq will lead to significant progress in forming a permanent government, with the Iraqi parliament meeting Saturday to act on the top seven leadership posts.
"We hope to see good progress in the coming days," McClellan told reporters traveling with President Bush to California. "We'll be watching."
Gray said provincial and local political authorities who should be making important decisions to settle ethnic and economic issues are instead taking a "wait-and-see attitude" until the central government is established.
"Until the national government is seated, there are a whole host of issues that really will require the constitution to be in effect and then laws passed" to implement measures at the provincial and local level, he said.
"This is all a part of the game to figure out who is going to control Kirkuk ultimately in the future," Gray said.
The commander also said U.S. officials are monitoring a modest influx of Shiite militia into Kirkuk. The Badr Corps, for example, has been setting up additional offices in the city, he said. The Badr Corps is the armed wing of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the country's largest Shiite party.
Gray said he had no firm estimate of the number of Shiites moving into the Kirkuk area but he said it was in the range of a few hundred.
Chron
Speaking by videoteleconference with reporters at the Pentagon, Col. David Gray, commander of the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, said the political vacuum in Baghdad is troubling Iraqis in Kirkuk, the capital of the oil-rich region in northern Iraq. Kurds would like to incorporate the Kirkuk area into their self-ruled region known as Kurdistan, a move opposed by Arabs, Turkomen and the Turkish government in Ankara.
"They're a little bit apprehensive," Gray said, referring to provincial and local leaders in the Kirkuk area.
In Baghdad, there appeared to be progress Friday toward forming a unity government. Shiite politicians agreed to nominate Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister, replacing the incumbent Ibrahim al-Jaafari, whose nomination had sparked sharp opposition from Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders and caused a four-month deadlock.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House is hopeful that the latest political developments in Iraq will lead to significant progress in forming a permanent government, with the Iraqi parliament meeting Saturday to act on the top seven leadership posts.
"We hope to see good progress in the coming days," McClellan told reporters traveling with President Bush to California. "We'll be watching."
Gray said provincial and local political authorities who should be making important decisions to settle ethnic and economic issues are instead taking a "wait-and-see attitude" until the central government is established.
"Until the national government is seated, there are a whole host of issues that really will require the constitution to be in effect and then laws passed" to implement measures at the provincial and local level, he said.
"This is all a part of the game to figure out who is going to control Kirkuk ultimately in the future," Gray said.
The commander also said U.S. officials are monitoring a modest influx of Shiite militia into Kirkuk. The Badr Corps, for example, has been setting up additional offices in the city, he said. The Badr Corps is the armed wing of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the country's largest Shiite party.
Gray said he had no firm estimate of the number of Shiites moving into the Kirkuk area but he said it was in the range of a few hundred.
Chron
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