[A-List] US imperialism: Iraq, Kurdistan

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

US envoy tries to heal rift with Iraqi rebels

After Saddam, Washington pledges to hand over power

Luke Harding in Irbil, northern Iraq
Thursday February 27, 2003
The Guardian

The Bush administration's special envoy to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, yesterday
insisted the US had "no desire" to govern Iraq and promised the country
would be transformed into a democracy as swiftly as possible after the fall
of Saddam Hussein.

In a move designed to end an embarrassing rift between Washington and the
Iraqi opposition, Mr Khalilzad said the Iraqi people should be allowed to
run their affairs "as soon as possible".

He refused to say how long a US military administration would remain in
Baghdad after a successful war to get rid of President Saddam. But he added:
"The coalition will not depart Iraq one minute before this job is done. But
nor will it stay one minute after the job is done."

Mr Khalilzad's comments - made deep inside northern Iraq to a much-delayed
conference of the Iraqi opposition - mark a distinct softening in the Bush
administration's rhetoric.

Iraqi opposition groups had been incensed by Washington's proposal this
month to install a US military governor in Baghdad, and leave much of the
existing Iraqi bureaucracy in the hands of President Saddam's Ba'ath party.

Mr Khalilzad yesterday presented a different picture, insisting Washington
was now in favour of "de-Ba'athification" of the country. He also reaffirmed
the US commitment to transforming Iraq "ultimately" into a western-style
democracy. "Some have said it is impossible for Iraq to become a democracy.
The US government disagrees," he said.

Mr Khalilzad's speech - and the mere fact that he turned up to yesterday's
conference, held in the freezing Kurdish mountain resort of Salahuddin -
appears to have soothed delegates. Kanan Makayi, an influential adviser to
one of the main opposition groups, the Iraqi National Council, said he was
now broadly reassured.

He had previously denounced Washington's plans as "deeply stupid". "There is
a new emphasis on democratisation that was missing before," he said.

Mr Khalilzad also held out the prospect of a greater role for Iraqi exiles,
and asked them to form themselves into "task forces". These new committees
would liaise with the incoming US military government and the White House
once Baghdad had been liberated, he said, and would be beefed up by Iraqis
in the country.

Most of the Iraqi opposition is in favour of a US-led invasion of Iraq and
has reconciled itself - albeit reluctantly - to a period of direct US
military rule.

But the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which represents
Iraq's Shia majority, yesterday said this was a bad idea. "The Iraqi people
are not helpless and need no guidance," its leader, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir
al-Hakim, declared. Mr Khalilzad's remarks are also likely to alarm Saudi
Arabia, which wants Iraq's traditional minority Sunni elite to remain in
power.

The US delegation slipped into opposition-controlled northern Iraq two days
ago after being dumped by Turkish officials at the border.

Mr Khalilzad had to leave most of his security guards behind, and was
yesterday guarded by a small US diplomatic protection team, who stood
outside the conference venue in wrap-around sunglasses, even though it was
snowing.

In private talks held earlier the envoy reassured his Kurdish host, Massoud
Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic party, that fears of an invasion
by Turkey were "inflated".

In return for allowing US troops to use Turkey to open up a northern front
against President Saddam, Washington has agreed the Turkish army can mount a
"incursion" into northern Iraq, ostensibly for humanitarian reasons.

Kurdish officials have raised the spectre of clashes between Turkish troops
and Kurdish militias, and say any invasion by the Turks will lead to
regional instability.