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June 9, 2011 - Sulaimaniyah, Erbil-Hewler, Duhok, Kirkuk, Kurdistan Region 'Iraq'
Media relationship with Human Rights discussed in Erbil Meeting
Erbil: An extensive meeting was held in Erbil by a group of media members, human rights activists and civil society organizations that discussed the relationship between human rights organizations and the mass media, the Media Advisor of the Institute of War & Peace Press, Hiwa Mahmoud Othman said on Thursday. “The motive of the meeting is to achieve a link between human rights organizations and the mass media, in order to enable them face the current challenges together in free and democratic societies, as well as the discussion of the Iraqi situation in particular and the challenges facing human rights on the local and international levels,” he said. aswataliraq.info
Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend sends delegation to Erbil to bring viewpoints closer
Erbil: Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend has sent a 3-man delegation, under instructions of its Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, to Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil, in a mission to bring viewpoints of different political blocs closer, the Legislature of al-Ahrar (Liberals) bloc, Hakim al-Zamirly said on Thursday. “The current tension among the political blocs, especially between the State of Law (led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki) and al-Iraqiya Coalition (led by Iyad Allawi) has complicated a lot of things, delayed the assignment of security cabinet ministers and delayed the formation of the High Council of Strategic Policies (HCSP),” Zamily told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He said “the feeling of responsibility by the Sadrist Trend and its Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, had pushed it to send the three-man delegation to Arbil, led by Bahaa al-Aaraji and membership of Mushriq Naji and Zuheir al-Hasnawi.” “The delegation had conferred with Kurdistan Region’s President, Massoud Barzani and other Kurdish leaders, and shall meet al-Iraqiya Leader, Iyad Allawi and leaderships of the State of Law, in an attempt to bring closer the viewpoints of both sides,” he added...aswataliraq.info
Kirkuki MP Calls on Baghdad to Free Arab Prisoners From Kurds
Iraqiyya MP Omar al-Jubouri from Kirkuk claimed there are suspicious schemes to 'destroy the Arab identity of Kirkuk', suggesting this is a violation of the right of its citizens. He called on the Iraqi Central Government to help the Arabs in Kirkuk and to do something about the alleged 300 Arab prisoners in jails in the Kurdistan region. In a old broadcast on Al Jazeera, the police denied claims of Arab politicians that the police was kidnapping Arabs. Also police chief Jamal Malla Tahir said that nobody gets arrested without warrants. Arab politicians accuse the Kurdish-dominated police of imprisoning Arab prisoners in Kurdish prisons in the Kurdistan region without any charges or court cases, but the Kurdish government denies this. The Kurdish news agency PUKmedia reported that recently 3 suspected insurgents were arrested in Kirkuk, of which two tried to launch a rocket. Also a member of the Arab Sahwa movement was killed in Al-Rashad by a bomb (Sahwa are armed militias that were created with the help of the U.S. army to combat the insurgency). An U.S. patrol near the 12th Division of the Iraqi army in Riyadh was furthermore targeted by an IED without casualties. Sources: PUKmedia, sotaliraq.com, aljeraan.net, Aswat al-iraq. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
KRG offers very cautious welcome to Syrian refugees
Erbil: The Kurdistan Interior Ministry has offered a guarded welcome to Syrian refugees fleeing across the border, but has warned against “criminals” hiding among them. Some 50,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey in the last 24 hours to escape the escalating crackdown on mass protests in their home country. Some have also headed to Kurdistan, deputy minister Fayed Tofiq said. Tofiq said they will not close the border, “but this does not mean that Kurdistan is encouraging the influx of immigrants.” “They should not stay long and should not ask for place of residence or employment,” he added. aknews.com
Fire in Erbil hotel, no human losses caused
Erbil: A fire has broken out in one of the hotels in Erbil, the capital of northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, causing minor material damage, but no human losses, a Hotel employee said. “A fire broke out in Navashin Hotel in southern Erbil on Wednesday,” the Hotel’s administrative staff said, adding that the fire had been extinguished. No cause for the fire has yet been uncovered.The fire caused minor material losses, but caused no human casualties. aswataliraq.info
Second Round of Talks Between Opposition and Authorities
Erbil: The second round of meetings between Kurdistan’s opposition groups and ruling parties are taking place in Erbil on Wednesday, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Azad Jundiani, the spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) told Rudaw yesterday that politburos of both ruling parties have discussed in detail the points presented to them by the opposition on June 4. “Our politburos are for the continuation of the talks,” said Jundiani. “And we have already given our recommendations to our representatives to work on in the second round of meetings.” Last Saturday the first meeting was held between the Gorran movement, the Islamic Union, the Islamic Group as opposition and the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan as the two ruling parties. Popular protests that broke out in Sulaimaniyah in February against government corruption in the Kurdistan region brought the political process to a standstill. The opposition’s condition that called for the dissolution of the government and the government’s demand that the opposition keeps away from the protests only further complicated the situation. However, with these much-anticipated talks there is hope for a lasting solution. rudaw.net
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Media relationship with Human Rights discussed in Erbil Meeting
Erbil: An extensive meeting was held in Erbil by a group of media members, human rights activists and civil society organizations that discussed the relationship between human rights organizations and the mass media, the Media Advisor of the Institute of War & Peace Press, Hiwa Mahmoud Othman said on Thursday. “The motive of the meeting is to achieve a link between human rights organizations and the mass media, in order to enable them face the current challenges together in free and democratic societies, as well as the discussion of the Iraqi situation in particular and the challenges facing human rights on the local and international levels,” he said. aswataliraq.info
Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend sends delegation to Erbil to bring viewpoints closer
Erbil: Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist Trend has sent a 3-man delegation, under instructions of its Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, to Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil, in a mission to bring viewpoints of different political blocs closer, the Legislature of al-Ahrar (Liberals) bloc, Hakim al-Zamirly said on Thursday. “The current tension among the political blocs, especially between the State of Law (led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki) and al-Iraqiya Coalition (led by Iyad Allawi) has complicated a lot of things, delayed the assignment of security cabinet ministers and delayed the formation of the High Council of Strategic Policies (HCSP),” Zamily told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He said “the feeling of responsibility by the Sadrist Trend and its Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, had pushed it to send the three-man delegation to Arbil, led by Bahaa al-Aaraji and membership of Mushriq Naji and Zuheir al-Hasnawi.” “The delegation had conferred with Kurdistan Region’s President, Massoud Barzani and other Kurdish leaders, and shall meet al-Iraqiya Leader, Iyad Allawi and leaderships of the State of Law, in an attempt to bring closer the viewpoints of both sides,” he added...aswataliraq.info
Kirkuki MP Calls on Baghdad to Free Arab Prisoners From Kurds
Iraqiyya MP Omar al-Jubouri from Kirkuk claimed there are suspicious schemes to 'destroy the Arab identity of Kirkuk', suggesting this is a violation of the right of its citizens. He called on the Iraqi Central Government to help the Arabs in Kirkuk and to do something about the alleged 300 Arab prisoners in jails in the Kurdistan region. In a old broadcast on Al Jazeera, the police denied claims of Arab politicians that the police was kidnapping Arabs. Also police chief Jamal Malla Tahir said that nobody gets arrested without warrants. Arab politicians accuse the Kurdish-dominated police of imprisoning Arab prisoners in Kurdish prisons in the Kurdistan region without any charges or court cases, but the Kurdish government denies this. The Kurdish news agency PUKmedia reported that recently 3 suspected insurgents were arrested in Kirkuk, of which two tried to launch a rocket. Also a member of the Arab Sahwa movement was killed in Al-Rashad by a bomb (Sahwa are armed militias that were created with the help of the U.S. army to combat the insurgency). An U.S. patrol near the 12th Division of the Iraqi army in Riyadh was furthermore targeted by an IED without casualties. Sources: PUKmedia, sotaliraq.com, aljeraan.net, Aswat al-iraq. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
KRG offers very cautious welcome to Syrian refugees
Erbil: The Kurdistan Interior Ministry has offered a guarded welcome to Syrian refugees fleeing across the border, but has warned against “criminals” hiding among them. Some 50,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey in the last 24 hours to escape the escalating crackdown on mass protests in their home country. Some have also headed to Kurdistan, deputy minister Fayed Tofiq said. Tofiq said they will not close the border, “but this does not mean that Kurdistan is encouraging the influx of immigrants.” “They should not stay long and should not ask for place of residence or employment,” he added. aknews.com
Fire in Erbil hotel, no human losses caused
Erbil: A fire has broken out in one of the hotels in Erbil, the capital of northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, causing minor material damage, but no human losses, a Hotel employee said. “A fire broke out in Navashin Hotel in southern Erbil on Wednesday,” the Hotel’s administrative staff said, adding that the fire had been extinguished. No cause for the fire has yet been uncovered.The fire caused minor material losses, but caused no human casualties. aswataliraq.info
Second Round of Talks Between Opposition and Authorities
Erbil: The second round of meetings between Kurdistan’s opposition groups and ruling parties are taking place in Erbil on Wednesday, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Azad Jundiani, the spokesperson for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) told Rudaw yesterday that politburos of both ruling parties have discussed in detail the points presented to them by the opposition on June 4. “Our politburos are for the continuation of the talks,” said Jundiani. “And we have already given our recommendations to our representatives to work on in the second round of meetings.” Last Saturday the first meeting was held between the Gorran movement, the Islamic Union, the Islamic Group as opposition and the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan as the two ruling parties. Popular protests that broke out in Sulaimaniyah in February against government corruption in the Kurdistan region brought the political process to a standstill. The opposition’s condition that called for the dissolution of the government and the government’s demand that the opposition keeps away from the protests only further complicated the situation. However, with these much-anticipated talks there is hope for a lasting solution. rudaw.net
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