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US officials trying to play down Baghdad-Erbil tensions over Syrian border issue
29/07/2012 21:09
ERBIL, July 29 (AKnews) – Concerns about rising tensions between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish Region over a recent dispute between the Iraqi Army and Kurdish forces near the Syrian border has prompted US intervention, according to sources.
US officials are trying to play down the tensions that were sparked by the Iraqi government’s deployment of Army troops to the Syrian border territories that are largely controlled by Kurdish forces known as Peshmarga.
The Iraqi government is claiming to send the troops to control the Syrian border to prevent the infiltration of militants from and into Syria and also to prevent fleeing Syrian from entering Iraqi territories. Iraq has refused to allow Syrian refugees into Iraq.
The tensions were taken to new heights when Peshmarga forces intercepted the Iraqi Army forces from advancing towards the border areas saying the Kurdish forces were in charge there and considered the move by the army as Baghdad intensions to meddle with regional affairs rather than securing it borders with Syria saying the borders are already secured by the Peshmarga.
“Now the Americans are also in communication [with Iraqi officials] trying to arbitrate between the Iraqi Army and the Peshmarga forces so that no unfavorable incidents take place” said Iraqi Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Aref Tayfur.
Tayfur, a Kurd, said the areas close to Syrian border are controlled by the Peshmarga forces under agreements between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad officials and thus Iraqi Army’s deployment to those areas is a “violation” of the agreements that has prompted Peshmarga forces to intercept them.
Efforts by the Iraqi Parliament are also ongoing to play down the tensions, according to Tayfur. “Ibrahim Jaafari, head of the National Coalition [main bloc in parliament] has told me that he will do his best to keep the tensions from further developing”
“There is also a parliamentary committee that works on brokering negotiations between the Iraqi Army and Peshmarga forces to put an end to the disputes.
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