Iraqi President Departs for Checkups in USA; Kirkuk Debate Continues

Within its evening newscasts on 2 August, Al-Sharqiyah Television highlighted the ongoing talks among various Iraqi parliamentary blocs on the disputed paragraphs of the Provincial Council Election Law in anticipation of the 3 August parliamentary session. Another development highlighted was President Talabani’s departure to the United States for medical tests after he reportedly “fainted” after a meeting of the two Kurdish parties on Saturday morning.

In the 1300 gmt newscast:

-”Thousands of Arabs from various tribes in the Kirkuk Governorate, north of Baghdad, today staged a demonstration to reject the demands of the Kurdish Bloc in the council of the oil- rich governorate to annex Kirkuk to the Kurdistan Region. “

-”Four Awakening members, and four civilians were wounded when an explosive charge went off targeting their patrol in northeastern Ba’quah, the centre of the Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad. “

-”Diyala Operations Commander Abd-al-Karim al-Rubay’i today announced arresting a woman in the Ba’qubah Al-Qadimah area whom he said is responsible for recruiting female suicide bombers in the governorate. He did not unveil the name of the arrested woman, or the party with which she is affiliated, or any other details about the number of female suicide bombers she has succeeded in recruiting.”

-” A police checkpoint on the road between Baghdad and Wasit Governorate, in the south, was exposed to an armed attack last night. A police source said that the members of the checkpoint fired back, killing an armed man and arresting two others, without revealing their identity.”

In the 1700 gmt newscast:

-”The Iraqi Presidency Office has said that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has left for the United States to undergo medical tests. Iraqi Presidency Office Chief Nasir al-Ani said that Talabani left for the United States on Saturday evening on a private visit during which he will undergo medical tests. He did not reveal more details about this visit.”

-”The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has announced Iraq’s rejection of any foreign interference in the Kirkuk issue, stressing that the solution will be an Iraqi one based on the constitution. An official Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan held a telephone call with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari during which he expresed his government’s concern regarding the political and security developments in Kirkuk, and the problems pertaining to the Provincial Council Election Law, stressing that his government supports a reconciliatory solution to the crisis. The spokesman cited Zebari as affirming that the Iraqi Government’s position is that Kirkuk is an Iraqi city, and that there are legal and constitutional mechanisms which are being implmented to settle the problem without harming any of its components.”

-Nada al-Sudani, deputy head of the regions and governorates committee for the Unified Iraqi Coalition, has said that the secret ballot which led to ratifying the Provincial Council Election Law did not violate the parliament’s bylaws, adding that the Iraqi Presidency’s rejection of the law was prompted by strictly political rather than legal reasons. In press statement, she added that this law does not involve any legal or constitutional violations, calling for ratifying the law as soon as possible.”

-” The Iraqi Interior Ministry has said that it closed its borders with Iran during the military operations in the Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad, to prevent fleeing terrorists from escaping across the border.”

-At 1704 gmt, the station carries the following breaking news caption:” Sources: The president fainted following a meeting between the two Kurdish parties.”

In the 1900 gmt newscast:

-”Representatives of Arabs and Turkoman concluded a meeting today in the presence of representatives for the United Nations and the US Embassy in Baghdad. A source in the meeting a short while ago said to Al-Sharqiyah that the conferees from the 22 Tammuz Forces Gathering who support Paragraph 24 of the Provincial Council Election Law announced their unanimous commitment to the final paper presented by the Iraqi Islamic Party. The source added that a meeting was supposed to be held this evening between representatives of the 22 Tammuz Forces Gathering and the Kurdistan Alliance in the presence of the United Nations, and the US Embassy, but it was postponed at the last minute in order to secure initial approval form the Kurds to give up some of the paragraphs which they want to be included in the law. The same source added that all indications point that the option of putting the law to a vote is the most likely to happen. He expected that the United Nations will submit a new formula in the coming hours to reduce Kurdish demands. The source said that the issue of rotating power in Kirkuk similar to the rotation of power in Baghdad was raised, which is something that is discussed for the first time in meetings attended by the US Embassy and UN representatives.”

-” Informed sources said that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani left for the United States to undergo medical tests after he fainted on Saturday morning. The sources added that Talabani was exposed to a health setback after attending a meeting by the two Kurdish parties, which required immediately rushing him to the United States, after he completely collapsed. The sources attributed this condition to the acute fatigue he suffered from last week, as he attended a long series of meetings and did not listen to physicians’ advice to reduce his political talks.”

-”Mahmud Uthman, deputy for the Kurdistan Alliance, has announced failure of the Iraqi political blocs in reaching an agreement on Kirkuk. In a news conference, he said that the Arab National Dialogue Bloc, and the Iraqi Islamic Party made a proposal to the conferees calling for more guarantees and for striking a balance with the Kurdistan side in terms of posts and positions. Uthman expressed the Kurds’ rejection of this proposal and refusal to divide Kirkuk into four constituencies, not to mention refusing to add a paragraph which calls for bringing in security forces from southern and central Iraq to Kirkuk, which is a proposal derived from the fact that Iraq is a one country and that bringing such forces would be similar to the case of the Kurdish forces that were tasked with duties in southern and central Iraq, as well as the Kurdish forces which were sent to Mosul according to the orders of the general commander of the armed forces at that time.”

Originally published by Al-Sharqiyah TV, Dubai, in Arabic 1300 2 Aug 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.