Iraqi opposition continues coordination with Zalmai Zada
Iraq-USA, Politics, 3/20/2003

The representatives of the Iraqi opposition in Ankara, Turkey, who met yesterday with the US envoy Zalmai Zada and the Turkish officials committed to work for forming a democratic government and defending Iraq's territorial unity.

In a statement issued in conclusion of the meeting, the Iraqi opposition said it had agreed to "permit the Iraqi people to form a democratic, and fully representative government according to international principles," and showed commitment to "maintaining Iraq's independence, sovereignty and national unity."

The representatives of the Kurds in the meeting agreed to put their forces under the American forces. The participants also vowed to "protect the civilians and the properties" and "deterring spontaneous moves of refugees and displaced" and "preventing the Iraqis from implementing their own laws or provoking civilian unrest." A committee will be formed to study several problems especially restoring back homes the Iraqi regime expelled them from.

The participants, on the other hand, stressed the Iraqi natural resources should be "used as national property to return back to all the Iraqi people." On Tuesday, Khalil Zada said that the US "controls the moves of all civilians and the militias in the cities of al-Mousel and Karkouk" situated in the heart of the oil rich areas which Turkey fears to fall in the hands of the Kurds.

Ankara's meeting was attended by the chairman of the Kurdistani National Federation, Jalal al-Talibani; the official in the Kurdistani Democratic Party, Nasherwan al-Barazani, the leading figure in the Iraqi National Congress Ahmad al-Jalabi, the representative of the Higher Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq Abdul Aziz al Hakim. The meeting was also attended by representatives for the Turkman's minority, The Assure Democratic Movement and the Movement for Constitutional Monarchy.

According to relief agencies, thousands of people resorted to Kurdistan in the two past days fleeing from the cities of Karkouk and Baghdad.

Some 30,000 persons resorted to North Kurdistan areas, controlled by al-Talibani party while other thousands resorted to the areas that belong to Masoud al-Barazani party.

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