Bloody demonstration in Karkouk
Iraq, Politics, 1/1/2004

In Karkouk, five Iraqis were killed and other 24 wounded, following gun fire that was opened at a demonstration by Arabs and the Turkmans in Karkouk, in the north of Iraq.

The source of the gun fire was not identified, but news reports talked about that the gun fire came from the militias of the Kurdistani national federation (Bashmargha ). However a source in the Kurdish party was persistent that the source of the fire was from inside the demonstration.

Col. Salem Taleb Taher, from the police of the city, said that the demonstration had gathered in front of the government's offices, in protest of a proposal to annex Karkouk to the Kurdish federation, when the Bashmargha positioned in the area opened fire at the protesters.

News reports in Karkouk said that the American occupation forces permitted the demonstration to advance into the governorate's building after it had prevented it.

The demonstration was attended by 5 thousands Arabs and Turkmans who demand keeping Karkouk under the control of the central government, and not to merge it in the proposed Kurdish federation. Among slogans chanted by the demonstrators were "Karkouk is an Iraqi city.. down for the confederation."

On the other hand, the UN has transferred another sum of 2.6 billion dollars left from its former oil-for-food program to help in financing Iraq's re-construction. By this transfer, the total sums transferred by the UN to the Iraq's development Fund which belongs to the occupation authority increased to 5.8 billion, since the US started the administration of the country following the collapse of Saddam's regime.

In May 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the occupation forces to use sums left from the "oil for food" program as well as revenues of the Iraqi oil sales, and Iraqi assets, in order to help pay for rebuilding Iraq.

According to figures by the occupation authorities and the UN, the Iraq's development fund received so far USD 10.1 billion of which are USD 3.6 billion are from the Iraqi oil sales.

Previous Stories:
  Arab-Turkman demonstration today in Karkouk against federation   (12/31/2003)
  Red Cross asks to visit Saddam Hussein   (12/31/2003)
  Iraqi intellectuals, writers delegation meet al-Assad   (12/29/2003)

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