Los Angeles Times: CIA officials cooperate with the Kurds in northern Iraq

The Los Angeles Times said yesterday that officials at the CIA are currently in northern Iraq to collaborate with the Kurds in preparation to launch a military attack against Baghdad.

The paper quoted Kurdish sources as saying that the American team is carrying out a multi- faceted mission in northern Iraq including preparations for a military attack and installing an intelligence center on other areas in Iraq as well as making investigations of an Islamic group which has links to al-Qaida organization.

The paper quoted the leader of the Kurdistani national federation Jalal al-Talibani as saying that the US will interfere immediately in case the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invades the "no fly zone" in northern Iraq, noting that there is cooperation in various fields with the US in this regard.

For his part and according to the paper one of the Kurdistani democratic party leaders noted the establishment of new relations between the Kurds and the US during the two past months.

Los Angeles Times said that neither the CIA nor the Pentagon confirmed the existence of a team representing the American officials in northern Iraq.