US mulls aid for Iraqi Kurds

The US is considering aid to Iraqi Kurds because of delays in distributing relief in northern Iraq under the UN oil-for-food deal, the state department said.

The news came as Iraqi Kurd leader Talbani held meetings with state department officials to discuss the situation in northern Iraq following several outbreaks of internecine fighting earlier this month.

State department spokesman James Foley declined to give details of the aid package.

The oil-for-food deal allows Iraq to export oil worth 2 billion US dollars every six months to purchase urgently needed humanitarian supplies, part of which are to be distributed to Kurdistan.

Talbani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, emerged from several meetings saying, "We're in complete agreement."

Earlier this month, the PUK clashed with rivals from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which accused Talbani of getting support from the Turkish separatist group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

But he declared: "We’re not engaged in any activities with the PKK against KDP." He called on the US to support the Iraqi opposition in its struggle against Saddam Hussien.

The PUK and KDP have controlled Kurdistan in defiance of Baghdad since 1991 Gulf war. But a power-sharing agreement between them fell apart in 1994, leading to fighting in which at various times they aligned themselves with Tehran, Baghdad or Ankara.