juillet_FR_269_2007:Bull. FR.mars 252.qxd - Institut kurde de Paris

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Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basin Ôzeti TIME AUGUST 8, 2007 7:47 By now, you would think that world leaders would stop holding press conférences with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Despite the many appearances with Président George Bush and American cabinet secretaries, the Maliki government has yet to make good on almost ail of its promises to Washington: to stop sectarian violence, to pass an oil revenue sharing law, to make political peace with Iraq's Sunni parties, etc. By now, word should bave gotten out that Maliki doesn't deliver. But that didn't stop Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan from trotting out alongside Malild yesterday to déclare that the Iraqi government had agreed to drive a Kurdish militant group the Kurdish Workers Party or PKK out of the mountains of northern Iraq, where PKK fighters and activists maintain training camps. Turkey has been threatening to invade Iraq unless someone does something about the PKK, which has long been at war with the Turkish state over the rights of Turkey's Kurdish minority. In récent months, fighting between the Turkish army and the PKK has intensified inside Turkey, and the Turks accuse the PKK of a terrorist bombing campaign against Turkish cities. In response, the Turkish army has massed tanks and thousands of soldiers at the border with Iraq. Unfortunately for Erdogan, there's nothing Maliki can do about the PKK. His government's armed forces can't even keep Baghdad safe, let alone mount an expédition in northern Iraq, which, by the way, isn't even part of Maliki's The PKK Ain't Going Away military jurisdiction. There are no fédéral Iraqi soldiers there just Iraqi Kurdish pesh merga units controlled by the largely autonomous Kurdish Régional Government (KRG). And Iraq's Kurdish leaders aren't about to send their soldiers off on a treacherous struggle v«th hardened guérilla fighters in difficult terrain. Iraq's Kurds fought the PKK once before in the 1990's, and they're not looking forward to repeating the ugly expérience. Plus, the Iraqi Kurds say their pesh merga are already stretched thin. Besides keeping Arab terrorists out of the KRG, pesh merga are also helping the Iraqi army in Mosul and Baghdad. Nor for that matter, is there anything the Turkish army can do about the PKK in Iraq. The PKK's bases aren't even near the Turkish border; they are in the remote Qandil valIey near Iran, far from the reach of Turkey's ground forces. The Turkish army would hâve to penetrate deep into Iraq and travel through several Iraqi cities before reaching the Qandil valley, by which time the PKK's mobile guérilla units would hâve long since snuck away to fight another day. And even if the Turkish air force got US permission to cross into Iraq, air strikes hâve a limited effect on a guérilla insurgency. The fact is that there isn't a military solution to the PKK. Turkey has fought with them since the 198 o's to no avail. The Turkish threat to invade Iraq is only turning a Turkish civil war into a régional crisis. HopefuIIy, Erdogan realizes this and his "agreement" with Maliki is a stalling tactic aimed at pacifying Turkey's restive gênerais. Unfortunately, the PKK Skui. A PKK fïghter in northern Iraq, summer 2004 problem isn't going away. If fighting continues inside Turkey, it will only be a matter of time before Turkish sabers start rattling again. Kurds seek to attract foreigners to région untouched by violence (Reuters): August 14. 2007 Arbil: The ministry of tourism the provinces hâve largely has 417 employées and big escaped the violence that has plans: "We need three or four been tearing apart the rest of times as many hôtels as we Iraq since the US invasion in hâve now," says Nlmrud 2003, toppled Saddam and Youkhana, the minister, "and uncorked long-suppressed we need to get more airlines to sectarian hostility. fly hère." "We hâve some way to go Tourism In Iraq? More hôtels In still," said Youkhana, "but we a country whose name evokes plan to eventually hold annual Images of truck bombs and folklore events like the Jerash mayhem, kidnappings and festival," a référence to the beheaded foreigners? Jordanian city which brings together performers from ail An advertising campaign in the over the world each summer. US called 'The Other Iraq', seeks to create interest in the Exotic destination three northern provinces that Customers the ministry wants blossomed into a quasl- to attract people from the Independent state in the 16 Mideast who appreclate years since the US placed a mountain resorts In an Alpine protective umbrella - the 'no- setting (and a relaxed attitude fly zone' - over the région to towards alcohol) and stop a genocidal anti-KurdIsh Europeans in search of exotic campaign waged by Saddam destinations and archaeological Hussain. remains dating back thousands Administered by the Kurdistan of years. Régional Government (KRG), Youkhana's plans, and the mère existence of a tourism government agency set up last ministry, highiight a bullish summer, has approved more view of Kurdistan's future than $3.5 billion In which is also évident In development projects. building projects on a grand The Kurds' main argument to scale, from a 6,00D-shop mail persuade foreigners to visit to a string of US-style gated and invest is security. "I feel communitles with names such safer in Arbil or Suleimaniyah as Dream City, Empire Villas than in Camden, New Jersey," and American Village. said Harry Schute, a retired US Near the airport, Naz City, a army colonel, who served in new complex of 14 high-rise Iraq and is now a security apartment towers, Is cabled for adviser to KRG président high-speed internet access. Massoud Barzani. New hôtels under construction "But people hear 'Iraq' and Include one by the German they think violence. There's a luxury Chain KempInskI. lack of understanding that And rIsIng In the shadow of Baghdad and Arbil are différent Arbll's citadel, near where worlds." Alexander the Great defeated Obstacles to opening up King Darius of Persia, the huge Kurdistan to the world include Nishtiman mail features the travel advisories Kurdistan's first escalator - a governments Issue to their magnet for children who ride It citizens. The US makes no up and down in wide-eyed distinction between the Kurdish wonder. north and the rest of Iraq and The Board of Investment, a warns against travel there. 13
Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Bastn Ôzeti THE WORLD-S DAILY NEWSPAKa August 9, 2007 By Bernd Debusmann Renters ERBIL, Iraq: The Ministry ofTourism for Kurdish northern Iraq has 417 em¬ ployées and big plans. "We need three or four times as many hôtels as we hâve now," said the tourism minister, Nimrud Youkhana. "And we need to get more airlines to fly hère." Vacation in Iraq? More hôtels in a country whose name evokes images of bombs, kidnappings and beheadings? The three northern provinces, Erbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniya, hâve blos¬ somed into a quasi-independent state in the 16 years since the United States placed a protective umbrella, or noflight zone, over the région to stop a genocidal anti-Kurdish campaign waged by Saddam Hussein. Administered by the Kurdistan Ré¬ gional Government, the provinces bave largely escaped the violence that bas been tearing apart the rest of Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003 toppled Sad¬ dam and unleashed long-suppressed sectarian hostility. "We hâve some way to go still," Youkhana said, "but we plan to eventu¬ ally hold annual folklore events like the Jerash festival," an event in Jordan that draws international performers each summer. The ministry is hoping to attract cus¬ tomers like Gulf Arabs who appreciate mountain resorts in an Alpine setting with a relaxed attitude toward alcohol, as well as Europeans in search of exotic destinations and archaeological re¬ mains dating back thousands of years. There was even an ad campaign on U.S. télévision last year for "The Other Iraq," in which locals spoke of the relatively safely of the area compared to the rest of Iraq. Youkhana's plans, and the mère ex¬ istence of the Tourism Ministry, high¬ iight a bullish view of the future of the Kurdish région, an optimism évident in building projects, from a 6,000-shop mail to a string of U.S.-style gated communities with names like Dream City, Empire \^llas and American Village. Near the airport, Naz City, a new com¬ plex of 14 high-rise apartment towers, k cabled for high-speed Internet. Hotels under construction include one by the German luxury chain Kempinski. And rising in the shadow of Erbil's cit¬ adel, near where Alexander the Great de¬ feated King Darius of Persia, the Nishti¬ man mail features the region's first escalator, a magnet for children riding it up and dovra in wide-eyed wonder. There are no detailed figures on how much money has been invested in the région since 2003. The Board of Invest¬ ment, a government agency set up last summer, has approved more than $3.5 Tourism industry gearing up in Kurdish Iraq :--~i -, '^1»' h Azad Lashkari/Reuters A Kurdish flag fluttering at the newly constructed Neshteman mail In Erbll, Iraq. billion in development projects. Airlines, the only European carrier The Kurds' main argument to per¬ with a regular service to Erbil, added a suade foreigners to visit and invest is flight to its schedule in July to bring Vi- security: there is no other place in Iraq enna-Erbil connections to four a week. where a foreigner can shop in local The flights are usually crowded. , markets or walk the streets vdthout fear "The bomb attacks did not dent busi- : of being kilied or kidnapped. ness interest," said Bayan Sami Abdul "I feel safer in Erbil or Sulaimaniya Rahman, who heads the Kurdish Devel- ! thaii in Camden, New Jersey," said opment Corporation. "In fact, inquiries ; Harry Schute, a retired U.S. Army colon¬ picked up after a few days." el who served in Iraq and is now a secu¬ They did not dent a booming busi¬ rity adviser to the régional government's ness in luxury cars, either. "Things are président, Massoud BarzanL "But people looking good," said Lezan Shafeea, a hear 'Iraq' and they think violence. sales manager at the sprawling Mer¬ There's a lack of understanding that cedes dealership in Erbil. "We are Baghdad and Erbil are différent worlds." selling more top-end models, at So différent that the régional govern¬ $138,500 apiece, than midsize cars." ment has ail the trappings of an inde- Thèse are cash-only deals, because pendent state its own flag, its own the region's embryonic fînancial System army, its own border patrol, its own na¬ has no provision for consumer crédit. tional anthem, its own éducation Sys¬ Obstacles to opening up the région to tem, even its own stamp inked into the the world, Kurdish officiais say, include passports of visitors. the travel advisories governments issue Turkey, Iran and Syria ail of which to their citizens. The U.S. State Depart¬ hâve sizable Kurdish minorities are ment, for example, makes no distinc¬ viewing the régional government's pro¬ tion between the Kurdish north and the gress With considérable concern. They rest pf Iraq and "continues to strongly fear that full independence for the Iraqi warn" against travel there. région would set off a chain reaction in But other countries hâve taken the ré¬ the région. gion off their list of life-threatening The Iraqi Kurds' sensé of tranquillity destinations, said Falah Mustafa Bakir, was shattered by two bombs in May a who heads the Foreign Relations De¬ truck bomb outside the régional gov¬ partment and is the region's de facto ernment's Interior Ministry kilied 15 foreign minister. "Denmark, Japan, Aus- people and wounded more than 100 and tria, Sweden and the Netherlands hâve three days later, a car bomb in the office ail changed their advisories," he said. of Barzani's Kurdistan Démocratie Not even the rosiest optimist predicts Party kilied 30 people and injured 50. a travel boom soon to the région, but a The government responded by step- British Company, Hinterland "lYavel, led [ ping up security, already tight, and vir- a group of tourists in their 50s and 60s tually sealing the roads into regional- on a package tour through the three; govemment-controlled tërritory to provinces administered by the régional non-Kurds. Travelers from outside the government in May. Another is sched¬ région are not allowed to pass unless a uled for September. "This is for people: Kurdish résident meets them in person interested in archaeology and history,"; and "guarantees" their stay. said the company*s owner, Geoff Hann.! Despite the May bombs, Austrian "And who are not faint of heart." 14
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