Centrifigal Forces

Fighting Over Flags

From Informed Comment:

Massoud Barzani reacted angrily to criticisms of him by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and many other Iraqi politicians for his call that the Iraqi flag not be flown in Iraqi Kurdistan.

He characterized the present Iraqi flag as that of the Baath Party, the Anfal chemical weapons campaign against the Kurds, and mass graves. He added,

If the Iraqis are not enthusiastic about creating a new flag, the Kurds also are not in a hurry on the issue . . . the time of threats has passed, and we will not accept the language of threats from anyone at all. The will of the Kurdish people will not be held hostage to others . . . The Kurdish parliament decided to remain now inside the federal framework, but at any moment the Kurdish parliament and the Kurdish people perceive it in their interest to announce independence, we will announce it without fearing anyone. . . . If we want to separate, we will do it, without hesitation or fears. . . Those who condemn it are chauvinists, escaping from internal problems.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, defended on Monday the decree issued by Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani forbidding the flying of the Iraqi flag in Iraqi Kurdistan.

On Saturday, Sunni Arab lawmaker Saleh Al Mutlaq slammed Barzani's decision.

What will be taken by force today, will be returned by force another day.

We can defend our dignity, our people and our land ... and no one should be under the illusion that he could take a tiny bit of somebody else's land.

Tribal leaders Insist Saddam Be Released

A coalition of 300 Iraqi tribal leaders on Saturday demanded the release of Saddam Hussein so he could reclaim the presidency and also called for armed resistance against U.S.-led coalition forces.

The clan chieftains, who were mostly Sunni Arabs and included the head of the 1.5 million-member al-Obeidi tribe, said they planned to hold rallies in Sunni cities throughout the country to insist that Saddam be freed and that the charges against him and his co-defendants be dropped.