President of Iraqi Kurdistan Massoud Barzani has warned the White

House that a new Iraqi dictatorship is emerging.

Kurdish Leader Warns U.S. of ‘New Iraqi Dictatorship’ (Sotal Iraq, Iraq)

“The American position should be clear, and should manifest itself as a demand that a new dictator not be permitted to emerge in Iraq. … Iraq is now confronting a real crisis. … We note that there is only one party and one group trying to consolidate power in Iraq.”

-- President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Massoud Barzani

Translated by Nicolas Dagher

April 4, 2012

Iraq - Sotal Iraq - Original Article (Arabic)

The president of the Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, insisted on Wednesday that the United States not allow the emergence of a new Iraqi “dictator.” He did so while pointing out that the “campaign” launched against Iraq’s Sunni leadership by Prime Minister Maliki reveals a fear of the potential toppling of the Assad regime [Syria].

Barazani, visiting Washington at the invitation of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, said in an interview with the Washington Post, which was monitored by Shafaaq News. During a previous visit, Barazani met President Obama and told of our desire that the U.S. withdrawal not mean a pullout of U.S. interests and America’s insistence on a "new Iraq."

[Editor's Note: Although this article cites a Washington Post interview with Barzani, no such interview has been posted at the Washington Post Web site].

Barazani said on Wednesday: "The matter is still on the U.S. president’s table," stressing that, "the American position should be clear, and should manifest itself as a demand that a new dictator not be permitted to emerge in Iraq. He said any such trend should be discouraged."

Barzani added that, “Iraq is now confronting a real crisis, despite those who believe otherwise. … We note that there is only one party and one group trying to consolidate power in Iraq.”

Referring to the situation in Syria, Barazani said, “there is war between Syria’s Alawites and Sunnis, and the aim of that war is liberation. [Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is an Alawite].

But Barzani was pessimistic about the outcome, saying, “There is no chance of an understanding between the opposition and government in that country, and I expect this war to drag on.”   

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Barazani said, “The situation in Syria is directly tied to Iraq’s, and Prime Minister Maliki is apprehensive about the fall of the Assad regime and its impact on Iraq’s Sunni-Shiite struggle. These fears explain Maliki’s campaign against Iraq’s Sunni leadership.”

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Barzani went on, “the Syrian regime is responsible for 80 percent of the terrorist massacres committed on Iraqi soil, and Maliki should be open with Iraqis victimized by those massacres.”

The relationship between Baghdad and Erbil has experienced unprecedented tension since Vice President Tarek al-Hashemi fled to Kurdistan, after the Iraqi government accused him of being involved in terrorism. Baghdad asked the Kurdistan provincial government to hand him over - but Erbil refused.

Then, during the Nawruz festival [Persian New Year], Barazani told an Iraqi satellite channel that he accused Prime Minister Maliki of overstepping his authority. That triggered a tidal wave of responses from Maliki and members of his National Assembly block.