Iraqi MP: Peshmerga forces cannot protect Kurdistan region

BAGHDAD, – shafaaq.com – 18.11.2012 –  The member of the parliament for the State of Law bloc (SLC) MP, Abdul Salam al-Maliki called on Saturday, the Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki to form the “North Operations Command” to “protect” Kurdistan Region, stressing that the region’s guards (Peshmerga) cannot secure the province.

The MP, Maliki said in a statement reported for Shafaq News, that” I call Maliki as the commander in chief of the armed forces to form the north leadership in Erbil province in line with the constitution and the interests of the Kurdish people to protect them from the repeated Turkish violations and any other breaches that might take place in the region.”

“Kurdistan is a part of Iraq and it is the duty of the central government to defend its citizens against the ongoing Turkish violations,” adding, “We believe that the Regional Guard forces cannot secure with its potential the sovereignty of the province of those breaches, especially after the regional government demanded the central government to intervene to stop that ongoing violations.” He stressed that, “Everyone should know that the formation of the north operations leadership in Erbil is within the authority of al-Maliki,” adding that “the President of Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani is not aware in his remarks of the fact provided by the constitution and make it within the authority of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, which stipulates that it is the duties of commander in chief of the armed forces to take any necessary action to protect the sovereignty of Iraq and its people. “

He pointed out that “no one has the right to object to the formation of that leadership being a constitutional step and no one has the right to deal with the Constitution according to their personal views”, adding that “the constitution is the only thing that was agreed upon by all the blocs after the people voted on it.”

Clashes between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and and Iraqi Tigris (Dijla) Operations troops in Tuz Khormato district that took place Friday resulted in killing one civilian and wounding 13 others, according to a security source, at a time tension is disputed between Baghdad and Erbil since the formation of Dijla Operations Command.Relations between Erbil and Baghdad witnessed in turn high tensions after the government announced the formation of Dijla Operations Command in the disputed areas in Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin while the Kurdish leadership and Kirkuk Provincial Council rejected this step.