MESOP : AN US STATES PASSPORT-HOLDER & PUK MEMBER WITH A DIRECT LINK TO TEHRAN

No One Can Remove Peshmerga: Kirkuk Governor

07.09.2014 – Diyar Aziz – BasNews, Istanbul – The governor of Kirkuk, the ethnically diverse city in Northern Iraq, has rejected reports that he’s against Peshmerga forces remaining in the city and has said that they won’t allow any militia groups to enter the city. Najmadin Karim the governor of Kirkuk and a senior official of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) talked exclusively to BasNews after the Istanbul Oil and Gas Conference.

In June when Islamic State (IS) militants attacked Kirkuk, the Iraqi army withdrew from the city and Kurdish Peshmerga forces took their place, with the aim of preventing IS taking over the city. Last week Shiite Badr Brigade leader Hadi al-Amri demanded the Peshmerga leave Kirkuk. The Kurdistan Regional Government responded and rejected the request, stating that Peshmerga would remain in the disputed area.

“We won’t allow any militia to enter Kirkuk, without our approval. Currently Peshmerga forces and security and police forces are in the city,” said Karim. He said that Peshmerga forces have been based in Kirkuk since 2003 and their number has increased over recent years. “Currently the security situation in Kirkuk is stable and Peshmerga will remain in the city as long as they want,” added the Kirkuk governor, who holds an American passport.He said that Kirkuk needs Peshmerga to protect it from the Jihadi group and no one can call on them to leave the city.  “Kirkukis trust Peshmerga and they know they won’t leave them behind. People haven’t had a good experience with the Iraqi army, as they deserted people in Mosul, Tikrit and Hawija when IS arrived,” explained Karim.