LAST NEWS ABOUT KIRKUK/ KURDISTAN

[Anthea]

Shooter fires at protesters

An unidentified assailant on Sunday evening opened fire near a tent set up by Kurdish residents of a Kirkuk neighborhood who have been protesting an Iraqi army attempt to seize their homes. No injuries were reported

Forces of the Iraqi army have been stationed in Kirkuk city’s Newroz neighborhood since Tuesday. They have demanded families residing there to evacuate their homes on the grounds that the neighborhood is property of the defense ministry

The residents have staged sit-in protests as Kurdish officials continue their discussions with Baghdad to stop the takeover.

Security footage obtained by Rudaw shows a group of the protesters sitting outside the tent, guarded by a police vehicle and armed officers. They are seen running away in a panic after the assailant fired in their direction.

“At around 9:32 pm, several bullets were fired towards the tent, even though there are security forces present and three police cars have been assigned to protect the security of the tent,” Hemin, one of the protesters, told Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamadin.

Eyewitnesses confirmed to Rudaw that no one was injured, but complained that security forces failed to prevent the incident. The shooter was “no more than 50 meters away from the police cars,” said one eyewitness.

Kurdish officials in Baghdad have previously claimed that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani directed the army forces to withdraw from Newroz, but soldiers and Humvees are still present in the neighborhood. A large number of police cars and police officers have also been stationed in the area in recent days.

A total of 172 families, mostly Kurds, reside in the Newroz’s 122 houses. The Iraqi army has seized at least six houses of residents who were not home when the operation began and continue to occupy them to this day.

“That is my house, where my wife and children used to live,” said Dana, a resident of Newroz, pointing at his home which has been seized by Iraqi troops. “Three to four Iraqi soldiers are currently in the house, as well as two police cars to protect the situation from escalating.”

Dana was detained by Iraqi forces after asking them to leave his home and was only released after pledging not to return to the house again.

The houses in the neighborhood were previously inhabited by members of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath party. After the fall of the regime, Kurdish families from Kirkuk who were displaced to other parts of the country, returned to the neighborhood and took up residence in those houses.

Paul Bremer, the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority which oversaw Iraq after 2003, issued a decree to register these houses as properties of the finance ministry.

A decree issued by the former Kirkuk provincial council granted the families the right to remain in the houses until the federal government provided them with compensation.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/070120243

[Anthea]

Iraqi army to withdraw

The Iraqi army is set to withdraw from a disputed Kirkuk neighborhood after Kurdish residents protested attempts to seize their homes, Iraq’s justice minister said on Saturday.

Forces of the Iraqi army have been stationed in Kirkuk city’s Newroz neighborhood since early January, demanding families residing there to evacuate their homes on the grounds that the neighborhood is the official property of the defense ministry.

Residents of the neighborhood have staged sit-in protests in response as Kurdish officials in Baghdad continue discussions to stop the takeover.

“The army’s interference in the houses of the neighborhood will be removed and they must withdraw from the houses that they are in,” Iraqi Justice Minister Khalid Shwani, a Kurd, told Rudaw on Saturday, expressing his support for a decision by the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers to cease the operation.

Shwani said that representatives of the neighborhood are in Baghdad and have arranged a meeting with the secretariat, with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the dispute.

A total of 172 families, mostly Kurds, reside in Newroz’s 122 houses. The Iraqi army has seized at least six houses of residents who were not at home when the operation began and have continued to occupy them to this day.

Houses in the neighborhood were previously inhabited Kurds before being pushed out by members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party. After the fall of the regime, Kurdish families from Kirkuk who were displaced to other parts of the country returned and took up residence in those houses

Paul Bremer, the administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority which oversaw Iraq after 2003, issued a decree to register these houses as properties of the finance ministry.

A decree issued by the former Kirkuk provincial council granted the families the right to remain in the houses until the federal government provided them with compensation.

Last week, an unidentified assailant opened fire near a tent set up by Kurdish residents of the neighborhood protesting the decision to seize their homes.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/14012024

[Anthea]

Kirkuk's Newroz Neighborhood Dispute

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Government (KRG) has called for legal avenues to address the ongoing challenges in Kirkuk's Newroz neighborhood, an official said on Tuesday

Following a three-hour meeting with representatives from Newroz neighborhood, which has recently experienced attacks by Iraqi armed forces, the KRG restated its support for a legal resolution to the matter.

Speaking at a press conference, the head of the the general board for the Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region underscored the KRG's dedication to resolving the issue based on legal principles, firmly rejecting the use of force or armed intervention against the local residents.

Key points emphasized during the press conference included the acknowledgment that the dispute falls within the legal jurisdiction of civil institutions, the local government, the provincial council, and relevant ministries. The involvement of armed forces, such as Hashd al-Shaabi and the Iraqi army, was dismissed as unrelated to the case.

The KRG called for the withdrawal of military presence from Newroz neighborhood, emphasizing the crucial role of legal and civilian authorities in resolving the issue.

"The militants, including Hashd al-Shaabi and the Iraqi army, must vacate the neighborhood, allowing legal and civilian authorities to address and resolve the problem," the KRG official stressed.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/835865

We all know that Saddam Hussein pushed the Kurds out of Kirkuk, surely after Saddam Hussein was executed all the horrors he committed should be rectified. Kirkuk should be returned to the Kurds

Not to forget the horrors of Anfal

The Kurds should be well compensated for the slaughter committed by Saddam Hussein

If the US really wanted to help Kurds (which I doubt very much) they could help Kurds get their lands back from the thieving Iraqis

[Anthea]

Security to be handled by Iraqi police

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The internal security of the oil-rich Kirkuk province is set to be handled by the Iraqi federal police, amid repeated calls for less army intervention in security affairs, the interior minister announced on Thursday

Iraqi Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari visited Kirkuk province on Thursday and met with local officials to discuss the security situation in the multi-ethnic city that had recently witnessed its latest provincial election in a decade.

The internal security of Kirkuk city and Hawija district, which once was believed to be a hotbed for various extremist groups, will be handled by the Iraqi federal police directorate, Shammari said.

Following the 2017 ouster of Peshmerga forces by the Iraqi army and Iranian-backed militias in Kirkuk and other disputed territories, the Iraqi government deployed various armed forces in Kirkuk, including elite forces, prompting anger among local populations for repeated raids on Kurdish neighborhoods

The Iraqi forces seized control of several buildings belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which spearheaded the independence referendum in 2017 in the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad.

The remarks come as Iraq, despite repeated claims that threats from terrorism have waned, still experiences sporadic attacks by the ISIS remnants, whose self-styled caliphate was toppled in 2017 by the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces with support from US-led Coalition against ISIS.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/33 ... s-minister

Kurds are at far more risk from the Iraqis than from ISIS

Iraq STOLE Kirkuk to prevent Kurdistan from becoming Independent

[Anthea]

IED explosion kills man, injures son

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – One person was killed and another injured on Friday by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Jawal Bor area in northeastern Kirkuk

A reliable source from Kirkuk police told Kurdistan24 that the victims were a father and son. The source identified the deceased as Aziz Shahaza Issa and the injured as Mustafa.

The police source also said that they went to the area to pick herbs, and the IED appears to have been planted by ISIS fighters, who have committed several terrorist acts in the past and used the valleys for their operations.

Since ISIS's self-styled caliphate was destroyed by Kurdish, Iraqi, and international forces, it has regrouped in remote parts of the country. It continues to carry out hit-and-run attacks against security forces and civilians.

The Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces regularly conduct joint operations with Iraqi forces against ISIS in the so-called "disputed territories" between Erbil and Baghdad, where the group is most active.

ISIS has exploited security gaps along the border of the Kurdistan region of Iraq between Iraqi armed and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to continue attacks and resupply its militants in desert and mountainous areas.

These gaps were created following the Kurdistan Region's 2017 independence referendum after Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) pushed the Peshmerga out of the disputed territories. Since then, ISIS has exploited this large security vacuum between the Iraqi and Kurdish armed forces.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/34 ... nce-%C2%A0

Additional reporting by Kurdistan24 reporter in Kirkuk Hemin Dalo

[Anthea]

Arabization Directive

The Baghdad-appointed governor of Kirkuk, Rakan al-Jabouri, has stirred debate with his latest decision aimed at solidifying the Arabization process in the disputed (stolen) Kurdish province

In a directive addressed to administrative and security entities within Kirkuk province, Jabouri has instructed them to cease referring to displaced individuals in the region, who are non-indigenous Arabs, as refugees, a move considered to be part of the Arabization campaign in the disputed territories, according to Kurdistan 24.

In letter No. 734 dated March 5, 2024, the governor emphasized that residents of Kirkuk, regardless of their origins, should be regarded as native inhabitants of the province. This directive, according to Jabouri, aligns with the Iraqi government's agenda and a recent meeting held at the Kirkuk governor's office to address refugee affairs.

The move sparked controversy as it grants legitimacy to non-indigenous Arabs who were resettled in Kurdish areas of Kirkuk, effectively categorizing them as indigenous residents. Critics argue that this decision undermines the historical and demographic composition of Kirkuk, where Kurdish populations have long been marginalized by forced demographic changes

Jabouri’s directive reflects a broader trend of Arabization policies implemented in Kirkuk, aimed at altering the demographic makeup of the region. Such measures have been a source of tension between Kurdish and Arab communities, fueling ongoing disputes over land ownership and political representation.

The decision to recognize displaced Arabs as indigenous citizens of Kirkuk is likely to exacerbate existing tensions and further complicate efforts to achieve stability and reconciliation in the ethnically diverse province

Rakan al-Jabouri assumed the role of governor of Kirkuk after Iraqi forces and pro-Iranian Hashd al-Shaabi militias intervened militarily in the disputed Kurdish territories in October 2017.

This event exacerbates the longstanding grievances of Kurds in Kirkuk and neighboring areas, marked by ongoing Arabization efforts since Iraqi forces and pro-Iranian Hashd al-Shaabi gained control of the disputed territories in 2017.

Kirkuk has historically been a focal point of demographic manipulation, notably during Saddam Hussein's Baath regime in the 1980s, when thousands of Arab families were relocated to the city as part of a crackdown on the Kurdish population.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/842077

Those relocated to Kirkuk (and their descendants) by Saddam Hussein's regime, should be REMOVED

[Anthea]

Regarding Kirkuk governorship

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Turkmen parliamentarian Arshad al-Salihi told Kurdistan24 that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has a project regarding the Kirkuk governorship and may submit it after returning from the United States

“We as Turkmen parties in Kirkuk have proposed to the Iraqi Prime Minister that the governor's post should rotate among the different communities in the city,” al-Salihi said.

He also stated that if a party assumes the role of governor, it is required to relinquish other positions within the city and make them available to other parties.

The parliamentarian explained that the framework of the discussion is not only related to the post of the governor but also to the issues and security posts in Kirkuk and how they will be distributed among the various parties.

On Feb. 4, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in a top meeting agreed to nominate a Kurdish candidate for the Kirkuk governorship.

Saadi Ahmed Pira, the spokesperson for the PUK, on Feb. 17 confirmed that to Kurdistan24.

Following the ouster of the Iraqi regime's dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, the first Kurdish governor was appointed to Kirkuk following the 2005 provincial elections.

In a decade, Iraq was able to hold a new provincial election across 15 Iraqi provinces on Dec. 18.

The election turnout stood at 41 percent, a decrease from the 2013 provincial election turnout of 50 percent.

The low turnout partially contributed to the boycott of the elections by several Iraqi parties, including the Sadrists. Moqtada Al-Sadr, the Shiite firebrand, extended his gratitude to the boycotters.

The low turnout partially contributed to the boycott of the elections by several Iraqi parties, including the Sadrists. Moqtada Al-Sadr, the Shiite firebrand, extended his gratitude to the boycotters.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) does not monitor the elections, as the Iraqi government did not request the UN to supervise the polls.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/34 ... amentarian

The thieving Iraqis should NOT be allowed to participate in any political activities within Kirkuk

Stealing Kurdish homes, lands, businesses and farms certainly should NOT Iraqis any rights within Kirkuk, apart from the right to give back everything they have stolen, compensate the original Kurdish owners and leave Kirkuk to the Kurds

[Anthea]

Kirkuk at risk of demographic change

A Kurdish official said on Thursday that over 92,000 Arabs were relocated to Kirkuk since 2017, urging Kurdish political leaders to work to stop what he labeled as “new Arabization.”

Fahmi Burhan, the head of the Kurdistan Region’s board for disputed territories, told Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih that according to unofficial data they have collected, over 92,000 Ara Iraqis have been relocated to Kirkuk since October 16, 2017, adding that their relocation poses a serious threat to the disputed city’s demography.

“The Arabs that are relocated to Kirkuk are transferring their national identification card and information card to Kirkuk and permanently settling there, and this is dangerous for Kurds,” he said

Burhan underscored the danger of the ongoing process in Kirkuk and called on the Kurdish leadership to develop measures to prevent what he described as a “new Arabization” process.

Kirkuk is part of the disputed areas that come under Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, The article should have been implemented by 2007 alongside a referendum where Kirkuk residents could express their will to either join the Kurdistan Region or remain under the rule of the Iraqi federal government.

The Arabization movement was part of Hussein’s Baathist regime campaign against the Kurds, and consisted of Arab families being resettled to disputed areas in hopes of establishing an Arab demographic majority, pushing Kurdish families out in the process. Kurdish language and culture were effectively banned as part of the Arabization policy

Burhan noted that the ongoing Arabization movement in Kirkuk and other disputed areas is a continuation of the Baathist campaign, noting that “However, this new campaign is much more dangerous than all the previous stages of Arabization, since previously Arabization was openly discussed in the media of the Baath regime, but now it is decided and implemented in secret and in closed rooms.”

The Kurdish official also stated that alongside Kurds, Turkmen are also victims of the new Arabization process of the city, especially when it comes to the appointments of new civil servants.

“In the past two weeks, 60 people were appointed to the Kirkuk education directorate, but only one of them was a Kurd and another a Turkmen, the other 58 were Arabs,” Burhan said, adding that the same trend has been recorded in the appointment of police officers.

The territories disputed between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the KRG in Erbil include areas in Nineveh province, as well as the provinces of Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Diyala.

The disputed territories were once home to ethnically diverse populations, but under Baathist rule Iraq’s ethnic minority groups, including Kurds, were expelled, their land confiscated and given to Arab settlers.

Following the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime in 2003, Kirkuk had a Kurdish governor, but when federal government forces returned to the province in October 2017 following Kirkuk’s participation in Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum, Baghdad appointed Rakan al-Jabouri, a Sunni politician and head of the Arab Coalition, as acting governor. He has occupied the post for six years.

Jabouri’s tenure has been a topic of debate. He is accused by some of attempting to revive the Baathist policy of Arabization to marginalize the Kurdish population, but others praise him for breathing life back into previously neglected Arab neighborhoods.

Dizhwar Fayaq, an advisor to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told Rudaw’s Zhyar Hakim on Thursday that after seven years of Jabouri’s rule, Kurds want to reclaim the governorship of the province, an attempt to prevent the city’s demographic transformation.

“Kurds insist on getting the governorship of Kirkuk so that the demography of the area does not change in the future and the Kurds do not become a minority,” Fayaq said, stressing that a Kurdish governor would prevent a demographic change.

Provincial council elections were held on December 18 in Iraq’s 15 provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region. Kurdish political parties in Kirkuk won seven seats in the 16-seat council, Arabs won six seats and Turkmens secured two seats. A party close to Shiite militia groups won the Christian quota seat.

Nearly four months after the vote, the political parties in the city have yet to agree on appointing a governor, as each component desires the top provincial position.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/12042024