Talabani's son critical of Iraq study suggestions

Washington, Dec 7: The son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani criticised a US panel's view that government control in Iraq should remain firmly centralised rather than granting more power to the regions.

Qubad Talabani, who is the Kurdistan representative in Washington, said that recommendation alarmed many in the Kurdish north who were pushing for more autonomy.

''Many of us feel that centralised tyrannies have led us to what we have today, which is a failed state,'' said the younger Talabani in a telephone interview, adding he was not speaking on behalf of his father.

The report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, led by former US Secretary of State James Baker, said the costs associated with devolving Iraq into three semiautonomous regions with loose central control would be too high.

''The United States should support as much as possible central control by governmental authorities in Baghdad, particularly on the question of oil revenues,'' said the report, which was released yesterday.

Senior Iraqi oil industry officials have pressed for Iraq's national oil company to centralise revenue distribution, but Kurdish leaders have aggressively sought independent oil asset control, the report said.

The issue of how powers are divided between Baghdad and the regions is at the heart of bitter sectarian and ethnic disputes in Iraq.

Talabani also took issue with the report's suggestion that Iraq's problems should be tackled from a regional perspective, with neighbors Iran and Syria playing a role.

''We believe that Iraq's problems can be resolved by Iraqis alone,'' said Talabani, who echoed the US view that Iran and Syria were meddling in Iran's affairs.

He said Iran and Syria's cooperation should be linked to practical issues such as securing border areas rather than on political issues.

''They should not get involved in the nuts and bolts of what is happening in Iraq,'' he said.

Control of Iraq's biggest northern oil field in Kirkuk is a source of tension. The field lies outside the current Kurdish region but Kurds want a referendum to bring it into their area.

The Iraq report said the risk of further violence sparked by a Kirkuk referendum was great.

''It is in no one's interest to keep kicking this can down the road while tensions are brewing over Kirkuk. We have to resolve it,'' said Talabani, referring to the Kurds' call for a referendum.

Reuters

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