1 June 2001, Volume  4, Number  19
June 1, 2001
Iraq Report

Kurdish visits to Western capitals have been intended to extract political and security
guarantees, according to London's "Al-Hayat." But so far, these efforts have not been
crowned with enormous success. The U.S. and Britain have pledged to ensure that the
Kurdish administration continues to receive at least the same share -- 13 percent -- of the
oil-for-food program goods as it has in the past. France has sent some positive signals, the
paper said, promising to help provide assistance to keep the Kurdistan Regional Government
functioning. But encouraged by even this show of support, Irbil and Sulaymaniyah have
stepped up their contacts with Baghdad both to dispel Iraq's concerns that Kurdish unity
presages a confrontation with Baghdad and also to gain more support from that quarter.
(David Nissman)
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com