Farhad Barzani Denies Claims Made By Kurdish Media 

(The Kurdistan Observer) Sep 15, 2001. Farhad Barzani, the KDP representative in
Washington, has denied all suggestions made by recent Kurdish Media reports of serious
disagreement within the KDP leadership. 

Kurdish Media, an online news source, reported yesterday that "it is becoming obvious that 
the KDP leader, Masud Barzani, continues to control the most sensitive posts and bodies
within the party and within the Regional Government". 

A related report by Kurdish Media suggested that the Deputy Prime Minister of theKurdistan
Regional Goverment, SamiAbdulrahman, has resigned from his post and left Kurdistan for
London. 

Kurdish Media also claimed that Fazil Mirani, the former KRG Ministers of Interior, was
interrogated following the assassination of Franso Hariri. According to their report, he was
accused of negligence in discharging his responsibilities and was subsequently dismissed
from his post. 

In a telephone conversation with the Kurdistan Observer, Farhad Barzani said that "these
allegations by this media group [KN] are completely false, baseless, and fabricated". 

The KDP official said that Mr. Sami Abdulrahman has traveled to London to have an
ophthalmological operation and it is believed that he will resume his duties as Deputy Prime 
Minister within a month. Mr. Barzani added that he is in daily contact with Sami
Abulrahman, briefing him on information about Kurdish affairs from a U.S. perspective. 

The KDP representative also told the KO that cabinet reshuffling is normal 
practice in all democratically-minded administrations. 

"Mr. Mirani is one of the highest ranking KDP members. He was the first to be the Minister
of Interior. He served a 4 year term as Minister of Interior. Currently, he heads all of KDP's
political affairs. He left Kurdistan recently to represent the KDP at a meeting abroad". 
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