KDP and PUK in Washington to jointly declare concern on situation in northern Iraq 

Ankara - Turkish Daily News 
Oct 2, 2001

As all eyes turn on developments concerning Iraq in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack
against the United States, Washington is preparing for a joint meeting with the
representatives of the two rival Iraqi Kurdish factions, the Celal Talabani-led Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan and Mesud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Barham Saleh of the
PUK and Hoshyar Zebari of the KDP will meet with various state department and
government officials. 

The Iraqi Kurds, in an aim to explore the new situation in the aftermath of the Sept. 11
attack, will reportedly express their concerns regarding the situation in northern Iraq. 

"It is not a trilateral meeting but this is a bilateral discussion between the Iraqi kurds and the
U.S. officials", Saleh told the Turkish Daily News. 

"Turkey's attitude and policies are important for the security and stability of our region. We
want our Turkish friends to be aware of the situation in the region," Saleh stated. 

On his way to Washington, Saleh stopped in Ankara and launched talks with Turkish
officials from the foreign ministry and the General Staff. 

"We need stability and we identify Turkey as a key regional player in assuring our stability.
We believe that our interest lies in close partnership with the secular and democratic
Turkey. Also we very well understand Turkish security and political concerns. We are
committed to Iraqi territorial integrity. 

"There will be implications of the Sept. 11 attack for both the Kurds and Iraq. We will seek
the answers to the questions about possible U.S. policy options." 

"Sept. 11 has had many implications for northern Iraq and it seems that one of the major
battlefields against terrorism will be the Middle East," a leading Iraqi Kurdish official visiting
Ankara told the TDN on Monday. 

Saleh, prime minister of the PUK-led government in northern Iraq, arrived in Ankara to
inform Turkish officials about recent developments in the area. It was reported that evidence
confirming Osama bin Laden's link with the Jundul-Islam group in northern Iraq will be
presented to Turkish officials in Ankara. 

Reliable sources told the TDN that the PUK prepared a broad file confirming bin Laden's
links in northern Iraq. "A Syrian student, Abu Abdulrahman, a personal envoy of bin Laden
who resides in Beria in the PUK-controlled area. is one of the senior members of the
Al-Qaeda organization. On the other hand, it was found that 34 people of Iraqi-Kurdish origin
received military training in camps in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the establishment of Jundul
Islam was a part of the international terrorism network of the Al-Qaeda organization." 

It was reported that some members of the radical fundamentalist Jundul Islam group had
been to Chechnya in 2000 and was ordered to return to northern Iraq by bin Laden on Aug.
31, 2001. Abu Jundil, bin Laden's representative, announced the formation of the Jundul
Islam group. 

Abu Abdullah, Aso Hevlevi, Omer Bizyani, Abu Katada, Eyup Afgan and Mullah Fad were
among the militants who received training in camps on sabotage and explosives and
religious training. The foreign connections of the Jundil Islam group with Al-Qaeda were also
included in the report to be presented to Turkish security officials. 

"Abu Passar and Abu Qatadifaliftben are known to be residing in London. Abu Afra Al Mufri,
on the other hand, who is an Egyptian citizen defined as bin Laden's personal secretary,
established connections with the Jundul Islam group." 
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