(The Kurdistan Observer) Dec 22, 2001. An informed Kurdish source in the
city of Dohuk in South Kurdistan  revealed that the Iraqi leadership has
conducted talks with officials of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) over
the past a few days  regarding the security of the region, reported the Arabic
newspaper Sharq Al-Awsat yesterday.

The source indicated that a high level delegation from the Iraqi Defense
Ministry attempted to convince the Kurdish authorities that they should allow
the establishment of an Iraqi security post inside Kurdish-administered
Southern Kurdistan to monitor the movements of the Turkish army along the
border areas between Northern and Southern Kurdistan, indicating that the
Iraqi army will deter any attempt of the Turkish army to occupy Southern
Kurdistan.

The KDP refused the Iraqi demand and ordered its forces to be vigilant of the
Iraqi army movements in the areas of Southern Kurdistan bordering with Iraq.

Many Kurdish sources in Kurdistan have surmised that rather than defend against Turkey, Iraq has coordinated a plan of full  cooperation with the Turkish regime.  According to the plan, the  Turkish forces would occupy part of Southern Kurdistan to give  Saddam's army a pretext to interfere and recapture the Kurdish-administered regions of Southern Kurdistan.