Transcripts For ALJAZ Inside 20240703

A week of simmering tension erupted into violence in car cook iraq. That soft to report scourge, but to be given back. A building that had become the rocky Security Forces for venture headquarters intended by the rocky government in baghdad. As a gesture of goodwill, to courage, it let instead to a furious reaction from arabs and took men or in the minority in the city. Some say it underlines the fraudulent piece in the area and the volatility of politics in the multi ethnic province. Well be talking with, i guess in just a moment, but for his my mood, ive done what had as this report from care coke. A life is getting back to normal in the rocky city of good cook flow and such as days violence that left for dead and civil others. And just now a funeral that has been hildes for the victims in cook. And the good for you with that was imposed on saturday nights has been lifted. The highway linking could cook through the automated city of itd be that was blocked by the angry possessors has been re open. But no Security Forces had been deployed in the area to a consultant to enforce control over the city and to prevent any more confrontation between the label process. Now, on such a day, that when the instructions came from about the data to hand over the operations that headquarters in the city to the could be sent him across the quality at ups and took them on residents, inc. A coup took to the streets, protesting against the decision, saying that this is part of a d to give it more power to the, to the, to the codes. And because this time, Democratic Party in the city, on the account on the expense of their interest in the city. On the other hand, the accounts of process was pages like codes in the city at supporting the crew. At this time, democratic pulses returned to the city and also denouncing and rejecting the closer of the highway, lincoln could cook. So thatd be now, despite the fact that so yeah, so the probably minutes ago, but it does. The government has sent instructions to postpone the hand over of the operations. It hit go to the, to the code this time didnt put the quality, but then group, just as he had, especially at ups until the command residents think of the group, say that this does not guarantee an end of the crisis, because this is the claim of the problem which is handing over the headquarters to this cause this tend Democratic Party and postponing a problem, as they say, does not solve without the head for insight is 20. A typical west Coast Province has the rocks oldest oil fields and lies about 265 kilometers north of the capital bank. That its semi autonomous with a majority kurdish population. And its the most ethnically diverse province in iraq with kurdish arab tuchman and a syrian communities. But its been at the center of a power struggle for decades between Central Governments in baghdad and regional kurdish parties between 19792003. Then president s that im will say for students so call policy of our be zation, where as many as a 100000 goods with pushed out years later in 2014 Kurdish Forces took control of critical that was under joint administration with the rocky government in 2017 by dash, forces took it back when a controversial kurdish independence referendum was held. The rocky tubman front and higher because they shouldnt headed by the governor of cook. Have since publicly opposed the return of the curtis on Democratic Party to the oil rich funds. Well lets me talk guess for todays show and bank that is um it rushed the president of the house of a rocky expertise foundation and the rocky palm. And secretary general Foreign Policy advisor in or band is julia and b cho, chime journalist, and before to for dial, a leading Media Network in curtis tiny rock and in doha is a dont hockey 90 non resident fellow at the center, washington dc. I one welcome to old gentlemen. Thank you very much for joining us on inside story julian. But to try in our be, let me start with you. Whats really behind this tension and the violence between the kurdish and communities in kirkwood, is it just about the hand over of the former headquarters of the kurdish Democratic Party . Hello. Thank you for having made the violence incur. Cook goes back a long way. It goes back decades in the because trickle because the city with a very fragile social fabric, it is home to courage, tournaments and syria. And the recent violence mostly goes back to a decision within the last month. It will be a rocky prominence or mama. She has to dani to hand over the headquarters of your ross joint, all the joint operations to the curtis on Democratic Party so that they can return and resume Political Activities incur cook. However, the decision has been met with fierce resistance from the arab and circling components of the city school, reject it to be k, d, p. s returned to cook and say that any potential return must be dealt with through the judiciary and must be done after the rocky provisional elections on the 18th of december uh vitamins and not necessarily vitamins, but tensions in the city have really escalated since october 16th of 2017, when the courtesy region of a rock held a independence referendum which included the city of car cook, which was back to them under curtis controlled. Afterwards, a, a group of gear rocky and Popular Mobilization forces pushed out the curtis best part again, pushed down the curves from the city, which led to an escalation of, i guess you could say i could this sentiment in the city. Okay, and thats bringing ahmed, rushed in baghdad, ahmed your thoughts about the situation and why are of interest min, residents of chris coke. So pause to the return of the curtis stand Democratic Party. Well, 1st of all, i think you need to know to mean updates. Number one is that the federal Supreme Court today before the 3 hours announced a state order that prevents the rocky government from giving this headquarter, this joint Operation Headquarters to the katie. This is the 1st update. The 2nd update is that uh so donnie department is start cold. Uh, how do you see the speaker and also uh the head of the p. Okay. To try to manage things in a way ins, side to follow them, then to try to make some sort of a solution inside the font event, which means that the political process, the blogs that should be, go forward to diffuse the crisis. So those 2 updates, its very important, i think in my opinion the, the, the data. So for the question is that the took mine, it shows that we have the prevention on the elections to spend all those grass roots for that. Im going to look my needs to have some sort of hot case or lets say, uh, some sort of uh, a motive to go to the elections. So in a way, in another prevented k b b from going inside consult again. I think its will be marvelous for those boxes who are up and took man uh, and go for for making some sort of uh, joining opinion Public Opinion about going a games dictated at the same time. Its also a very good motive for katie be and also for the kurdish population inside critical to be united. And well know that p, okay is has more powerful gas roads than katie be inside. Kind of cool a bought it show that the population, the kurdish population and kind of cool also being some sort of ha, uh, smelling a dangerous thing is that if the truck man united, that means they going to get 50 plus one from the seats of the professional council elections, which will, which is supposed to be happening in the summer, but so on that way. Its not the one who actually makes the 1st a spot. I think he meant to have those uh, gen reactions to be happens. So they are political factors, here then is what youre saying and the lead up to the upcoming elections. Let me bring in as they dont, cannot in doha. Now some of suggested zayed on that this is also perhaps likely part of a Wider Campaign of, of higher smith and targeting of the kurdish in a car cook what, whats your reading of the situation and the reasons behind it . Do you agree with it that they are mostly political reasons behind . The unrest will, of course, it is a natural outcome to see the observes that there is a hostile or a target to the intention of us to lift the towards one set one component or a priority over one component over another. And the case of post a 1003. 00 iraq kind of cool is a very good example of why it would end up being as a fall and under the truck of being called, or tracked into an ethnic or secretary and conflict. And that is due to the fact that the identity polarizing political system impose 2003 rock well comes or enhances the idea that Political Parties should absorb and, and react to the political system in a way that is based on a mississippis insects. That is why whenever there is a current, theres Political Parties such as k, b, b, or even p u k. That takes over the Administration Even and agreement to the federal government and cat coke. Then kind of cool, cool, be considered as being hostile to the other components and the societies such as churchmen, inherits and vice versa, just as your guest. Right. So you mentioned that there was an perhaps, an empty tray this sentiment in 2017, upon the time when the federal government. Uh, we took a kind of quote from the control of k r g. There was also, and the arrow been empty. Churchman sentiment, and therefore it would be the issue here and kind of cool. It can be a part of an overarching issue, an iraq. And that is due to the fact that there was a structural issue in iraq in terms of the identity for the rising system. That we previously mention, and the fact that there is only one at the one in this region, not as following a federal autonomy us perspective and leaving empty closets in the constitution that is not clarified for the rest of the country. Right. All right, let me come back to you, julian, and im it rushed. He mentioned that the reasons are political mostly because of the upcoming prevention elections. But the App Coalition in kirk coke has also said that returning this building to the k d p could put the province at risk of Security Risk once again, which they say has improved since iraqi Security Forces to cover. So theyre worried that a Security Code worst, and if the katie pay it k, d p was to return, well, what is the Current Situation as far as security is concerned . And is that concerned justified by the coalition . Absolutely. So right now as care coke is under the control of iraq and federal government. And prior previous to the window was positive control of the curtis, the Regional Government, both sides of claim that they have the types of security of car cook. So all the so back when turco cos under k, r, do you control the, the uh, the government and chromebook basically said that because the k r g is here now because it good especially right there are the ones were enforcing security. Theres been a decline in terrace activities, and there has been an overall increase in security. However, after it was taken by the Rocket Forces iraq, it forces, as well as the claim that there has been a, an increase in security and a decline in terrorist activities. An overall decline and crime, so both sides really disrupt a narrative that plays into their own benefits. Im the headquarters of the joint operations command. Its on the air bill cook road and that is where the whole point of sale protests was. Before 2017, when k d. P withdrew from craig cook. They said that we will not return to care quote, even though its all the other. Curtis Political Parties still exist there. They say who the can you be said that we will not return because the city is occupied by you see, i know this is affiliated with are wrong. But the, the, so the headquarters of the joint operations come out and used to be actually the headquarters became the leadership council, right, in terms of the security situation in kirkwood as previously mentioned, both sides claim that there they find protects the security the most right. Im addressed to your thoughts on this and also about some of the grievances of occurred. Say they say that the governor pointed by baghdad has been serving the abs population in the community more in kirkwood and neglecting them. Well, of all those claims, actually in the hands of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister made some sort of, uh, uh, surveys about all the government himself, all iraq, you, provence, is one of them, the province or the trickle provence. And it show that the out of government, of them has some sort of a success in making some sort of, uh, providing uh, services. Uh for the people that both of the same time that im not for the, according to the codes according to the codes. Its not about infrastructure projects, its more about security and whats happening with the joint Operation Headquarters. Its already, its supposed to be hand hand over to the k b b according to a deal happen between the crudest on the negation that made a deal with the Prime Minister. So don e before about 3 months and it, and thats why the budget actually have been voltage uh, peacefully and small, see because that where a d and there was a deal between the 2 box about one of them went up to one of the items of the deal is that had to go over this headquarters, this joint venture a joint operation, had a had to quote the whats the most important thing. It looks like that the truck man inc. Kinda cool. It looks like someone behind them push them to try to stop k b b from taking a day at this headquartered, right, the metal, someone who can be and at the same time and at the same time push the so pretty of called the for that also pretty of called to a no such a state or the to present the Prime Minister. But from us thats what im wondering, which one youre talking about it, are they external forces . External site is also at play here . Well, it looks like the blogs, the, the political blocks that enter kurdish went out to, to went to the Prime Minister. Tried to convince him is that its not try to make all the deals come out to complete all the deal with the katy beach or with the kurdish side that its supposed to be signed or what before 3 months before the voting for the uh for the budget, so it looks like it looks like i dont know for sure that those books inside the apartment for talked to, to get a state or from the federal superior court to present to donnie from doing anything and kind of cool. So thats why so dining now calling i do see calling buffalo. Busy the head of p, o. K, a tried to manage things in a way to convince the blocks to convince the bullets a couple blocks to try to diffuse the crisis with the katie be. Let me put that same question to of the said on all county as they dont of the prime it is to awesome dani when he to power last year. I did say that he wanted to improve relations between his government and the katy paid k d p. And you know, agreed to, to allow the katie peter, to reopen his headquarters at an incorrect quote, whos preventing him from improving relations. And again, all the external factors, because some have pointed the finger at yvonne is that, is that a concern . Is that justified a well yeah, 11. 00 elias to look out that wouldnt to be in an support or in favor of allowing k d p to expand that. And so when its in kind of cool or and other areas would be the lions thought put upon them the stairs are dining and power from the 1st place and allowed the governmental information to take place under his rain and daughters. The alliance between the coordination framework, which includes under the co parties that have their arm to groups within the Popular Mobilization forces which enter its kind of cool in 2017, alongside their car, the allies, the p u. K which is accused by their target drive, ok, vp off giving away or giving up kind of cool to the federal iraq, the government and the Popular Mobilization forces at the time. So that is definitely uh, one side of the argument or one side of that is easy to be pointed out when considering who is pushing or convincing of the Prime Minister at do not allow k b p to retake a full control of capital a. So as a don, how do you see this affecting the talks between the Central Government in baghdad and occurs to, to settle the, the, the issues that remain unsettled between the 2 sides. It will significantly affected the itd be the relations that is not only uh, limited by the, the oil or the economic aspects which includes uh, the budget and the, the salaries here. Its also heavy impacted by the uh, geo political factor. Kind of cool uh can be said to be the most important topic to be looked at when analyzing were assessing the itll be by the bad relations. In fact, falling into the trap. Often in truck, kurdish political competition has also visible to that in previous months or years during the delays of the governmental formation, we noticed that in the delays of having the p k and k b p the to card the tribals and not agreeing and then naming or pointing to be because of the share and the end, the rocky federal government to political system. And that was the presidency at the time. This might be dragging back the itd be about about the relations box. Were letting a, putting the balls back into the court of the in truck car edition, political rivalry and truck group. Political competition, in fact, has been an interesting factor to look out to and assessing a post 2003 rocky political stability rather than that to be into a group rivalries, which is why kind of cool should be overlooked. Not just as an ethnic or secretary an issue, but it can also be looked as a political issue, the internal Group Competition a y, a wide or political issue. And i do want to ask you about this julian. Uh is a don mentioned the interact kurdish political competition to what extent is that undermined the power and the influence of the kurdish region on a 40 and how do you see this current matcher income of being results can the codes, the arabs and the tooth when craigs this peacefully in the province. Yes, so obviously with a, with a united curtis body. So that means that the curtis on Democratic Party and the patriarch unit of curtis on being on the same day based have to have the very strong chance in, for example, performing great to add the rocky provincial elections incur cooke. But unfortunately, the reality now that we have seen over the past months is that the relations between the k b, b and b, u. K, have deteriorated with somebody from saying that they have that they have deteriorate, done all time low. This really jeopardizes against any, any potential use of the curtis that Regional Government could make and cook. And especially with regard to the rocky prevention elections, to the whole idea of the cage be returning to greg cook right now within these, this time period was so they could contest the rocky provincial elections. That could be, that is a dangerous thing for the arab and the direct man component of the city. And they would do their best to prevent that from happening. Because a k d p return could potentially need that. They will end up winning seats and the local councils of the city which could eventually result in denver of placing. Ive seen governor rock kind of jubilee has been accused of reversing like aero, by zation policies of uh, basically promoting everybodys agent uh, policies and has been accused of neglecting curtis neighborhoods in kirkwood more in favor of the arab. Once this finds all the progress that he has made, as shown by a survey, by the iraqi government. But the whole idea is that right now, thats where youd be and to be k, r, unfortunately on bad terms. And this does not signify something good for the k r g. When it comes to dealing with a whole cook situation. And also this put and bring me jeopardize relations between the k r g. I the rocket federal government because asper agreements made months ago as a headquarters at the joint operations committed to add to other offices incur coke has to be returned to the k d b. So okay, the reason the federal Supreme Court decision by suspending that a good may basically enforcing k d p designation board about that. Okay. Like uh and just to indicate that this is not what they agreed on and let me ask advice. The voice thoughts about this im it can because the abs and it took me and coexist peacefully in incur coke. Or are you concerned that the situation could get out of control in the need up to the prevention elections . I dont think so in a way or another, its a, this crisis shows the how much important the is going to sit, teen coke. And how much important the alliance between the crowds and between data and the total command against the crowds. And it looks like the next election, the prevention elections who pave the way for new future to kind of cool more up to, to command kind of cool was encourage kind of quote and it looks like that because the vision or lets say at least the surveys and to start to stick out on us just shows that the out up the to the client, they will still united will go forward Fraud Prevention elections will get 50 plus one seats. That means the government will be a big definitely. So it show you that all those managing things, all those procedures. And on the other side, the curtis side precisely the k b, b, a very curious to manage those things. But the problem is that the kurdish lists divide it in kind of cool. They are not united on one flag on one issue just its, its it that whats happened to the katie b, it has its own list for you guys. It has its own lists and car. Cool. So it show you that all those a crisis will be managed or will be rolling just on an ice pool. Its okay to reach to the day of elections in kirkland. Okay. Your thoughts about this . They don, do you see the situation getting out of control in the lead up to the prevention of the election, or do you think as the, im at that to the crisis can be managed. Because thats trying to be managed. If the Political Parties or the political costs, including the ones and government, due respect to that democracy, as is based on the votes and not on pre determined to positions, particularly when these positions are identity. Pablo rise from Political Parties that have been significantly known for not being popular in the rocket streets across the spectrum. However, if, as political agreements on a p, determining a political positions and different provinces including kind of coke will continue to take place without acknowledging the fact that there are elections to determine who will be covering this problems, then the issue will escalate further. Okay, ill give you the last word julian, what needs to happen for the situation to, to remain calm for uh, you know, that the, the communities there to coexist peacefully in the lead up to these elections. And i, as i asked and, and as a don, do you think this can be managed by the Central Government in back that yes. So the reality is that in a multi ethnic care coke with a social traffic is so easily jeopardize the, the rocky government truly needs to pay to sit down with the components inside ker cook to come up with solutions. Come up with proposals before actually enforcing them. This was a mistake that we saw pre uh, from mr. Mama, she us who the barney make when he decided to head over the joint Operations Headquarters without consulting the people of car coke. Yesterday the shop saw that hes the head of the iraqi tournaments front, which is the largest turn. I broke the block in the Iraqi Parliament in a press conference set that any decision regarding critical has to be done through dialogue with direct groups components. So the only real way for this situation cook to be slightly managed, heading off to the rocky permission of elections. As far as i have people to be formed as representatives of all communities to come up to a solution. So that at least can exist in the city and that the elections can be done that can be conducted thoroughly and without parts. Thank you very much gentlemen, for shedding light on what is a very complicated issue in iraq. Thank you. I made rusty julia and richard ends. They dont all cannot eat. And thank you as well for watching. You can always watch this program again any time by visiting our website at all, which is 0 dot com for further discussion. Go to our Facebook Page at facebook dot com forward slash a j inside story. And of course you can join the conversation on x, formerly known as twitter handle. Is that a j inside story for me, for the back to buttonhole team here in doha, thanks for watching bye for news. The under comfort reporting. Exclusive stories explosive results, which is 0 investigations. How does one forgave . After losing 32 family members in a anus mexico, a survivor of one of columbias 50 year long conflicts west atrocities dedicates his life to reconciliation. With this peaceful says around him, nina palazzios, life and mission, are in jeopardy. Witness book higher court in the cross 5 on i, which is here on or in the united nation. The power to transcend would i want to tell people not only himself to the needs, but im african m, the legend world that opens up on his remarkable gem. From the child refugee to leading south to the basketball world. I felt that it was important that i give back. I felt that it was part of what i had for the Generation School on our with the ones facing great to people in the reset to has this is g 20 summit. Could the applicants who needs to be granted a full membership and will that be should be enough to unify the leaders who gathering denny against the backdrop of the war. And you create the g, which is on the the color on tell them to try this and use our line from coming off in the next 60 minutes. The us goals for an in todays have been fighting between its allies and northeast and syria wanting it could lead to her research and of iso as well as Prime Minister clothes for the immediate deep