KURDISTAN NEWSLINE

Kurdish Leader Talabani Meets American Kurdish Community

August 20, 2002

Washington, D.C., August 18 – Members of the Kurdish community in Washington and surrounding areas hosted a town-hall meeting for the Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani at West Park Hotel in Virginia. Mr. Talabani expressed his deep thanks to the members of the Kurdish community in United States for their unstinting support for the cause of Kurdistan’s struggle for identity and human rights. He emphasized the pivotal role of American-Kurds and Kurdish Diaspora in general in promoting the cherished ideals of the Kurdish movement and the preservation of Kurdish culture and heritage.

In his address to the meeting, Mr. Talabani referred to his meetings with officials of the U.S. Administrations and the significance of the opposition’s representatives’ deliberations and discussions in Washington concerning the future of Iraq. He reviewed the core issues discussed and raised by the opposition delegation with senior officials of the State Department, Department of Defense and the White House during their official talks. He described the outcome of these talks as “fruitful and satisfactory”. He affirmed that the opposition delegation emphasized, in the discussions with members of the Administration, that the opposition should play a major role in shaping the future plans for Iraq in order to achieve a democratic, federal and free Iraq.

Mr. Talabani explained the position of the United Stated Government regarding security assurances for Kurdish region and the Kurdish people. He stated that he feels reassured about the continuation of the protection.

An extensive question and answer followed Mr. Talabani’s remarks. They were mainly concerned with the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan, policies of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, current developments and the future of the Kurdish question in the midst of the evolving event