Barzani charges Michael Rubin with Libel
The USG Open Source Center translates a letter from Kurdistan Regional Authority leader Massoud Barzani slamming the Hawlati newspaper for having published in Kurdish an article by Neoconservative operative Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute, which had accused Barzani and Iraqi president Jalal Talabani of embezzling large sums of money. Barzani offers to give half of the money Rubin charged him with squirreling away to Rubin if the latter can give proof of his charges. There had been reports that Jalal Talabani was suing Hawlati for libel over the Rubin piece. Rubin is very close to the Turkish generals in Ankara, as part of his zeal for ensuring Turkey remains a close ally of Israel. The Richard Perle faction of Neoconservatives to which Rubin belongs has had lucrative consultancy deals with Turkey. By the way, Rubin served in Doug Feith's "Office of Special Plans" that played a role in generating the 935 falsehoods on the basis of which we went to war. The FBI has never properly investigated his activities in that regard.
Iraqi Kurdistan President's Office responds to article on his wealth
Hawlati
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Document Type: OSC Translated Text . . .
Iraqi Kurdistan President's Office responds to article on his wealth
Text of report entitled: "Text of message from President Barzani's office"; published by independent Iraqi Kurdish newspaper Hawlati on 20 January
To the editor in-chief of Hawlati newspaper, Honourable Kak (honorific) Abd Arif:
Greetings and regards,
Hawlati newspaper published, on 13 January 2008, in issue No 378, a report by Michael Rubin in which he says that (Kurdistan Region President Mas'ud) Barzani possesses 2bn dollars and (the Iraqi President Jalal) Talabani possesses 400m dollars.
For your information, supported and financed by the enemies of Kurds, Michael Rubin's job in Washington is simply to give bad image of the Kurds. Therefore, what can you expect from somebody whose job is only to be in opposition to the Kurds?
The publication of the report, and in such a poisonous way, proves that you have good ties with Rubin. Therefore, we would like you to contact him again, in order for him to show us where the money is and then we are ready to give you and Michael Rubin half of the sum (1bn dollars) (original parenthesis as published).
It is not strange when Michael Rubin attacks the Kurdish leadership. The strange thing is your publication of the poison he has poured out. Whom do you serve by doing this?
(Issued by) The spokesman of President Barzani's office
(Description of Source: Al-Sulaymaniyah Hawlati in Sorani Kurdish -- weekly independent newspaper)
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 1/23/2008 12:30:00 AM
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2 Comments:
The Kurds, and the Iraqi exiles who collaborated with the USA, are also close to the AEI. At least they were until recently.
The naiveté of the Kurdish leaders is extreme, particularly Barzani's. They see themselves as using the US to do what they want, not the reverse. The American bastards have great fun reinforcing that belief throughout their dealings with the Kurds, both at the official level and by the meriad advisors and "fixers" (who can't fix a thing.)
For example, the Kurds put a huge effort, and millions in fees, to persuade US corporations to build roads, hospitals, schools and a whole bunch of other facilities in Kurdistan. But they do not have money to pay for them. They want the American companies to do it for free, to gain the friendship of the Kurds!
Problems started when the USA had to make a choice between Turkey and the Kurds. The charade could no longer be maintained, and the Kurds are very hurt indeed.
Ironic, I don't he is naive, considering the fact that Presidents Talabani and Barzani have been in Iraqi Politics since the 1960's, and they have managed to build up the Kurdish base since 2003 ...
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