Barazani, Obama meet over elections, unresolved issues

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: President of Iraq’s Kurdistan region Massoud al-Barazani has met with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington to discuss the upcoming parliamentary election in Iraq, according to al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper. The two officials have discussed the recent developments in Iraq and the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls, scheduled to take place on March 7, the London-based paper said on Tuesday. The meetings are also expected to tackle controversial issues between the regional government and the central government in Baghdad, the newspaper pointed out. On Monday (Jan. 15), Barazani met with Obama and his deputy Joe Biden at the White House. Barazani’s last visit to Washington was in October 2008, when George W. Bush was in office. SS (P) 2