Maliki, Saleh to meet in Baghdad soon

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: It is expected that Kurdish premier Barham Saleh will head after Eid festivities to Baghdad to meet Premier Nouri al-Maliki, media sources in Kurdistan government said here today.   The meeting will discuss a number of pending issues between the two side.   The source told IraqiNews.com that the topics to be discussed are Jalawla’ and  Khaniqin incidents and the Iranian-Turkish bombardment along Iraqi borders.   Kurdish ministers of finance and Beishmarga will accompany him, as well as a number of senior officials.   Jalawla’ and Khaniqin areas in Diala province are witnessing  tense security situations following attacks against the Kurds in the areas, which led a number of families to immigrate towards Kurdistan cities.   Kurdistan president Masoud Barzani said , during his meeting with the US ambassador James Jeffery and Commander of Alliance Forces General Austin, that “we cannot be silent against the atrocities committed against the Kurds in the disputed areas”, stressing “the importance of finding a solution to these areas”.   For the last three year, Iraqi bordering areas are witnessing Iranian and Turkish military operation under the pretext of chasing Iranian opposition group PJAK and Turkish opposition PKK members, who are stationed in the Iraqi mountains for the last 25 years.   These attacks led to tens of Iraqi casualties and material losses.   PKK party demands Turkey to grant the Kurdish people there a self-rule, which matter the previous Turkish governments rejected, but there is a new trend to grant them further cultural and social rights.   RM (TR)/SR 820