Barzani consults Talabani to take stance over formation of Tigris Operations Command

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The President of Kurdistan region, Masoud Barzani, said in a statement on last Monday “We will take whatever steps necessary to cancel the Tigris Operations Command as the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, is not bound by the pledges he made to the country’s president.”

He also said “We believed from the beginning that the TOC would be a major factor in further destabilizing the province and that it doesn’t serve the article 140 of the Iraqi permanent constitution as it is against the Kurds, democracy process and the spirit of co-existence.”

“Now, it has become clear that there is no commitment to the promises made to Iraqi president to suspend and cancel the decision of formation of Tigris Operations Command and normalize the situation and settling the issues,” he added, referring to al-Maliki’s promises.

“I was waiting for a while to see the results of those promises given to Iraqi president on canceling the TOC, we did not take any steps in Kurdistan region in order to see if there is any way out through dialogue,” he assured.

He said that after consultations with Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, and other officials, “we seriously take position against the unconstitutional decision, formation of TOC, and we would take necessary steps to refuse any policy motivated to impose an unconstitutional reality in the disputed territories.”

Earlier, the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, tasked the Commander of Diyala Operations Command, General Abdul Ameer al-Zaydi, to assume the responsibility of three provinces.

Zaydi stated to IraqiNews.com “Maliki, as the General Commander of the Armed Groups ordered to task me to head the Command of Diyala, Salah-il-Din and Kirkuk province under the name of Tigris Operations Command.”