Kurdish meeting may change political map – analyst

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: A Kurdish analyst has expressed belief that the Kurdish leaders’ meeting in Arbil today is a step toward building new strategies that might change the political map, pointing out that the meeting coincides with calls to change Kurdish political alliances.   Analyst Reibin Rasoul told IraqiNews.com that the “region’s presidency is attempting to get to know and understand the problems and challenges facing the Kurdish alliance in Baghdad, in matters such as the oil and gas law and the implementation of article 140 of the constitution.”   “Many disappointments are facing the Kurdish leaders from the policy adopted by Premier Nouri al-Maliki on the Iranian shelling and his pro-Iran stand, as well as denial of 19-articles agreed with the Kurdish alliance,” Rasoul stated.   He stressed that the Kurdish region leadership is “seriously studying the calls of the political public to topple Maliki’s government and support Iyad Allawi in the coming era”, pointing out that “the presence of Allawi in the region and his meetings with the Kurds is no coincidence.”   A source in Kurdistan Presidency said today that a meeting between the Kurdish leaders was being held, attended by President Masoud Barzani and Premier Barham Saleh and other Kurdish leaders from Baghdad.   The source added to IraqiNews.com that Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari and Iraqi Chief of Staff Babakr Zebari attended the meeting.   The meeting discussed the differences between Baghdad and Arbil and the outcome of Iranian-Turkish shelling on Kurdish borders, as the source added.   It is expected that either a press conference shall be held or a statement issued on the results of the meeting. RM (TR)/SR 447