Americans to stop joint operations in North Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The United States shall stop its joint activity in Northern Iraq by the beginning of next month, the Strategic Assistant of the Commander in Chief of the American Forces in Northern Iraq , Major-General David Perkins said on Monday.   “Our Forces shall stop its activity in the joint operations in the joint operations with the military units in Kurdistan Region and the units of the central government that began last year to ease out tension between Arabs and Kurds in the areas on conflict between them,” Colonel Michael Powers told al-Hayat newspaper.   He said “the only places for the presence of the American forces shall be the centers of control and command,” adding that the American forces are not sharing in 15 out 22 checkpoints in the areas on conflict.   The first place for joint security cooperation, comprising Iraqi Army and police, the U.S. forces and the Kurdish security, belonging to the two main Kurdish Parties and the Peshmerga, had began their activity in northern Iraq in February last year.   The American Army, including 47,000 soldiers in Iraq had began its joint operations in checkpoints and patrols in Kirkuk , Ninewa and Diyala Provinces .   Noteworthy is that there are 11 areas in conflict in northern Iraq , in addition to Kirkuk , which the Kurds demand to merge it with Kurdistan Region.   SKH (IT) 660