Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 OctOber 2017
Iraqi militias spokesman: Kurdish leader ‘worse’ than IS AP: 3 Syria rebel
groups agree to
By PHILIP ISSA against IS. zone.The PMF consists of land must be thrown out. Damascus truce
Associated Press Barzani “is more danger- mainly Shiite Arab militias, We do not discriminate be-
BAGHDAD (AP) — The ous than Daesh because many of which are backed tween Daesh and anyone BEIRUT (AP) — Three Syrian
spokesman of Iraq’s state- he comes from within Iraq,” by neighboring Iran. Iraq, else in this manner,” al-Nouri opposition factions have
sanctioned militias on Thurs- said al-Nouri, using the Ara- Iran and neighboring Tur- told The Associated Press. agreed to cease fire in
day described the Kurdish bic term for IS. key have all rejected the He said the militias have no southern Damascus under
leader behind last month’s Last month’s non-binding referendum and insist Iraq’s immediate plans to move an agreement brokered
vote for independence as referendum, in which more borders will not be redrawn. on the city, and would fol- by Egypt and Russia that
“worse” than the Islamic than 90 percent voted for Al-Nouri accused Kurdish low orders from Baghdad. was not signed by the Syr-
State group, but said the independence, escalated forces known as the pesh- But other commanders sug- ian government, officials
militias have no immediate long-running tensions be- merga of “occupying” eth- gested clashes were on the said Thursday.
plans to take military ac- tween the autonomous nically mixed Kirkuk and horizon.“I think Kirkuk will The deal did not specify
tion. Kurdish region and the “stealing the oil wells.” The stay Iraqi, and there will be the area, but the three reb-
Karim al-Nouri, spokesman central government over peshmerga assumed con- a major sacrifice to retake el groups control a pocket
for the Popular Mobiliza- the sharing of oil wealth trol of Kirkuk in the summer Kirkuk, after the approval south of Damascus that
tion Forces, accused the and the fate of disputed of 2014, when the Islamic of the Iraqi government,” is adjacent to areas con-
Kurdish regional president, territories like the oil-rich State group swept across said Rayan al-Kaldani, trolled by the Islamic State
Masoud Barzani, of be- city of Kirkuk, which is held northern Iraq and the Iraqi commander of the Baby- group. The deal would al-
having like the leader of a by Kurdish forces but lies military crumbled. lon Movement, a Christian low for humanitarian ac-
fifth column during the war outside their autonomous “Anyone occupying Iraqi militia in the PMF.q cess but, unlike other simi-
Palestinian rivals reach preliminary deal on Gaza lar agreements, would not
involve the relocation of
militants or residents.
By HAMZA HENDAWI Several such deals in re-
FARES AKRAM cent years have involved
Associated Press bussing tens of thousands
CAIRO (AP) — Palestinian of people to the rebel-held
rivals Fatah and Hamas Idlib province, in northwest-
reached a preliminary ern Syria. The opposition
agreement Thursday that has accused the govern-
could return the Gaza ment of forced displace-
Strip to President Mah- ment, charges denied
moud Abbas’ control and by Syrian officials.Egypt’s
ease a decade-old Israeli- state-run MENA news
Egyptian blockade of the agency said the deal did
coastal territory, but past not include the Syrian gov-
attempts at unity have ernment. Russia has been
foundered on key issues a main backer of Presi-
that remain unresolved. dent Bashar Assad’s gov-
The deal was announced ernment, while Egypt has
at a news conference in maintained intelligence
Cairo, where negotiators and security cooperation
have been meeting, and with the government since
Hamas leader Ismail Hani- 2013.“The residents of this
yeh said it was reached area will stay in their homes
under “generous Egyptian and this (deal) will lift the
auspices,” without elabo- siege and cease the fire,”
rating. Egypt has been Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad, center right, and Hamas’ representative, Saleh al-Arouri, Mohammed Alloush, of the
eager to show progress in center left, sign a reconciliation deal during a short ceremony at the Egyptian intelligence com- Army of Islam rebel group,
unity talks, and both Pales- plex in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. said by telephone. He
tinian factions face pres- (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) confirmed that the Army
sure to resolve their differ- erty,” said Waed Mesa- cupied West Bank. presidential guard would of Islam, Jaysh al-Ababil
ences. meh. Over the past decade, assume control of the Ra- and Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis,
The sides have tried, and A senior Palestinian official each side deepened con- fah crossing between which is linked to the Pales-
failed, to reach reconcili- said Abbas, the leader of trol over its territory, mak- Gaza and Egypt, but did tinian Hamas group, were
ation several times before, Fatah, might visit Gaza in ing it increasingly difficult not specify a timetable. part of the agreement.
but even with such skepti- the coming weeks, de- to forge compromises, and “The Rafah crossing needs MENA said the deal was
cism Palestinians celebrat- pending on the success- repeated attempts at rec- some measures to improve signed at the intelligence
ed Thursday’s announce- ful implementation of the onciliation failed. and renovate the build- headquarters in Cairo ear-
ment. agreement. The official Under the emerging agree- ings,” al-Ahmad said dur- ly Thursday and went into
“This is the dream and the spoke on condition of ano- ment, Hamas would hand ing the announcement of effect at noon.It said the
ambition of every patriotic nymity ahead of the formal over responsibilities of gov- the deal. crossings south of Damas-
and honorable Palestinian, announcement. erning Gaza to the West A permanent opening of cus will remain open for
to reach unification,” said The Western-backed Ab- Bank-based government of the Rafah crossing would humanitarian access and
Ramallah resident Jawad bas hasn’t set foot in Gaza Prime Minister Rami Ham- mean an end to the crip- said other opposition fac-
Abu Shaikha. since 2007, when the Islam- dallah. pling Israeli and Egyp- tions have been invited to
In Gaza, residents took to ic militant Hamas, his main Azzam al-Ahmad, head of tian blockade imposed join the cease-fire.The deal
the streets to rejoice. “I ideological rival, seized the the Fatah delegation, said on Gaza after the Hamas came as Syrian opposition
hope there will be imple- territory after days of fac- Abbas’ Palestinian Author- takeover, which prevents activists said government
mentation on the ground tional street battles. The ity would assume control free trade and bars the troops are pushing deeper
for the issues agreed upon, Hamas takeover left Abbas of the crossing points be- vast majority of Gaza’s 2 into an IS stronghold in the
because we are truly tired in control of autonomous tween Gaza and Israel million people from leaving country’s east, the town of
from the division and pov- enclaves in the Israeli-oc- by Nov. 1. He said Abbas’ the territory.q Mayadeen. q