Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 sepTember 2017
Interpol approves Palestinian membership, angering Israel

By ANGELA CHARLTON Israeli reaction and threat after a vote by its general in 2012. Since then, the a “voice of confidence
Associated Press of retaliation. It also raised assembly in Beijing. Palestinians have sought in the capacity of law en-
PARIS (AP) — International concerns that the Palestin- With the new votes, Inter- to join various U.N. and in- forcement in Palestine.”
police agency Interpol ians might use their elevat- pol will have 192 member ternational bodies to but- He promised to uphold
voted Wednesday to in- ed status to seek the arrests countries. Interpol didn’t tress their dream of gain- Palestinian commitments
clude Palestine as a mem- of Israelis, though Palestin- immediately announce ing independence. Israel to combating crime and
ber state, in a new boost to ian officials said there were how many members sup- has condemned the cam- strengthening the rule of
Palestinian efforts for inter- no immediate plans to do ported Palestinian mem- paign as an attempt to by- law.
national recognition and so.Interpol announced the bership. pass negotiations. In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime
influence amid long-stalled inclusion of the “State of Over Israeli objections, the Palestinian Foreign Minister Minister Benjamin Netanya-
negotiations with Israel for Palestine” as well as the U.N. General Assembly rec- Riad Malki hailed Wednes- hu said the decision “seri-
full statehood. Solomon Islands on Twitter ognized Palestine as a non- day’s vote as a “victory ously harms the chances to
The decision drew an angry and its website Wednesday member observer state for law enforcement” and achieve peace.”q

92 percent of Iraqi Kurds voted in favor of independence

By SUSANNAH GEORGE of the federal authority in
Associated Press the Kurdish region with the
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iraq’s power of the constitution.”
Kurds voted overwhelm- Al-Abadi ordered the Kurd-
ingly in favor of indepen- ish region to hand over
dence from Iraq, but faced control of its airports to fed-
being left stranded after eral authorities by Friday,
Baghdad ordered interna- threatening a total flight
tional flights to halt service ban if they refused. Iraq’s
to Kurdish airports starting Transport Ministry ordered
Friday. Iraqi Prime Minis- international airlines to halt
ter Haider al-Abadi ruled service to Irbil, the Kurdish
out the use of force, but regional capital, and Su-
vowed to take other mea- laimaniyah, its second city,
sures to keep his country beginning Friday evening.
from breaking apart as the Most regional airlines said
standoff looked set to wors- they would comply.
en. The referendum passed The transport minister for
with more than 92 percent Iraq’s Kurdish region said
of voters approving inde- the region’s international
pendence, the Kurdish re- airports had not violated
gion’s election commission any laws that would war-
told a news conference on rant their closure.
Wednesday. Turnout was A Kurdish flag hangs in the Irbil International Airport, in Iraq, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. Iraq’s Mawlood Bawa Murad told
over 72 percent, it said. prime minister ordered the country’s Kurdish region to hand over control of its airports to federal reporters his ministry was
Despite such strong sup- authorities or face a flight ban, a response to the Kurdish independence referendum. ready to negotiate with
port, however, the non- (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) Baghdad “if they want to
binding vote was unlikely the autonomous Kurdish as an indicator of how ed parliament called on implement the law and
to lead to formal indepen- region’s three provinces many people in those ar- al-Abadi to deploy troops show that Iraq has one air
dence, even as it esca- as well as in some disput- eas prefer Kurdish rule. in the disputed territories, space.” He added that
lated long-running tensions ed territories controlled by Hendrin Mohammed, the including the oil-rich city the flight ban would affect,
with Baghdad. Iraq and its Kurdish forces but claimed election commission chief, of Kirkuk, but al-Abadi said “one way or another, the
neighbors, along with virtu- by Baghdad. told The Associated Press Wednesday he didn’t want military aviation that oper-
ally the entire international The election commission those numbers would be a “fight between the Iraqi ates from Irbil international
community, oppose any did not release turnout fig- released by local authori- citizens.” At a meeting airport,” which is used for
redrawing of the map. ures for the disputed ter- ties. He did not elaborate. with lawmakers, he instead the campaign against the
The vote was held across ritories, which could serve Iraq’s Shiite Arab-dominat- vowed to “enforce the rule Islamic State group. q

Syria troops close to surrounding IS in eastern city

By SARAH EL DEEB Husseiniyeh on the eastern breaking an IS siege on government forces and tants.
Associated Press bank of the Euphrates Riv- government-held parts of Russian warplanes have Elsewhere in Syria, a Russian
BEIRUT (AP) — Russian- er, across from the remain- the city. U.S.-backed Syrian attacked them. Russia airstrike killed five senior
backed Syrian government ing militant-held pockets in forces are battling the mili- warned it would retaliate members of an al-Qaida-
forces have all but encir- the city. The Britain-based tants on the eastern side of after it said Syrian govern- linked group operating in
cled Islamic State militants Syrian Observatory for Hu- the river in a separate of- ment troops came under the northwest, the Russian
in the eastern city of Deir el- man Rights said retaking fensive. fire from the U.S-backed Defense Ministry said. Maj.
Zour, a group that monitors al-Husseiniyeh would leave The race for control of ter- forces. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a
the war said Wednesday. the militants fully surround- ritory and resources in the Russia and the United ministry spokesman, said
The state-run news agency ed. oil-rich province that bor- States say they are working the five were responsible
SANA said pro-government Syrian forces have ad- ders Iraq has caused fric- out a mechanism to avoid for the attack on Russian
forces are battling the mili- vanced since early Sep- tion between the two sides. friction in the common fight military police in Hama
tants in the village of al- tember on Deir el-Zour, The U.S-backed fighters say against Islamic State mili- province last week. q