Page 10 - aruba today

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017
Iraq: Israel:

Minister criticizes
VP warns of ‘civil war’ over Kurdish-held Kirkuk Trump, expects

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi new settlements
Vice President Ayad Allawi JERUSALEM (AP) — A top Is-
warned on Monday there raeli minister close to Prime
could be a “civil war” over Minister Benjamin Netan-
the Kurdish-administered yahu expressed rare criti-
city of Kirkuk if talks over cism of President Donald
Kurdish independence are Trump on Monday and
left unresolved. said he expects the gov-
Allawi, in an interview ernment to approve more
with The Associated Press, construction in West Bank
urged Kurdish leader Jewish settlements next
Masoud Barzani, as well as week.
Iraq’s central government Minister of Jerusalem Af-
and its Iranian-backed mili- fairs Zeev Elkin said he is
tia forces, to show restraint “disappointed” that Trump
and resolve their disputes hasn’t fulfilled his cam-
over the oil-rich city. paign promise to move the
The head of the Asaib al- U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv
Haq militia Qais Khazali to Jerusalem, a decision
warned worshippers in a that the Palestinians fierce-
sermon Sunday that Iraq’s ly oppose.
Kurds were planning to “There were very clear
claim much of north Iraq, election promises, not to
including Kirkuk, for an in- Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Bagh- the state of Israel but to the
dependent state, after dad, Iraq, Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. Allawi says there could be a “violent conflict” over the Kurdish- American voter, of moving
Iraq’s Kurds voted for inde- administered city of Kirkuk if talks over Kurdish independence are left unresolved. the embassy and I very
pendence in a controver- (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) much regret the delay,” El-
sial but non-binding refer- enter Kirkuk would “dam- trol these lands,” said Al- dum over the strong objec- kin told Army Radio.
endum two weeks ago. age all possibilities for uni- lawi. tions of Baghdad, Ankara, Israel considers Jerusalem,
He said it would be tan- fying Iraq” and open the Kirkuk was included in the and Tehran, enraging lead- home to holy sites sacred
tamount to a “foreign oc- door to “violent conflict.” September referendum ers in the regional capitals. to Jews, Muslims and Chris-
cupation,” according to “The government claims even though it falls outside Also Monday, Iraq’s gov- tians, as its capital. Palestin-
remarks reported by the they control the Popular the autonomous Kurdish re- ernment demanded Kurd- ians demand east Jerusa-
Afaq TV channel, which Mobilization Forces. If they gion in the northeast Iraq. ish-based cellular network lem for the capital of their
is close to the state-sanc- do they should restrain The ethnically-mixed city operators relocate their future state, along with the
tioned militia. them, rather than go into a has been administered by headquarters to Baghdad. West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Allawi, a former prime min- kind of civil war. And there Kurdish forces since 2014, Two of Iraq’s three main Israel captured the terri-
ister, said any move by the should be a restraint on when government forces network operators are tories in the 1967 Mideast
country’s Popular Mobiliza- Masoud Barzani and the fled from the advancing Is- headquartered in the Kurd- war, though it withdrew
tion Front militias, which in- Peshmerga not to take ag- lamic State group. ish region, namely Asiacell from Gaza in 2005.
clude the Asaib al-Haq, to gressive measures to con- Barzani held the referen- and Korek Telecom.q Trump has backed away

Husband: from the campaign pledge
on the embassy move as
Iranian-British woman faces new charges in Iran his Mideast envoy attempts
to breathe life into peace
talks, which last collapsed
By JON GAMBRELL charges, which involve her necessary medical assis- have said Zaghari-Ratcliffe in 2014 under U.S. tutelage.
Associated Press previously working for the tance,” the statement said. was convicted of plotting Elkin also said Israel is set
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- BBC and being a current Iran’s mission at the United the “soft toppling” of Iran’s to give the green light
ates (AP) — An Iranian- employee of the Thomson Nations did not immedi- government while travel- next week to new homes
British woman serving a Reuters Foundation, the ately respond to a request ing to visit her parents with in Jewish West Bank settle-
five-year prison sentence charitable arm of the news for comment. State media her young daughter in ments. Israeli Channel 2 TV
in Iran for plotting the “soft agency, her husband Rich- in Iran also did not imme- 2016. Her family says the reported Sunday that some
toppling” of its government ard Ratcliffe said.“Thanks to diately report on the new Guard tried to get her to 4,000 homes are expected
while traveling with her tod- the Revolutionary Guard’s charges.Monique Villa, the confess on camera that to be granted approval. It
dler daughter faces new antics, this is a justice sys- CEO of the Thomson Re- she trained and recruited was not immediately clear
charges that could add 16 tem that can no longer uters Foundation, called spies, a charge she denied. how many of the homes
years to her sentence, her look its victims in the eye, Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s treat- Zaghari-Ratcliffe is one of would be new projects, in
husband said Monday. can no longer look itself in ment at the hands of Iran several dual nationals held contrast to previously an-
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe the mirror,” Ratcliffe said in “harrowing” and demand- in Iran by hard-liners in the nounced projects moving
faced a court hearing a statement.The British For- ed that “these ludicrous country’s judiciary and forward in the building pro-
Sunday at Tehran’s infa- eign Office said in a state- charges must be dropped security services on espio- cess. An official announce-
mous Evin prison where she ment it was “concerned immediately.”“This inhu- nage charges, likely to be ment with more details is
heard of the new charges following reports” about mane treatment is break- used as bargaining chips expected as soon as Tues-
being brought against her Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s hearing. ing up a young family and in future negotiations with day.
by Iran’s paramilitary Revo- “We continue to be con- has already caused irrepa- the West. A U.N. panel of The Palestinians, along
lutionary Guard, which pre- cerned for the welfare of rable damage to Naza- experts recently described with much of the interna-
vent her from seeking early Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and nin’s physical and mental the practice as part of an tional community, consid-
release next month. have repeatedly raised this health,” Villa said in a state- “emerging pattern” since er settlements illegal and
Zaghari-Ratcliffe plead- with the Iranian authorities, ment. the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. an obstacle to reaching a
ed innocent to the new urging them to provide all Iranian news agencies q peace deal. q