The Englishman

Wednesday, February 8, 2017 No realistic moves on Kurdish independence, Premier Ibadi 4:53 AM admin Baghdad/ Iraq TradeLink: Iraqi Premier Haidar al-Ibadi stated that "the question of Kurdish independence was not put on the table politically with the Kurdish leaders". "I heared from the Kurdish leader that this question belongs to the Kurds and there are no realistic moves for this direction", he added. In his weekly press report, he pointed Iraqi trust of its ability to liberate the right side of Mosul city and other areas in "no time", pointing that Da'ish (ISIS) organization lost its powers and the mission to liberate Mosul city is a lesser one, in comparison with other previous military missions. He criticized "false" news that aimed at weakening Iraqi war and governmental stands. Posted in: Baghdad,Politics

Letter to U.S. president Donald Trump over corruption in Iraqi Kurdistan Posted on February 8, 2017 by Editorial Staff in 1 Top News, Corruption, Exclusive U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP Dr. Kamal Said Qadir | Exclusive to Ekurd.net Donald Trump, President United States of America The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump: I am a human rights legal expert and anti-corruption activist from Iraqi-Kurdish origin writing to you to express my concern about the involvement of a number of former US-officials in Iraq in intransparent businesses in Kurdistan Region of Iraq especially in the oil and gas sector, a sector known to be very corrupt and intransparent. The political and economic life in the Kurdistan Region has been dominated by the two ruling feudal families, Barzani and Talabani without any regard to rules of democracy or rule of law. The oil sector is especially known to be monopolized by these two feudal families using its revenues to strengthen their undemocratic rule and bribe local and foreign actors to maintain their kleptocratic system. The involvement of these former US-officials in the oil sector is being interpreted by the majority of people in the Region as a bribe and betrayal of the real aims of the liberation of Iraq by US- forces in 2013, which costed hundreds of thousands of American and Iraqi casualties and more than one and a half Trillion Dollars of tax payers money. It is quite un-understandable for the people in the Region, how a few people turning the big American and Iraqi sacrifices into personal profit. Some unfriendly voices even claim, that the main aim of this invasion was the oil and not freedom and democracy, which contributes to the increasing hatred against America as a whole. The corruption in the oil sector of Kurdistan Region is also forcing hundreds of thousands of citizens to leave their homes and seek a better life in Europe and America, a few of them unfortunately support terrorist groups like IS to express their anger and despair. I may therefore kindly ask you to investigate this case, since it is heavily damaging the reputation of the American people and may contribute to more hatred and violence in the region. Sincerely, Dr. Kamal Said Qadir Vienna, Austria.