Yassin Majid, MP from Maliki’s faction described Kurdish head of state Massoud Barzani’s visit of military units in Kirkuk as a declaration of war, reported Al-Hurra TV.
Meanwhile, Mohsen Saadoun, MP from the Kurdish coalition condemned the remarks of Yassin Majid and said: “This is Barzani’s right to visit any province that Pishmarga units are stationed in”.
The Payamneer News Agency reported that in his speech at the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party Academy, Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region, attacked Nouri al-Maliki and said: “To this day we have tried very hard to resolve the disputes through talks and we are against war and bloodshed. However, if we face an unjust attack, without a doubt we will have our own response. The days of accepting dictatorship and oppression are over”.
Al-Sharqiya reported that Jabbar Yawar, Secretary General of the Kurdistan Region Pishmarga Ministry, warned that any small mistake in the region will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Jabbar Yawar was referring to the chances of an armed conflict erupting between the central government and the forces protecting this governance, Al-Sharqiya added.
The NINA news agency quoted Jabbar Yawar saying: “Pishmarga forces will not retreat from the disputed areas unless Iraqi Army forces fully retreat from these areas”.