Iraqi Vice President Likens Kurdish Independence to "Formation of Second Israel"

Iraqi Vice-President rejected Kurds’ call for referendum on independence and said that Baghdad will not tolerate the emergence of "another Israel" in its northern autonomous Kurdish region.


“We will not allow establishment of another Israel in northern Iraq,” Nouri Maliki said, following a meeting with the US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman, as quoted by the Iraqi News website.

The so-called independence plebiscite “is contrary to the constitution and does not serve the general interests of the Iraqi people, not even the particular interests of the Kurds,” Maliki added.

“We will not allow the creation of a second Israel north of Iraq,” Maliki said at the meeting, according to a statement released by the vice president's office, warning that such a vote would have “dangerous consequences for the security, sovereignty and unity of Iraq.”

He also urged the Kurdish leaders to come to the negotiating table and “call off the referendum.”
 (Tasnim)
 18/9/17
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