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S. Arabia Intends to Builds Military Bases in Iraq's Kurdistan in Return for Supporting Independence

Rasa - An informed Kurdish official revealed that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan have demanded the Iraqi Kurdistan officials to allow them to build military bases in the region for supporting their decision to declare independence.

News ID: 430279

Date: 11 June 2017 - 23:24

RNA - "Based on this agreement, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan received promises to estalish military bases in Dahouk and Erbil with the aim of confronting Iran and Turkey's influence in exchange for supporting a referendum for independence and then formation of a Kurdish state," the source said in an interview with al-Alam al-Jadid newspaper on Sunday.

Noting that Riyadh and Erbil already have an agreement to exchange intel, the source said, "At present, hundreds of Saudi, UAE and Jordanian military men are already present in Erbil and Dahouk under the title of military advisors."

In relevant remarks on Saturday, a prominent Iraqi analyst and a senior advisor to former Iraqi President Jalal Talibani warned that certain Persian Gulf Arab states have hatched plots against Iraq and provoked Massoud Barzani to hold a referendum for independence.

"Massoud Barzani insists on holding a referendum to grow independent from Iraq and certain (Persian) Gulf littoral states have provoked him," Wafiq al-Samerayee said.

He warned the Arab people in Iraq not to unite with Barzani at all, warning that such a move would be an unforgivable mistake.

Al-Samerayee also warned that the neighboring countries will also show a serious reaction to the Iraqi Kurdistan region's decision for independence.

Iraq's Kurdish region on Wednesday announced it would hold a referendum on independence, in a move the central government in Baghdad is likely to oppose strongly.

"I am pleased to announce that the date for the independence referendum has been set for Monday, Sept. 25, 2017," Barzani said on Twitter.

Barzani's assistant Hemin Hawrami tweeted that voting would take place in the disputed region of Kirkuk and three other areas also claimed by the central government; Makhmour in the north, Sinjar in the northwest and Khanaqin in the east.

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