Peshmerga accuses Iraq MP of ‘arming’ Arab tribes

Peshmerga Ministry in Kurdistan region of Iraq accused on Monday Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki of “intensively” arming Arab tribes in Diyala and Kirkuk provinces. The Peshmerga confirmed that army divisions are heavily mobilized with modern equipment, noting that Baghdad hasn’t supplied the Peshmerga with any new weapons ever since 2003

“PM Nuri Al Maliki is “intensively” arming Arab tribes in the provinces of Diyala and Kirkuk” said the Ministry’s spokesperson Jabar Yawir during a press conference held today in Arbil and attended by Alsumaria. He confirmed that “the federal army is massing up its forces in these provinces in addition to Makhmur District in Nineveh province”.

“These forces have new military equipment, canons and tanks” said Yawir, regarding “this mobilization as a declaration of war”.
“The central government did not supply the Peshmerga with any new weapons since 2003. Those that we have are old and we did not import any new weapons” stressed Yawir while expressing “Kurdistan region’s gratitude towards the efforts deployed by Head of Parliament Osama Al Nujaifi and other parties to solve the stalemate with Baghdad.”