26.03.2007

The US Ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Halilzad, heads off to the opening of a water treatment center in the nothern Iraqi city of Erbil. This treatment facility is actually a US investment; the US reportedly invested 200 million dollars in its opening. And it is holding a big opening cermony in its honor.

Halilzad is joined at the ceremony by Kurdish Iraqi leader Mesud Barzani. They cut the ribbon at the water treatment center together. And the US Ambassador comments at one point "Thank God there is no violence in Kurdistan."

He continues: "Thank God that in Kurdistan, where there is no violence, the Kurds are able to take advantage of opportunities which have arisen with the change in government." Yes, these are words from the US Ambassador to Iraq as he opens up a water treatment center invested in by the US in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil. Now, I am not trying to embolden certain factions, but it is true that only 6.5 hours after Halilzad made these statements in Erbil, a PKK mine exploded in Dicle, outside of Diyarbakir. We wrap our fallen soldiers in our flags and bid them farewell.......

Meanwhile, Barzani spoke also at the Erbil ceremony, saying "The US should not pull out until it brings about control in the Iraqi administration......" Yes, this is the situation. The real truth is revealed when the US Ambassador to Iraq himself says "Kurdistan" at this ceremony.

Let me continue though. As I have written before, the enormous amusement park, Tatilya, which used to be in Istanbul, was moved piece by piece, part by part, to Erbil in northern Iraq last year. Don't be surprised if children from Diyarbakir, Hakkari, and Sirnak municipalities are taken on "Tatilya tours" this summer to northern Iraq. Because, as the US Ambassador himself said "Thank God there is no violence in Kurdistan."

Iraq is burning, all of it. The once upon a time "fairytale" city of Baghdad is crying blood. Nearly 600 thousand people have died. And there are at least that many who are hungry and wounded. Buildings are ripped apart and destroyed. The city is in shambles.

Only in northern Iraq are roses blooming.

And there is now entertainment there in the form of Tatilya amusement park. Turkish construction firms are building gorgeous structures there. International trade fairs are occuring there. And one by one, universities are even beginning to open up. Youths attending these universities from southeastern Turkey are even being given monetary incentive to study there, with ad campaigns calling students who failed to get into Turkish universities to come study in the city of Suleymaniye. So, northern Iraq has Tatilya for the youngsters and new universities for the youth. What will happen now though? Well, Ankara can keep on refusing for as long as it likes to meet with Barzani and Talabani. Because the fact is, the US is busy forming a defacto state in northern Iraq.