| The leader of the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq | | | | views and the position of the allies, of the international |
| says his people are committed to the country's new | | | | community." |
| constitution, which was overwhelmingly approved in a | | | | The Iraqi election commission announced Tuesday that |
| referendum last week. He made his comments in | | | | voters overwhelmingly approved the new constitution, |
| Washington Thursday, one day after meeting with | | | | although large numbers of Sunnis voted against it. One |
| President Bush at the White House. | | | | reason for widespread Sunni opposition is fear that the |
| Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani emphasized that | | | | federalism envisioned in the charter will lead to the |
| Iraq's five million Kurds are in favor of the country's | | | | break-up of Iraq. |
| new constitution. He spoke through an interpreter. | | | | Mr. Barzani said Iraqi Kurds support a federal and |
| "We, as the people of Kurdistan, are committed to this | | | | democratic Iraq, and will work with the country's other |
| constitution," he said. "This constitution is the guarantor | | | | ethnic groups to achieve this goal. At the White House |
| of the unity of Iraq." | | | | Wednesday, President Bush hailed the visiting Kurdish |
| Mr. Barzani acknowledged that the Iraqi charter does | | | | leader as a man of courage and praised him for |
| not completely meet all the aspirations of the Kurdish | | | | helping to realize the constitution's vision of a |
| people, namely their support for independence. | | | | multi-ethnic and religiously diverse Iraq. |
| But he said Kurds recognize there is a difference | | | | In the 1990s, Iraqi Kurds enjoyed great autonomy, with |
| between what they wish and desire, and what they | | | | fully functioning civil offices that were independent of |
| can actually achieve. This, he added, is why Kurdish | | | | the Saddam Hussein regime. Kurdish territory in the |
| people support the constitution, which recognizes and | | | | northern part of the country was protected from Iraqi |
| guarantees their hard-won autonomy. | | | | government attacks by the U.S.-enforced Iraqi no-fly |
| "And, of course, we have to ask for something that is | | | | zones. |
| achievable," he added. "We have to consider the | | | | |