Peshmarga Will Not Be Deployed to Central and Southern Iraq
Aso is issued three times a week by Xandan for broadcasting and publishing.
Some observers have speculated that prime minister Nuri al-Maliki recently visited Iraqi Kurdistan with the goal of persuading Kurdish leaders to send Peshmarga (Kurdish forces) to central and southern Iraq to help restore stability. Sheikh Ja'far Sheikh Mustafa, minister of Peshmarga affairs, told Aso, "We are not aware of this, and we don't think it's a good idea to use Peshmarga to help restore stability." He confirmed that the (Kurdish government) is not willing to send any Kurdish troops "except for those who are already serving in the Iraqi army."