Iraq Still Harassing Kurds, U.S. Charges

The State Department on Monday called in Iraq’s diplomatic representative in Washington and accused his government of driving up to 200,000 Kurdish civilians from their homes.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Mack delivered the message to Khalid Shewayish, head of the Iraqi Interests Section in the Algerian Embassy, who has represented his country since diplomatic relations with Washington were broken during the Persian Gulf War.

Mack expressed “our deep concern about the measures taken by the Iraqi government in southern and northern Iraq,” said State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler.

She said Iraq has imposed an economic blockade on its Kurdish citizens.

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein crushed a Kurdish revolt in the aftermath of Iraq’s Gulf War defeat earlier this year.