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Kurdish leaders changing Kirkuk electorate

KIRKUK, Iraq, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Kurdish political parties have brought thousands of Kurds to the city of Kirkuk, building extensive settlements to house them.

The Washington Post reports that political leaders appear to be preparing for an expected 2007 referendum on Kirkuk's future by settling what could be several hundred thousand Kurdish voters in the city. Kurdish leaders say they are simply trying to reverse Saddam Hussein's policy of driving Kurds out of the city.

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The new Kirkuk residents could tip the balance in the city, increasing the chance that Kirkuk would become the capital of an autonomous Kurdish region. U.S. officials worry that the population shift could undermine the Iraqi constitutional process.

Lt. Col. Anthony Wickham, the U.S. military liaison to the Kirkuk provincial government, said Kurdish leaders should be straightforward.

"If you have everyone participating, it'll be a clean affair and you can accomplish your goals," Wickham said. "But don't go behind people's backs, which they have a bad habit of doing. Does that bring greater stability to Kirkuk? No. It brings pandemonium."

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