Bush plan may see more Kurds in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Thousands of Kurds from Northern Iraq could end up in Baghdad as a result of U.S. President George W. Bush's new Iraq war strategy, a published report said.

Citing U.S. and Iraqi officials, the newspaper said the strategy calls for between 8,000 and 10,000 Iraqi troops to be deployed to the capital from other parts of Iraq. As many as 3,600 of the troops could be Kurds, and it would be the first time such a large number of Kurdish forces have been assigned to Baghdad.

The possible deployment has raised concerns among Kurds that they are being pulled into a civil war, the Times said.

"I don't think it's wise," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish lawmaker in Baghdad. "This is a Sunni-Shiite conflict."

Othman said Kurdish participation in fighting in Baghdad might deepen animosity between Kurds and Arabs.

"I advise the Kurdish people to apply pressure on their leaders to prevent this step," said Mohammed Dayni, a Sunni lawmaker.

He said Kurdish forces would face "firm resistance" from both Sunnis and Shiites.

An aide to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr told the newspaper Kurdish troops would not be welcome in Baghdad.