Presidency: 'Those threatening Kurdistan will have same fate as IS'

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – the Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP) stated on Wednesday that those threatening the Kurdistan Region will not have a better fate than the Islamic State (IS).

Omed Sabah, the spokesperson of the KRP, released a statement on Wednesday in response to the Iraqi Shia militia leader.

Qais al-Khazali the founder and leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, an Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq in an interview on an Iraqi TV, stated that “The biggest issue that Iraq is going to face will appear after the war on IS, is the Kurdish problem and specifically Mr. Masoud Barzani.”

The KRP spokesperson stated that Khazali has made some indecent remarks about Kurdistan, Peshmerga, Kurdistan Region President and the post-IS stage and propagates that "Kurds are the biggest issue in Iraq after IS.”

“This is not the first time Khazali makes such threats against people of Kurdistan. We hope the statements are only his and his groups’ opinion. We believe that he represents the al-Hashd al-Shaabi,” the KRP spokesperson added.

“We call upon the Hashd al-Shaabi leadership to clear their position from Khazali’s,” Sabah said.

The KRP spokesperson explained that the people of the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga have never tried to occupy anyone's land, adding that “Those who have the intention to occupy the land of people of Kurdistan will eventually vanish.”

“Khazali and those who think like him and want to threaten Kurdistan will not have a better fate than IS extremists… they will not be allowed to slaughter people in Kurdistan based on their identity and faith,” the KRP spokesperson concluded.

Editing by Ava Homa