Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, who is overseeing the postwar reconstruction of Iraq, arrived in the northern Kurdish region on Tuesday, his second day of a tour around the country.
Garner's helicopter landed in Sulaymaniyah under heavy guard and was met by a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the two main Kurdish groups. "You always make me feel at home," Garner told PUK leader Jalal Talabani.
Talabani responded "When you retire, come back to Kurdistan ... and we'll prepare a beautiful house for you."
On Tuesday, Garner praised the Kurds, despite their internal tensions. "I think the time has come for the Kurds. The job they've done in the north is a tribute for free men and women," he told The Associated Press.
The 65-year-old Garner then went to the city's university and spoke to an auditorium full of students. "Iraq is one of the wealthiest countries in the Middle East, yet the wealth of Iraq has never been shared," he said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Shiite pilgrims headed to the central Iraqi city of Karbala, reviving a religious tradition that was not allowed under Saddam Hussein's rule.
Religious leaders said the crowd could reach several million by the peak of the observance Wednesday.
Saddam did not allow Shiites to walk to the Tomb of Hussein, a Muslim martyr who was killed more than 1,300 years ago. Imam Hussein was the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
The Shiites who packed Karbala's main square Monday and Tuesday came from throughout the country. Many called for the United States to leave Iraq. They called for an Islamic state. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
