PUK leader meets Khatami, comments

(15 Oct 2003)
1. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami enters room
2. Khatami greets Iraqi Kurdish leader and member of the Iraqi transitional government, Jalal Talabani
3. Photographers
4. Various of Talabani and Khatami sitting and talking together
5. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Jalal Talabani, Iraqi Kurdish leader and member of the Iraqi transitional government:
"The Americans will stay in Iraq until we establish our legitimate government and legislation. After that we would ask them to leave."
6. Talabani getting into car
7. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Jalal Talabani, Iraqi Kurdish leader and member of the Iraqi transitional government:
(Asked about the reasons for unrest in Iraq) "The terrorist groups are pro-Saddam forces, Wahabbi (Sunni extremist) terrorist groups, foreign terrorists who have come to Iraq and some others who are a bit angry with the changes made in Iraq now. And also another reason is that they have not given the right of protection of the city to the Iraqis and told the Americans and foreign forces from the beginning that if they don't get help from the Iraqis they can't bring peace to Iraq. Even now we believe that Iraqi people should themselves bring security to their country."
8. Talabani's car drives away
STORYLINE:
Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, who is also a member of Iraq's transitional authority, met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in Tehran on Tuesday.
According to the local media, Talabani has begun a four day visit to Iran.
Talabani leads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of two armed Kurdish factions which successfully resisted Iraqi rule after the 1991 Gulf War, but sporadically fought each other. During Saddam Hussein's rule, Talabani's party governed over one of the two main Kurdish areas in northern Iraq that enjoyed relative autonomy.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Talabani said that Americans would be asked to leave Iraq after a legitimate government and legislation is established.
He did not specify whether he was referring to U.S. troops or U.S. civilian administrators.
The United States has proposed an agenda of having the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council adopt a constitution, possibly within six months, then hold elections six months after that.
Power would be relinquished only after an elected government is installed.

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