BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani discussedon Wednesday with US Ambassador in Baghdad Stephen Beecroft how to work to endthe current tension between Baghdad Arbil.

“The US official expressed Washington’s keenness to stabilize Iraqand to strengthen its democratic experience,” said a presidential statementreceived by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The weeks-old tensions were ignited afterMaliki deployed his newly-formed and controversial Dijla forces into disputednorthern territories that are also claimed by the autonomous Kurdistan RegionalGovernment, which dispatched thousands of its own Peshmerga fighters into theareas.

Talabani returned to Baghdad last week, afterquitting the capital and spending two weeks at his headquarters in Sulaimaniyain protest to Maliki’s actions and his refusal to engage in a proposed nationaldialogue.

Maliki has reportedly called on the ministriesof defense and interior to draw a plan to resolve the tensions in the disputedterritories.

The premier’s office issued a statement, saying:“Maliki has requested to meet with the defense and interior ministries in orderto resolve the issue of the disputed territories.”

Also, last week the Iraqi premier suggested two points to end the militarystand-off. He said that first the Iraqiarmy and Peshmerga forces must form joint checkpoints in the disputedterritories, and second that the regions must be run by their own people.

SH (TI)