Barzani the Billionnaire

Report: Saudi Arabia offered $2 bln to Barzani to give up claims on Kirkuk

A Shiite newspaper published in Baghdad reported Tuesday that Massoud Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, had turned down a $2-billion offer from Saudi Arabia in return for giving up demands to have oil-rich Kirkuk.

Al-Bianh al-Jadidah newspaper said that the Saudi offer was made to Barzani and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Berham Saleh when they visited Saudi Arabia last month. The Saudis asked for a 10-year freeze on the Kurdish demand to incorporate Kirkuk in the north of Iraq into the Kurdish region. The newspaper said that an Iraqi government source, who did not want to be named, said both Barzani and Saleh had declined to give in to Saudi pressure to give up the 'Kurds' historical rights to the city.'