On June 14, a report distributed by the opposition...

On June 14, a report distributed by the opposition Iraqi Communist Party revealed that Iraqi security organs and military forces in northern Kirkuk Governorate have received strict instructions "to use all kinds of weapons" and arrest Kurdish youths in Kirkuk, and even execute some of them in the event of any disturbances or clashes with Kurds in the city. Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id al-Sahhaf in an interview of June 16 with London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat, denied that there are arrests or executions taking place in Iraq for political reasons. He said that "saboteurs are killed, but these (killings) are not regarded as political." He pointed out that "a constructive debate has been and still is in progress in Iraq over dialogue, pluralism and freedom in the nation."