Interview HE President Masoud Barzani with CNN (8TH May) Barzani: President Obama he had a great knowledge about Peshmerga and he praised the role of the Peshmerga

CNN: the Kurdish president Masoud Barzani is now in the United States asking

President Obama for more weapons and for help in order to continue this fight and I asked him whether he thinks he'll get it when he joined me after his meetings in Washington.

President Barzani welcome back to the program.

Barzani: zor spaas. Thank you

CNN: you have been meeting with President

Obama with the vice president with lots of officials in Washington. What are you asking them for? What do you want?

Barzani: I thanked them for their support that they are supporting the Kurdish people that we are against ISIS and I asked for support and I asked them to understand the pain of our nation and they had a very good understanding and they promised us to support us more.

CNN: well, that’s precisely the question I wanted to ask. Have they promised to send you more and better weapons and directly to you because yes the Peshmerga are on the frontline against ISIS with quite old military stock.

Barzani: Mr Obama he has a great knowledge about Peshmerga and he praised the role of the Peshmerga and they promised that they will do everything they can to get more weapons into the peshmerga hands.

CNN: but as you know, as we all know that is going through Baghdad now. Any changes? Will it come straight to you?

Barzani: we would like to get the weapons directly, but the important thing is that the Peshmerga can receive the weapons.

CNN: so, tell me about the strategy to defeat ISIS, Are you on the way to defeating ISIS?

Barzani: it's a war on many fronts it's not the Kurdish only fight but it's great Kurd to be on the frontline and it's a military war now and we have defeated ISIS on many fronts in Kurdistan but the threat is still there and the strategy is that Military, intellectually and economically we have to fight ISIS and we have to widen the front line against ISIS.

CNN: well, do you think that there will soon be a fight against ISIS to retake Mosul?

Barzani: to liberate Mosul it's very important and it's a strategic victory that we have to have. As long as ISIS is in Kurdistan it's a constant threat to Kurdistan, so there is a very deep study to plan, to set a plan to liberate Mosul. This is the duty of the Iraqi Military forces and the people of Mosul and the Peshmerga will support them.

CNN: and when do you think the plan will be implemented, when will the time be ready?

Barzani: it will be better if you excuse me not to answer the question but we hope that we do that sooner rather than later but it will be in the next few months.

CNN: tell me how expensive it is for you with the plunge in the price in oil with the number of refugees that you have accepted in Kurdistan. Can you cope with this fight? Can you still afford this fight?

Barzani: indeed, it's a very difficult situation. We have one million and a half displaced people that live in Kurdistan and they had to leave their places because of ISIS and this is a very heavy burden on us and it's our humanitarian and patriotic duty too.

There are some supports but it's not on that level to have an outcome or to solve this situation.

CNN: can I just ask you, in general, when you look at the whole battlefield, do you believe that your forces and the USA and the Iraqi Forces are winning the battle against ISIS

Barzani: I can tell you that we are victorious in this battle, in this war and it's a very huge challenge, it's a twenty thousand kilometre that we liberated from ISIS and I would not say that ISIS has been finished but we managed to defeat ISIS in many places.

CNN: you just mentioned the amount of square kilometres that you have won back and it's true the Kurds have won something like 40% more territory in this fight against ISIS. What about your dreams for independence? Is that something that's going to happen this year, next year?

Barzani: I can only say that this is a process that we have started and will continue doing so and this is a natural right of the Kurdish people but if it's this year or next year, I cannot say, it will be difficult to estimate the time and I hope that it will be sooner rather than later.

CNN: and finally, what is your relationship to the Baghdad Government? Is it better now,

Barzani: it's much better now, there are some disputes, there are some difficulties but we are insisting on solving the difficulties.

CNN: and the relationship between you and Prime Minister Abadi, is better then under Prime Minister Maliki?

Barzani: indeed, it is much better.

CNN: Alright, presidents Barzani we wish you luck...

Barzani: (referring to question about relationships better with abadi than Maliki) it's not based on the personal level, it's based on the professional level, yes, it is much better.

CNN: yes, of course and on that note President Barzani thank you so much for joining me again.

Barzani: thank you very much

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/05/08/intv-amanpour-masoud-barzani.cnn