Kerry's message of unity may be a tough sell to Iraq's Kurds
Secretary of State John Kerry visited the semi-autonomous region today and urged the Kurds not to give up on Baghdad. But the Kurdish president told Kerry that 'We are facing a new reality and a new Iraq.'
Secretary of State John Kerry visited the semi-autonomous region today and urged the Kurds not to give up on Baghdad. But the Kurdish president told Kerry that 'We are facing a new reality and a new Iraq.'
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US Secretary of State John Kerry followed his visit to Baghdad Monday with an unannounced stop in Erbil, where he urged Kurdish leaders to stay united with the central government and fight the driving Sunni insurgency that threatens the country's unity.
At least 1,075 people have been killed in Iraq so far this month, most of them civilians, as the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has taken over territory in the north, along the border with Syria, and at least one border crossing with Jordan, reports the Associated Press. The fighting has exacerbated sectarian tensions, while ISIS battles for key resources, including Iraq鈥檚 largest oil refinery in Baiji, reports Agence France-Presse.
Mr. Kerry visited Baghdad Monday to encourage Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a unity government听to withstand further advances by ISIS, which has support from Iraq's disgruntled Sunnis. But Kerry's message faces a tough challenge in Kurdistan. For officials in the semi-autonomous region of 6.5 million people in northern Iraq, the recent unrest and the central government鈥檚 weakness may serve as an opportunity to pursue a 鈥渓ong-held goal of independence,鈥� reports The Washington Post.
鈥淲e are facing a new reality and a new Iraq,鈥� Mahsoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish government, told Kerry today.
Kurds make up about 20 percent of the Iraqi population and have access to vast oil fields and past experience with semi-autonomous rule. Kurdish forces seized control of the disputed northern oil city of Kirkuk during the ISIS-led offensive earlier this month.
鈥淚raq is obviously falling apart,鈥� President Barzani told CNN. 鈥淲e did not cause the collapse of Iraq. It is others who did. And we cannot remain hostages for the unknown.鈥�
US officials worry what it will mean for Iraq鈥檚 fragile state if Kurdistan seeks independence.
鈥淚f they decide to withdraw from the Baghdad political process it will accelerate a lot of the negative trends,鈥� a senior US official told the Financial Times today.
According to 海角大神鈥檚 Dan Murphy, the US has 鈥渞epeatedly stressed the need for political reconciliation in Iraq 鈥� something that Maliki and his allies have been consistently opposed to for many years now.鈥�
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The Kurds aren鈥檛 the only ones securing their borders and picturing a future with greater autonomy. According to The New York Times, 鈥淎s the Iraqi state, especially the military, seems to be weakening by the day, ISIS has been building the trappings of a new state, seizing assets that include armored vehicles, weapons, and money, fighting for control of Baiji, Iraq鈥檚 largest oil refinery, and now securing border outposts.鈥�