Analysis: Tensions Rise in Iraq's Kurdish North
Council on Foreign Relations
Updated: February 8, 2008
Author: Greg Bruno
Disagreements over oil policy, security, and regional governance are threatening to splinter (IWPR) the shaky alliance between Kurdish and Shiite parties in Baghdad. Kurdish officials accuse Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government of stalling a referendum to resolve the status of the disputed city of Kirkuk, and of withholding funding for the region’s military. Sunni and Shiite politicians, meanwhile, are furious over oil-exploration deals inked between the Kurdish government and international companies. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius notes the sparring has reached such a frenzied state some Kurdish leaders are pushing for Maliki to be replaced.
Politically speaking, the rift could have a dramatic impact on Iraq’s long-term stability. Kurdish parties, which make up the second-largest political bloc (PDF) in the country, have been stalwart allies of both the United States and Maliki. The Kurds operated a semiautonomous government in Iraq for years before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, earning a political aptitude that brought significant regional autonomy and a seat at the table in drafting Iraq’s constitution. But in recent months Arab politicians have fired back, rallying to check Kurdish ambitions.
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Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.
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