As Kirkuk Boils, Kurdistan About to Hurl Iraq into Turmoil Over ‘Independence’ Referendum

As Kirkuk Boils, Kurdistan About to Hurl Iraq into Turmoil Over ‘Independence’ Referendum

Kurdistan’s President Massoud Barzani’s rushed plan for the region will only wreak havoc. A fresh Kirkuk conflict which pits Kurdish forces against Iraqi militias may result in a new Kurdistan which could exclude the president from office just as quickly ‘Ethnic cleansing’ is the term a CIA officer coined when writing a report about the…

Over 90% of Iraqi Kurds Vote for Independence

Over 90% of Iraqi Kurds Vote for Independence

Some 91.83 percent of voters in Iraqi Kurdistan supported the idea of independence from Baghdad, as 3.4 million ballots were counted, the referendum commission said on Tuesday. It was earlier reported that a total of 3.4 million people voted in the referendum that was held on Monday. The commission noted that highest level of “yes” answers was recorded…

The Inconvenient Kurds

The Inconvenient Kurds

Except for the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, there isn’t one state in Western Asia that is viable inside its present borders at a 20-year horizon. All the powers with interests in the region want to kick the problem down the road, and that is why the whole world (excepting Israel) wants…

Clamping Oil Artery: How Turkey May Checkmate Iraqi Kurdistan in One Move

Clamping Oil Artery: How Turkey May Checkmate Iraqi Kurdistan in One Move

Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence vote may lead to an economic blockade from regional players and ethnic instability, analyst Hasan Abdullah told Radio Sputnik, adding that Turkey, Iran and Baghdad’s determination to thwart the Kurdish strive for sovereignty may convince Erbil to back off, while Israel’s support won’t help. The Kurdish independence referendum is likely to trigger a…

After the Caliphate, Rojava

After the Caliphate, Rojava

While the Syrian Arab Army, the Russian aviation and Hezbollah are preparing to finish off Daesh, the Pentagon is planning a new war against Syria, this time with Kurdish troops. Just as the mission of the Caliphate was to create a Sunnistan straddling Iraq and Syria, so the mission of « Rojava » is to…