• Since the beginning of the referendum on the secession of Kurdistan, it was clear that Kirkuk is the issue, the rushing to hold the referendum is not explained by the keenness on the success of the secession, since the secession is conditioned with the consent of Baghdad first and then the consent of the neighboring countries, so the rushing disables the opportunities.
• The only justification for the rushing was to make use of the preoccupation of Baghdad with the war on ISIS to impose a fait accompli, and the rushing to employ the results of war which were represented by the domination of Peshmerga on Kirkuk, before Baghdad asks for the return to previous situation before the invasion of ISIS.
• In contrast, the opponents of the secession in Iraq and outside it know that in case of the necessity to use power in order to prevent the secession, the region which the movement of Baghdad towards it gets an international, popular, and political understanding in all circles including some of the Kurdish groups which is Kirkuk, and which was under the authority of Baghdad before the phase of ISIS, and was classified by the Kurdish and the Iraqi parties as a disputed area cannot be determined by imposing a fait accompli. It is normal to keep it under the federal authority or under a common formula till that consensus.
• The position which was announced by the government of Baghdad towards the decision of recapturing Kirkuk and the procedures made by the Peshamerga by expanding towards Al Mousul – Erbil road say that inactivity in the fronts of Kurdistan will not last so long.

Translated by Lina Shehadeh,

2017-10-15 | عدد القراءات 1936