10 October 15, 2017 News & Analysis Iraq Baghdad- dispute hits deadlock

Mamoon Alabbasi

ears have risen that the political dispute between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the Kurd- istan Regional Govern- Fment (KRG) in Erbil could spiral into military clashes between forces be- longing to the two sides, especially in Kirkuk. Iraqi forces retook a number of positions in oil-rich Kirkuk from the control of fighters but the KRG warned that any new ad- vance would be met by force. “If the Iraqi Army advances, we will fight,” said peshmerga’s Kirkuk commander Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa. KRG Vice-President Kosrat Rasul said 6,000 peshmerga fighters were sent to Kirkuk as reinforcements to the tens of thousands Kurdish forc- es stationed in and around the city. Hemin Hawrami, a top aide to KRG President said peshmerga fighters were ordered to defend their positions in Kirkuk “at any cost.” There were reports that the po- sitions handed to the Iraqi Army were in agreement with peshmerga leaders loyal to the Patriotic Union of (PUK) party, the bitter rival of the ruling Kurdistan Demo- cratic Party (KDP), which dominates the KRG. Narrow vision. A boy carries a Kurdish flag on top of a car with pictures of Kurdish President Masoud Barzani (R) and his son Masrour in PUK officials have been trying to the disputed city of Kirkuk. (AP) defuse tensions between the KRG and central government after Bar- There were reports of small peshmerga fighters in Kirkuk so far Karim was sacked by the Iraqi excuses” for postponing the elec- zani went ahead with a non-binding clashes between peshmerga forces and called on the two sides to focus parliament over alleged misuse of tions. A newly formed opposition referendum on the independence and the PMF in the town of Tuz on defeating ISIS. power but he remained in his post movement called the New Genera- of Kurdistan, despite objections of Khurmatu in Saladin province. Hundreds of ISIS fighters fled because Baghdad could not enforce tion List also warned against delay- Baghdad and much of the interna- US Defence Secretary James Mat- Hawija and surrendered to the his dismissal. An Iraqi court ordered ing the elections. tional community. tis said Washington was working to peshmerga to avoid being captured the arrest of four senior Kurdish of- “We would like to say that we re- Peshmerga fighters sealed off reduce tensions between Baghdad by Iraqi forces and the PMF but Iraqi ficials for organising the referen- ject any step to postpone the presi- main roads linking Erbil and Dohuk and Erbil. “We have got to work on officials warned that many had infil- dum “in contravention of a ruling dential and parliamentary elections with the northern city of Mosul, this, the secretary of state has the trated Kirkuk and were still at large. by the Iraqi supreme court.” after we heard claims of postpon- saying they feared being attacked lead but my forces are integrated Baghdad has repeatedly demand- Baghdad is investigating the ing the elections,” read a statement by Iraqi forces backed by Popular among these forces and they are ed that the KRG return control of KRG’s oil revenues to root out cor- from the New Generation List. Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militias. working, too, to make certain we multi-ethnic Kirkuk to the central rupt officials, while considering There has been no official confir- “We’re receiving dangerous mes- keep any potential for conflict off government but Kurdish officials repairing an oil pipeline to Turkey mation that the elections would be sages that [PMF] and federal police the table,” Mattis said. have refused. The oil-rich city is that would bypass KRG-controlled postponed. Member of the Kurdis- are preparing a major attack from Mattis also said there has been no considered the area where a clash areas. Turkey said it would gradu- tan parliament Wahid Hormozi told the south-west of Kirkuk and north fighting between Iraqi troops and between peshmerga fighters and ally close border gates with the KRG BasNews that Kurdish political par- of Mosul against Kurdistan,” the Shia militiamen could take place. in coordination with the central Ira- ties were expected to soon decide Kurdistan Region Security Council KRG Vice-President Kosrat Rasul qi government and Iran. on the issue. said. said 6,000 peshmerga fighters were There are fears that KRG Presi- “Though a new legislature is Abadi dismissed KRG reports that sent to Kirkuk as reinforcements to dent Masoud Barzani intends to supposed to be elected November an attack by Iraqi forces against There are fears that the tens of thousands Kurdish forc- delay the region’s presidential and 1, the presidential election — and Kurdish peshmerga fighters in KRG President es stationed in and around the city, parliamentary elections, scheduled Mr Barzani’s long-promised depar- Kirkuk was imminent, stressing Masoud Barzani Rudaw News reported. for November 1, effectively allowing ture from office — has been thrown that the focus is on defeating Islam- “Elements within [PMF] are not a him to extend his term until 2019. into doubt by a mysterious absence ic State (ISIS) militants. intends to delay the disciplined group that takes orders,” Barzani became KRG president in of candidates,” the Washington Post “Our armed forces cannot and region’s elections, Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim 2005 and the last regional presiden- said in an editorial. will not attack our citizens, whether effectively allowing told the Iraq Oil Report. “Some- tial elections were in 2009. Arab or Kurd. The fake news being times they take it upon themselves Shorsh Haji, spokesman of the Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy spread has a deplorable agenda be- him to extend his to do things… So rogue elements opposition party, Gorran (Move- Managing Editor and Online hind it,” Abadi posted on Twitter. term until 2019. can start something.” ment for Change), said there are “no Editor of The Arab Weekly. War rhetoric following Kurdish referendum fizzles out

Yunus Paksoy Iranian Army conducted a similar they are monitoring the situation high-level official from the Turkish ter friends than the KRG in the re- drill at its border. in northern Iraq. Foreign Ministry, who asked to re- gion,” said Barzani. “We will not accept changing “Turkey is closely watching the main anonymous because he was As the post-referendum era in the Ankara borders in the region,” Iranian events unfolding in the KRG and not authorised to speak to the me- region neared its one-month point, President Hassan Rohani said dur- reserves all its rights to take nec- dia. war rhetoric and threats with un- he Kurdistan Regional ing a news conference with Erdog- essary measures if need be,” said a KRG officials expressed surprise bearable economic sanctions have Government’s (KRG) in- an in Tehran. after Ankara teamed with Bagh- been replaced by calls for dialogue dependence vote stirred The future of the war-weary re- dad for such a show of strength from Erbil and Baghdad as well as controversy as neigh- gion looked grim but the situation against the referendum. Having cautious statements from Ankara. bouring Turkey and Iran, seemed to simmer down. The Er- determined the referendum date “It is our desire that the issue is Tas well as the Iraqi central govern- bil government called for dialogue and gone ahead with the vote, KRG solved through common sense and ment, threatened the Iraqi and cooperation with Baghdad officials appeared to be scrambling peace as soon as possible,” said with military action and economic more than ever and Ankara’s at- to find a way out of trouble but Erdogan. “When the Kurdistan sanctions. tention shifted from the Kurdish Turkey has no better without annulling the results of the Regional Government shows the The Baghdad government independence vote to an operation referendum, which was an over- wisdom to amend their mistake, banned international flights from in Syria and an unprecedented spat friends than the KRG whelming “yes” to independence. then as Turkey, together with its and to Erbil, crippling the autono- with the United States. in the region. KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan state and people, we will continue mous region, and warned of eco- “I do not see the option of mili- Barzani dismissed the likelihood of to stand by our brothers.” nomic reprisals. Turkish President tary operation realistic for now,” a military confrontation in north- Fiery political remarks or actions Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of said Mesut Ozcan, an international ern Iraq but stressed the need for between Baghdad and Erbil may cutting off oil trade, which is the relations professor at Istanbul Se- communication with Baghdad and continue but another battle in Iraq lifeline of the Iraqi Kurds and as- hir University. “The tensions are in Iraq’s neighbours. looks distant while tables for nego- serted that action by the Turkish a declining trend.” “It is necessary to eliminate the tiations are being set up. The KRG’s military could “come suddenly Ozcan argued that the joint obstacles in the way of having talks perturbed neighbours and the furi- overnight.” Turkish-Iraqi military operation and negotiations [with Baghdad], ous central government, however, Tensions escalated to dangerous near the border stemmed from ease the tensions and protect the may need much less than Erbil levels when the Turkish military the KRG’s indifference to Ankara’s stability of the region,” Barzani gauges for a perilous spark. started a drill near the Iraqi border warnings. was quoted as saying by the official on September 25, the day of the in- Even though their government KRG website. Yunus Paksoy is a Turkish dependence vote. Iraqi Army ele- recently turned its focus to neigh- KRG Prime Minister Erbil has also been trying to but- journalist who reported on wars ments joined the exercises and the bouring Syria, Turkish officials said Nechirvan Barzani ter up Ankara. “Turkey has no bet- in Syria and Iraq.