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Kurdistan Independence
14| March| 2018

Following the “yes” victory in the 25th of September referendum over the independence of the Iraqi Kurdistan, tensions have risen between Bagdad and Erbil. On the 16th of October, the Iraqi federal government launched a military operation to restore its sovereignty in the region, by taking back Kirkuk and the oil fields that once had been under the control of the Islamic State.  

 

 

 

Opinion & Analysis | Editorials | News

Opinions & Analysis
How the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Confronts Challenges in 2018 [14/03/2018]
Seth J. Frantzman, National Interest

Turkey and the KRG After the Referendum: Blocking the Path to Independence [22/11/2017]
Mehmet Uyanik, CSIS

The Turbulent History Shaping Iran’s Opposition to an Independent Iraqi Kurdistan [14/11/2017]
Mohsen Milani, World Politics Review

How the US did Iran a favour in the Middle East [14/11/2017]
Arzu Yilmaz, Al Jazeera

Who will govern Kirkuk? [14/11/2017]
Nahwi Saeed, Al Monitor

Was Israel Wrong to Support Kurdish Independence? [13/11/2017]
Ari Heistein, Jerusalem Post

Is Massoud Barzani stepping down or stepping up? [11/11/2017]
Megan Connelly, The Daily Star

Iran’s Role in the Kirkuk Operation in Iraq [08/11/2017]
Jennifer Cafarella with Omer Kassim, ISW

The Price Of Selling Out The Kurds [08/11/2017]
Dennis Ross, New York Daily News

Can Kurds Coexist with Arabs in Iraq? [07/11/2017]
Biner Aziz, Fikra Forum

Dark Victory in Raqqa [06/11/2017]
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker

Dropping the ball in Kirkuk [03/11/2017]
Dror Michman and Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud, Brookings Institution

The U.S. and Kurdistan: Revise and rebuild after Kirkuk [03/11/2017]
Ranj Alaaldin, Brookings Institution

Masoud Barzani and the roots of Kurdish distrust of the United States [02/11/2017]
Bruce Riedel, Brookings Institution

Kurdish referendum fallout threatens Western interests in the Middle East [01/11/2017]
Guney Yildiz, ECFR

Iraqi Kurdistan Was Never Ready for Statehood [31/10/2017]
Denise Natali, Foreign Policy

Kurdish crisis could benefit Iran-Turkey-Russia energy deal [30/10/2017]
Olgu Okumuş, Al Monitor

What next for Iraq after the failed Kurdish referendum?[29/10/2017]
Zaid al-Ali, Al Jazeera

Why did Erdogan sacrifice Kurdish vote?[29/10/2017]
Pinar Tremblay, Al Monitor

Turkey’s Newfound Alliance with Iraq Won’t Hold [27/10/2017]
Gönül Tol, The Middle East Institute

The West’s shameful silence on Kurdish statehood [27/10/2017]
Shlomo Avineri, Euronews

Overplaying Their Hand: The Kurds’ Referendum Debacle [27/10/2017]
Melik Kaylan, World Affairs

Kurds aren’t always the good guys [26/10/2017]
Rodger Shanahan, The Interpreter

Did Mas‘oud Barzani Overplay His Hand by Organizing a Kurdish Referendum? [26/10/2017]
Michael Young, Carnegie Middle East Center

The Kurdish referendum backfired badly. Here’s why. [25/10/2017]
Renad Mansour, Washington Post

Kurds a long way from independence [25/10/2017]
Nicholas Stuart, Sidney Morning Herald

We Need a Strategy for the Middle East [24/10/2017]
John McCain, New York Times

Barzani’s independence gamble has failed. Now Baghdad has the upper hand [24/10/2017]
Faisal Al Yafai, The National

Turkey quietly concerned with Russia’s Kurdish policy [24/10/2017]
Semih Idiz, Al Monitor

Iraq, the Kurds and me: What went wrong in Kirkuk? [23/10/2017]
Steven A. Cook, Salon

Must The War Go On? Let’s Talk about Iraq and The Kurds [23/10/2017]
Rasha Al Aqeedi, Denise Natali, Douglas A. Ollivant and Ryan Evans, War on the Rocks

Baghdad Regains Control of Kirkuk: Strategic Implications [23/10/2017]
Eldad Shavit, Gallia Lindenstrauss, INSS

In Kurdistan we need change, not theatrics [23/10/2017]
Srwa Abdulwahid, Al Jazeera

The Kurds: Seeking Their Yorktown [22/10/2017]
Jonathan Dworkin, Small Wars Journal

The U.S. Must Mediate Between Baghdad, Kurds [20/10/2017]
Michael Knights, The Cipher Brief

Kurds in Iraq: Back to square one?[20/10/2017]
Cengiz Çandar, Al Monitor

The Clash Over Kirkuk: Why the Real Crisis Is in Baghdad—Not Erbil[20/10/2017]
Ranj Alaaldin, Foreign Affairs

Past the Crossroads [20/10/2017]
Yezid Sayigh, Carnegie Middle East Center

As Kirkuk's Governor Is Forced to Flee, Iran Moves In [19/10/2017]
Eli Lake, Bloomberg

If Barzani is the absolute loser, who is the winner? [19/10/2017]
Melih Altınok, Daily Sabah

“Phil-Kurdism” Like Philhellenism? The Role and Impact of the Western Volunteers Alongside Kurds [18/10/2017]
Spyridon Plakoudas, Small Wars Journal

Iraq's Shiite Militias Are Just Getting Started [18/10/2017]
Anchal Vohra, Foreign Policy

Kurdish dream of statehood sunk by rows and reckless decisions [18/10/2017]
Alex MacDonald, Middle East Eye

Oil and Borders: How to Fix Iraq’s Kurdish Crisis[17/10/2017]
International Crisis Group

Can the United States Broker Peace Between Iraq and the Kurds? [17/10/2017]
Max Boot, Council on Foreign Relations

«Le Kurdistan irakien a besoin de grands amis, pas de grands propagandistes» [17/10/2017]
Mariwan Kanie et Aras Fatah, Le Monde

The Global Consensus Against the Iraqi Kurds [17/10/2017]
Kamran Bokhari, Geopolitical Futures

Is the Dream Of Kurdish Independence Now Over? [17/10/2017]
Jamie Dettmer, VOA News

Iraq's reconquest of Kirkuk checks Kurdish secession [17/10/2017]
Tallha Abdulrazaq, Al Jazeera

How to resolve the Kirkuk crisis [17/10/2017]
Ibrahim Al-Marashi, Middle East Eye

Iraq, the Kurds, and the mess America has made [17/10/2017]
Anthony Ricketts, The Interpreter

Iraqi-Kurdish Clash in Kirkuk Opens Door to More Iranian Influence [16/10/2017]
Robbie Gramer & Paul McLeary, Foreign Policy

The Kurdish Challenge to U.S. Strategy in Iraq [16/10/2017]
Zmkan A. Saleem, Fikra Forum

Iran's Hand and Iraq's Kirkuk Offensive [16/10/2017]
Seth Frantzman, National Interest

Keep Dreaming, Kurdistan [16/10/2017]
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker

A Kurdish State Is Inevitable [14/10/2017]
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, Jerusalem Post

Turkey, Iran Could Unite to Overcome Their Kurdish Worries [10/10/2017]
Metin Gurcan, Al-Monitor

Iran Flexes Its Muscles After the Kurdish Referendum [10/10/2017]
Farzin Nadimi, Washington institute

Kurdistan Deserves U.S. Support. Here Is Why [10/10/2017]
Francis Rooney, RealClearWorld

The Kurds Confront a New ‘Gang of Four’  [09/10/2017]
Bernard-Henri Lévy, The Wall Street Journal

‘A 6-month long winter’ for Kurdistan Regional Government [09/10/2017]
Hediye Levent, Evrensel

Is the world ready for “Kurdexit”? Referendum among Iraqi Kurds has Middle East on edge[09/10/2017]
Steven A. Cook, Salon

Why is Israel supporting Kurdish secession from Iraq? [07/10/2017]
Lamis Andoni, Al Jazeera

Most Kurds in Iraq support independence. So why did some voters stay home during last week’s referendum? [07/10/2017]
Nicole F. Watts, Washington Post

Jalal Talabani's Enduring Struggle [06/10/2017]
Peter Galbraith, New York Times

Underground in Raqqa[06/10/2017]
Patrick Cockburn, London Review of Books

Unraveling the Oil Geopolitics Intertwined in the Kurdish Independence Referendum [04/10/2017]
Amy Myers Jaffe, Council on Foreign Relations

The Trump Administration Just Stabbed the Kurds in the Front [04/10/2017]
Michael Totten, World Affairs Journal

Contentious borders: Iraqi Kurdistan after the independence referendum [03/10/2017]
Johannes Jüde, International Affairs

Will there be a Kurdish state? [03/10/2017]
Andrés Ortega, Elcano

Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds’ Bid for Statehood [03/10/2017]
Galip Dalay, German Marshall Fund

Turkish Bluster Hides Shaky Leverage Over KRG  [03/10/2017]
Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor

Don't Support Illegal Kurdish Separation in Iraq [03/10/2017]
Meir Masri, Haaretz

Erbil and Ankara before and after the referendum [02/10/2017]
Hemin Lihony, Rudow

How Did the Kurds Get Washington So Wrong? [02/10/2017]
Michael Rubin, AEI

Why Tehran Should Balance Its Relations with Baghdad and Irbil [02/10/2017]
Shireen Hunter, Lobe Log

Kurds, Their Neighbors, and Prospects for Independence [02/10/2017]
AA.VV., CSIS

Back Off on the Kurds [29/09/2017]
Eli Lake, Bloomberg

The Urgent U.S. Role in Post-Referendum Kurdistan [29/09/2017]
Michael Knights, Washington Institute

The Turn of the Kurds [29/09/2017]
Richard N. Haass, Project Syndicate

Iraqi Kurdistan’s Unlikely Ally  [29/09/2017]
Kamran Bokhari, Geopolitical Futures

« Laisserons-nous aujourd’hui le Kurdistan s’asphyxier ? » [29/09/2017]
Akil Marceau, Le Monde

Why the Trump Administration Should Support an Independent Kurdistan [28/09/2017]
Lee Smith, Weekly Standard

The U.S. owes it to the Kurds to help de-escalate tensions after the independence referendum [28/09/2017]
David Ignatius, Washington Post

Kurds Voted. So Is the Middle East Breaking Up? [27/09/2017]
Robin Wright, New Yorker

After the Referendum: Negotiation Is Still Possible [27/09/2017]
Harith Hasan Al-Qarawee, Atlantic Council

The looming backlash against Kurds [27/09/2017]
Fawaz Turki, Gulf News

The Kurds of Iraq have been loyal allies. The west must repay its debt [27/09/2017]
Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

How to Defuse the Iraqi Kurdish Crisis [27/09/2017]
Sajad Jiyad, The New York Times

Will KRG referendum pave way for new oil war? [26/09/2017]
Merve Şebnem Oruç, Daily Sabah

Is Kurdish Independence from Iraq Impossible? Or Inevitable? [26/09/2017]
Ellen Laipson, World Politics Review

Iran and the Kurds: What the Referendum Means for Tehran[26/09/2017]
Ariane M. Tabatabai, Foreign Affairs

The Economic Case Against an Independent Kurdistan [26/09/2017]
Alex Dziadosz, The Atlantic

Iraqi Kurds: A Referendum Which May Make History [25/09/2017]
Michael Stephens, RUSI

Iranian Leaders Concerned over Kurdish Referendum [25/09/2017]
Michael Rubin, Washington Examiner

Kurdish referendum and MHP leader’s statement of ‘casus belli…’ [25/09/2017]
Yusuf Kanli, Hurriyet Daily News

Trump Should Bet on Kurdish Independence [24/09/2017]
Ron Prosor, New York Times

What do the Kurds expect from the international community?[24/09/2017]
Zana Kurda, Rudaw

Iraqi Kurdish referendum: Let the tempest pass  [23/09/2017]
Ruth Citrin, ECFR

Kexit: How Kurdish Independence Could Reshape the Middle East [22/09/2017]
Matthew RJ Brodsky, National Interest

Regional implications of the Kurdish independence vote [19/09/2017]
Ranj Alaaldin, Al Jazeera

Iraq's Kurds have earned their right to independence [13/09/2017]
Eli Lake, Khaleej Times

Is the World Ready for “Kurdexit”? Referendum Among Iraqi Kurds Has Middle East on Edge [11/09/2017]
Steven A. Cook, CFR

Kurdistan Independence: One Day in September Could Wreak Havoc in the Middle East [28/08/2017]
Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz

La disyuntiva kurda en la Turquía de Erdogan [04/2016]
Mehmet Gurses y David Romano, Estudios de Política Exterior

The Future of Kurdistan: Between Turkey, the Iraq War, and the Syrian Revolt [08/2012]
Jacques Neriah, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

 

Editorials
Barzani's resignation is more like a recalibration [30/10/2017]
The National

The ceasefire agreement between Baghdad and Erbil must not go to waste [28/10/2017]
The National

The battle of Kirkuk as a lesson on ‘self determination’ [16/10/2017]
CS Monitor

A New War in Iraq, Now Between Shia Arabs and Kurds [16/10/2017]
The Economist

Iraq’s Kurds need to put democracy before independence [06/10/2017]
Washington Post

While grievances of Iraqi Kurds are genuine, timing of the referendum is questionable [06/10/2017]
Dawn

Iraq's Kurds Deserve Independence. Just Not Yet. [04/10/2017]
Bloomberg

Putin Boxed in by Iran, Turkey on Iraqi Kurdish Referendum [01/10/2017]
Al-Monitor

Use diplomacy to avert conflict over Kurdistan [01/10/2017]
Financial Times

The Kurdish referendum [01/10/2017]
Observer

The Kurdish referendum was an unnecessary act of provocation, but a shooting war will only make matters worse [30/09/2017]
The National

Kurdistan’s Dangerous Vote on Independence[26/09/2017]
New York Times

Iraqi Kurds stand to lose everything in independence referendum [24/09/2017]
Daily Sabah

Kurdes : du bon usage du référendum sur l’indépendance[23/09/2017]
Le Monde

A fair question [22/09/2017]
The Guardian

The Kurds’ Catalonian Turn [22/09/2017]
Wall Street Journal

The Kurdish vote — on proposed independence referendum [20/09/2017]
The Hindu

A Kurdish referendum on independence risks backfiring [15/09/2017]
The Economist

Kurds’ Risky Dream of Independence [22/08/2017]
New York Times

Kurdish Referendum [12/06/2017]
Jerusalem Post

 

News
Kurds ask higher authority to end crisis with Baghdad [12/03/2018]
Mustafa Saadoun, Al Monitor

Iraq’s Kurdistan Says to Respect Court Decision Banning Secession [14/11/2017]
Raya Jalabi, Reuters

Changing of the Guard Resets Cycle of Retribution in Iraq [12/11/2017]
Isabel Coles and Ali Nabhan, Wall Street Journal

Congress abandons constraints on Kurdish aid [10/11/2017]
Bryant Harris, Al Monitor

President Barzani: There was a plan to destabilize Kurdistan [29/10/2017]
Rudaw

Barzani resignation stokes tensions among Kurdish factions [29/10/2017]
Erika Solomon, Financial Times

US calls for dialogue in Iraqi-Kurdish dispute [27/10/2017]
Al Jazeera

Abadi, Erdogan Meet to Form Kurdistan Game Plan [27/10/2017]
Amberin Zaman, Al Monitor

Iraq Orders Truce With Kurds to Allow Peaceful Deployment at Border Crossings [27/10/2017]
Maher Chmaytelli, Reuters

Peshmerga retreat amid international efforts to defuse tensions [27/10/2017]
Al Arabiya 

KRG offers to freeze outcome of independence referendum to begin dialogue [25/10/2017]
Rudaw

Turkey quietly concerned with Russia’s Kurdish policy  [25/10/2017]
Semih Idiz, Al Monitor

Iraqi Kurds forced from Tuz Khurmata in tens of thousands: Aid groups [25/10/2017]
Middle East Eye

Netanyahu: world should take care of Kurds' future [24/10/2017]
Daily Mail

Iraq paramilitaries battle Kurds in push towards Turkish border oil hub [24/10/2017]
Maher Chmaytelli, Reuters

Iraq's Christians ponder future in wake of Kurdish independence vote [24/10/2017]
Omar Sattar, Al Monitor

Iraq’s Kurd region postpones planned polls by 8 months [24/10/2017]
Anadolu

Iraq’s Kurdistan Region Delays Elections [23/10/2017]
Reuters

Gorran says Barzani should resign after Kurdish vote [23/10/2017]
Al Jazeera

What Iraq’s Recent Moves Against Kurds Mean for Israel and Region [23/10/2017]
Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post

Kurds accuse Baghdad of troop build-up on region border [23/10/2017]
Al Jazeera

Iraqi Forces Overpower Kurds, but Public Relations Battle Rages [22/10/2017]
David Zucchino, New York Times

Netanyahu lobbies world powers to stem Iraqi Kurd setbacks [20/10/2017]
Dan Williams, Reuters

Moscow seeks to boost its influence in Kurdistan through oil [20/10/2017]
Dmitry Zhdannikov and Vladimir Soldatkin, Middle East Online

Iraq army takes last Kurd-held area of Kirkuk province [20/10/2017]
Middle East Online

Turkey welcomes 'close cooperation' with Iran against KRG: Prime minister [19/10/2017]
Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey warned Barzani of Sept 25 referendum consequences, Erdoğan says [19/10/2017]
Serdar Karagöz, Daily Sabah

Les forces kurdes poursuivent leur retrait des territoires disputés avec Bagdad  [19/10/2017]
Allan Kaval, Le Monde

Iraq’s Kurdish regional government open to Baghdad talks [19/10/2017]
Middle East Online

Iraqi Forces Retake All Oil Fields in Disputed Areas as Kurds Retreat  [17/10/2017]
David Zucchino, The New York Times

El choque entre Bagdad y los kurdos en Kirkuk, un dilema para Estados Unidos [17/10/2017]
La Vanguardia

Scenes from a Failed Secession [17/10/2017]
Campbell Macdiarmid, Foreign Policy

Barzani rebuffs resignation calls as he blames rivals for Kirkuk loss [17/10/2017]
Middle East Eye

Iraqi Forces Take Back Sinjar in Latest Effort to Roll Back Kurdish Gains of the Past Years [17/10/2017]
Loveday Morris & Aaso Ameen Shwan, The Washington Post

Iraqi Forces Sweep into Kirkuk, Checking Kurdish Independence Drive [17/10/2017]
David Zucchino, New York Times

Pentagon Says Support for Iraqi Forces Could End If Attacks on Kurds Continue [16/10/2017]
Joe Gould, Defense News

U.S. Seeks to Stay Neutral in Iraq Conflict [16/10/2017]
Ben Kesling, Nancy A. Youssef and Paul Sonne, Wall Street Journal

Peshmerga: Baghdad to pay heavy price for declaring war [16/10/2017]
Al Jazeera

Peshmerga Command: Iraqi Military Attack on Kirkuk is ‘Declaration of War’ [16/10/2017]
Rudaw

Iran Behind Kurdish Withdrawal from Kirkuk  [16/10/2017]
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker

Last-Minute Talks Calm Iraqi, Kurdish Troops Facing Off Over Kirkuk [13/10/2017]
Rhys Dubin, Foreign Policy

Kurds on high alert as Iraqi forces mass near Kirkuk [13/10/2017]
Al Jazeera

Thousands of Kurdish troops sent to Kirkuk to face 'Iraqi threat' [13/10/2017]
Campbell MacDiarmid, Telegraph

Kurdish secession tops Erdogan's agenda in Iran visit [05/10/2017]
Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera

Iraq says it will stop dollar sales, foreign currency transfers to Kurdistan [04/10/2017]
Financial Times

Iraqi Kurds mourn death of leader Talabani, symbol of unity [04/10/2017]
Susannah George, Washington Post

After Threat of War, Iraq and Kurds Lower the Temperature [03/10/2017]
Rod Nordland and David Zucchino, New York Times

Iraq's Kurdistan region plans presidential, parliamentary votes on Nov. 1 [03/10/2017]
Reuters

Iraqi parliament to strip Kurdish MPs of immunity, putting them on trial [03/10/2017]
Rudaw

Political Leadership of Kurdistan - Iraq replaces High Referendum Council [02/10/2017]
Rudaw

Kurdish Disappointment at Europe's Response [01/10/2017]
David Patrikarakos, Politico

Post-Referendum: Kurds in Iran Demand Rights as Regime Cracks Down [30/09/2017]
Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post

What Next for Kurdistan? [29/09/2017]
The Economist

Iraqi forces to take control of Kurdish regional borders[29/09/2017]
Susannah George and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Washington Post

US: Iraq Kurdish referendum distracting from mission to defeat ISIS [28/09/2017]
Corey Dickstein, Stars and Stripes

More than 92% of voters in Iraqi Kurdistan back independence [28/09/2017]
The Guardian

Iraq Escalates Dispute With Kurds, Threatening Military Action [27/09/2017]
David Zucchino & Margaret Coker, The New York Times

Iraq Warns Kurds as They Claim Victory in Independence Vote [27/09/2017]
Times of Israel

Iraqi Kurds decisively back independence in referendum [27/09/2017]
BBC

Iranian Kurds march in support of referendum [26/09/2017]
Gulf News

Damascus says Syrian Kurdish autonomy negotiable: report [26/09/2017]
Reuters

In Iraq, Minorities Pin Hopes on a Kurdish State [26/09/2017]
Judit Neurink, Deutsche Welle

Turkey's Erdogan Says Israel's Support for Kurdish Statehood Harms Relations [26/09/2017]
Fatih Hafiz Mehmet, Anadolu

Baghdad piles pressure on Iraqi Kurds to reverse independence vote [26/09/2017]
Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed, Reuters

As Kurds Celebrate Independence Vote, Neighbors Threaten Military Action [25/09/2017]
David Zucchino, New York Times

Kurds Vote, as Turks and Iranians Prepare for War [25/09/2017]
Paul Mcleary, Foreign Policy

Claiming independence now would squander any potential that Kurdistan holds [25/09/2017]
Norman Blythe, Telegraph

Iraqi Kurds vote in controversial referendum [25/09/2017]
Al Jazeera

Fearful neighbours look on as Iraq’s Kurds stake claim to nationhood [23/09/2017]
Martin Chulov and Paul Johnson, The Guardian

Curfew imposed in Iraqi city before Kurdish independence vote [19/09/2017]
The Guardian

Israeli Minister: Independent Kurdistan Would Benefit Israel and the West [11/09/2017]
Haaretz