Dividing Iraq
Barzani stated that Iraq’s only hope for stability was to divide the country into three.
In a recent interview, Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, demanded that any coalition partner of his would need to accept Kurdish wishes regarding the oil rich city of Kirkuk and the role of the Kurdish military force, the Peshmarga.
Barzani stated that Iraq’s only hope for stability was to divide the country into three: the north for the Kurds, central Iraq for the Sunnis and the south for the Shia.
He proposed making Baghdad a federal capital. The Kurdish leader added that all talk of a strong, unified Iraq was fantasy.
The idea of dividing Iraq is likely to be rejected not only by many Iraqis, but also by regional neighbours including Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In this week’s show, we will discuss what lies behind Barzani’s statements and is there any expectation of future war between Baghdad and Irbil?
Joining the programme are Mohammad Ihsan, the Kurdish regional government representative in Baghdad, and Fereydun Hilmi, a Kurdish affairs analyst.
This episode of Inside Iraq can be seen from Friday, May 14, at the following times GMT: Friday: 1730, 2230; Saturday: 0300, 0830; Sunday: 0600, 1230; Monday: 0130.