JUDY WOODRUFF: Longstanding rivalries have been re-ignited in Iraq as we speak between important American allies.
Iraqi navy forces and militia moved to push Kurdish forces out of the disputed metropolis of Kirkuk within the nation’s north.
Lisa Desjardins begins our protection.
MAN (by way of interpreter): The commander in chief of the armed forces, Dr. Haider al-Abadi, gave orders to guard the individuals of Kirkuk and to impose safety within the metropolis.
LISA DESJARDINS: After months of simmering tensions, Iraqi federal troops moved to retake the disputed metropolis of Kirkuk from Kurdish forces.
The hassle launched earlier than daybreak. By noon, Iraqi troopers, together with state-backed militias, rapidly took management of a number of large oil fields north of the town. Iraqis additionally captured Kirkuk’s navy airport and varied authorities buildings. They lowered what had been a symbolic Kurdish flag on the governor’s compound.
Journalist Rebecca Collard in Irbil was in Kirkuk this morning.
REBECCA COLLARD, Journalist: You may hear some clashes, some gunfire within the distance, however for probably the most half, the town appeared roughly deserted. Now, the Iraqi military, by the top of as we speak, was basically accountable for the entire metropolis and lots of the outskirts of Kirkuk.
LISA DESJARDINS: The spokesman for an Iraqi Shiite militia mentioned they achieved all their objectives with little resistance.
AHMED AL-ASSADI, Spokesman for al-Hashed al-Shaabi (by way of translator): Because the troops approached the world, they have been confronted by some rebels, who tried to hinder the progress of the advancing items. Our troops returned hearth and silenced its supply.
LISA DESJARDINS: This comes three weeks after the Kurds held a nonbinding independence referendum that included the disputed province of Kirkuk.
Greater than 90 % of the Kurdish area’s residents voted to separate from Iraq. The Iraqi federal authorities, Turkey, Iran and the U.S. all rejected the independence drive.
The multiethnic area of Kirkuk lies simply exterior of the autonomous Kurdish area in Iraq’s north. Known as the nation’s oil capital, Kirkuk produces round 500,000 barrels a day.
In 2014, amid the ISIS onslaught throughout Northern Iraq, the Kurds took management of Kirkuk, because the Iraqi navy fled the town. Within the three years since, the Kurds, led by their president, Massoud Barzani, sought to cement their maintain, regardless of tensions with the central authorities.
At present, Kurdish officers accused Iraq of finishing up a serious multipronged assault.
MAJ. GEN. AYOUB YUSUF SAID, Peshmerga Commander (by way of interpreter): I don’t know what is going on precisely, as a result of we’ve been on this battle since 4:00 within the morning. We’ve got suffered casualties, together with martyrs, and now we’ve withdrawn to this place. A number of the different Kurdish forces have pulled out. They didn’t hearth a single shot.
LISA DESJARDINS: Whereas Kurdish forces withdrew from posts south of the town, some residents vowed to die preventing. 1000’s of others fled north.
REBECCA COLLARD: For the previous few years, the Iraqi forces, these primarily Shia militia, the Hashed Shaabi, and the Kurdish forces have been centered on preventing ISIS. Now that battle is coming to an finish, and what the worry is that now these inside division in Iraq are going to turn out to be extra obvious and probably extra violent.
LISA DESJARDINS: These clashes pit one considerably American-armed navy pressure towards one other. Each the Kurdish forces and Iraqi authorities troops are a part of the coalition preventing ISIS. The U.S. sought to downplay the preventing, labeling the trade of gunfire a misunderstanding.
And, within the Rose Backyard, President Trump tried to remain impartial.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We don’t like the truth that they’re clashing. We’re not taking sides. However we don’t like the truth that they’re clashing.
LISA DESJARDINS: For the PBS NewsHour, I’m Lisa Desjardins.
JUDY WOODRUFF: For extra, I’m joined now by Emma Sky. She served as an adviser to Common David Petraeus whereas he was commander of U.S. forces in Iraq from 2007 to 2010, and by Feisal Istrabadi. He’s a former Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations and he helped write Iraq’s interim structure.
Welcome to each of you.
Let me begin with you, Emma Sky.
This has occurred so rapidly. What precisely has the Iraqi authorities finished?
EMMA SKY, Yale College: The Iraqi authorities has deployed its forces again up north into Kirkuk.
And since 2003, the Kurds have made it clear that they need to embody Kirkuk inside their territory with a view to proceed with gaining independence, which has at all times been their aim. However Kirkuk is necessary to Iraq itself, and no Iraqi prime minister can afford to lose Kirkuk.
So you possibly can see this response that has taken place following the referendum on independence, which occurred September the twenty fifth, and likewise included the disputed territories and the town of Kirkuk.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Feisal Istrabadi, what are you able to add to why the Iraqi authorities is so set on taking on the town?
FEISAL ISTRABADI, Former Deputy UN Ambassador, Iraq: Properly, a few causes.
First, as Emma simply mentioned, it is part of the disputed territories, that are legally and constitutionally underneath the jurisdiction of the federal authorities in Baghdad. The KRG expanded into these disputed territories on the time when ISIL was increasing its territory, after which started to take steps to unilaterally declare that these areas have been now included into the Kurdistan area, together with when it held the referendum that Emma talked about.
It included holding the referendum in these disputed territories. Now, as long as Iraq — as long as we’re speaking a few single nation, it issues rather less who controls Kirkuk, however as soon as the referendum was held, this gave rise then to the second purpose for Baghdad selecting to behave now.
As Emma mentioned, Kirkuk is a crucial oil-producing zone in Iraq. And it’s important for the financial viability of an impartial Kurdish state and an necessary a part of the financial viability of the Iraqi state. So there was by no means going to be a situation, I believe, wherein Baghdad would permit a unilateral train of management by Kurds to happen over Kirkuk, as long as independence is on the desk.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Emma Sky, we heard President Trump say as we speak the U.S. will not be taking sides on this.
Is that correct, that the U.S. isn’t taking sides? What’s the U.S. position right here?
EMMA SKY: Properly, the U.S. has stipulated again and again that its coverage is to help a united Iraq.
So you possibly can see the U.S. has given help to Iraqi safety forces, but additionally to the Kurdish Peshmerga, to battle towards ISIS. The U.S. coverage for the previous few years has actually been centered on ISIS and never on the day after ISIS.
However what we’re witnessing in the mean time is that totally different teams are already shifting to the day after, which is the ability battle for management of various territories in Iraq.
And Barzani believed that through the battle towards ISIS, he turned stronger as a result of he received weapons straight from the worldwide group. And, as Feisal mentioned, he was capable of prolong his management over the disputed territories.
He’s additionally dealing with home issues inside Kurdistan. There are tensions between the totally different Kurdish teams, and a few consider that Barzani has overstayed his time period as president.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Which reminds us simply how difficult that is, Feisal Istrabadi.
What does the Iraqi central authorities need right here? They’re not going to eliminate the Kurds. What’s it that they need?
FEISAL ISTRABADI: Oh, effectively, I imply, the Kurds after all are an important a part of Iraq. They’re an important a part of the political course of, and so they have been represented in Baghdad. The president of Iraq is a Kurd and has been since 2005.
I believe what must happen and I hope what the federal government of Iraq needs is a negotiated settlement, wherein no get together dictates phrases to the opposite, however a negotiated settlement.
Look, Irbil has some official agreements with respect to Baghdad. Baghdad has some official agreements with respect to Irbil. I believe we want a mediator maybe or anyone to convene a roundtable — the US is who I’m considering of, after all — to handle a few of these points.
Many of the points are, from the Irbil facet, financial problems with funds, and from Baghdad’s facet, transparency of how a lot oil Irbil is producing and exporting, which Irbil has by no means accounted for to Baghdad.
I believe if these points are resolved, maybe hopefully a few of these different points can a minimum of be delayed for an additional day. However on the finish of the day, neither authorities — neither the regional authorities nor the federal authorities in Baghdad can actually tolerate dictation of phrases to it by the opposite facet. My hope is {that a} negotiated settlement obtains.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Emma Sky, the place do you see this going from right here? Do you see the peace that totally different sides have labored to arduous to create in Iraq unraveling because of this?
EMMA SKY: I believe there is a chance for a deal, and I believe the kind of deal that might be negotiated is one that appears at a particular standing for the town of Kirkuk and negotiated phrases for Kurdistan’s separate, whether or not that be in direction of confederation or in direction of independence.
However there must be negotiation. There must be a have a look at the place ought to the border between Iraqi Kurdistan and the remainder of Iraq really be, and that requires mediation district by district by way of these territories.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Properly, we all know there are different gamers who’re enjoying an necessary position right here in Iran and Turkey, and that is all very a lot enjoying out as we watch, watch it occur in Iraq.
Emma Sky, Feisal Istrabadi, thanks very a lot.
FEISAL ISTRABADI: Thanks.
EMMA SKY: Thanks.
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