Iraq Slams Kurds as Troop Dispute Restarts

Less Than a Week After 'Deal' the Same Argument Begins Anew

by Jason Ditz, December 03, 2012

With both sides at the time talking up tensions leading to a civil war, Iraq’s central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) reached a deal to redeploy out of the disputed area between their borders.

That was last week, and the two are at it again, with the troops once again being sent back into the area and both sides blaming the other for another standoff.

KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani accused Maliki of being paranoid about conspiracies against him, while adding that he believes recent Iraqi military efforts to acquire more advanced weapons are primarily about attacking Iraqi Kurdistan, not defending territory.

Though the specific troop dispute is somewhat recent, the dispute between Iraq and Kurdistan is long-standing, with the KRG having successfully carved out an impressive level of autonomy and now hoping to expand its reach to other ethnically Kurdish areas along that border, particularly in the oil-rich area around Kirkuk. With oil distribution deals a big source of tension between the two sides, this is going to be a protracted battle.

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