Things are moving fast in federal Iraq, as pro-Iran factions flex their muscles and authorities seek to oust foreign troops. Amid the chaos, Iraq’s Kurds are watching apprehensively before placing their bets.
Caught between the US and Iran and wary of being accused of seeking independence from Baghdad, the autonomous government of northern Iraq’s Kurdish region (KRG) has kept relatively mum on latest developments.
They include a US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad and a federal parliament vote to oust foreign troops, all against the backdrop of months of anti-government rallies.
But statements from the KRG and from Iraq’s Pesident Barham Saleh, himself a Kurd, have been limited to calls for restraint and “respecting the sovereignty of Iraq”.
And on Sunday, not a single Kurdish lawmaker attended the federal parliament’s vote to oust foreign troops, declining to take a stance on the controversial issue.
“Iraq’s Kurds have adopted the short-term strategy of waiting,” Kurdish specialist Adel Bakawan told AFP.
He said Kurdish authorities were “speaking to everyone” in closed-door meetings, but waiting for the dust to settle before stating their position.
“They want to see what direction events will take and won’t pick one side or another until the situation becomes clearer,” Bakawan said.
Iraq has long had close ties to both the US and Iran, but diplomatic relations with Washington have dimmed in recent years as Tehran’s clout in Baghdad has soared.