Referendum for Kurdish Independence

In Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, the citizens are preparing to vote on whether to assert their independence from Iraq. This is a highly controversial decision, and it is almost assured that it will result in violence. The Kurds have felt oppression from the Iraqi government for years and feel they should gain full independence. The Iraqi and Turkish governments have said they will not recognize the results of the vote. The Turkish government, despite being friendly with the Kurds, believes Kurdish independence would create even more instability in the region. The United States is also against the referendum out of fear that it weaken their opposition to the Islamic State. The Kurdish people seem to want and deserve their independence, but it is a question of whether it is worth fracturing Iraq and destabilizing the region further.


https://theintercept.com/2017/09/23/in-iraqi-kurdistan-voting-on-independence-and-bracing-for-violence/

Patrick Schaefer