The Key to Iraq is Kurdistan

President Obama announced Monday that American troops in Iraq will be reduced from 144,000 to 50,000 by the end of this month and that a complete withdrawal will occur by the end of 2011. It still is not clear how the United States will grapple with the Iraqi democracy’s significant instability.

Iraq’s democracy has been controversial from the beginning. However, between the war in Afghanistan and the upcoming midterms we may overlook a critical issue in the quest for a lasting, peaceful Iraq. That critical issue is Kurdistan.

World Affairs published an article this week which examines the relationship between the Kurdish and Arab regions of Iraq and calls for US diplomatic intervention prior to complete troop withdrawal.

Kurdistan has the potential to be either an enormous asset in Iraqi stability or a constant source of trouble. Kurdish-Arab disputes over control of oil-rich regions and an increased Kurdish nationalism are cause for concern, along with leading Kurdish political families who have been struggling to maintain their own power and may ultimately reject any long term democratic solution.

Recommendations for US policymakers, from encouraging Turkey’s trade with the Kurdish region to opening a consulate in the Kurdish capital, are discussed. Each policy is diplomatic, but would have a greater liklihood of success if combined with military presence.

You can read the whole article here.

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