Iraq Seizes Oil Fields as Fighting Flares Over Kurds’ State Push

Iraqi forces advanced toward the disputed city of Kirkuk, as the government sharply intensified its efforts to stall moves toward a Kurdish state by seizing the oil fields that would underpin its economy. Crude exports from the disputed area were flowing normally on Monday.

State-run Iraqiya television said the military had also captured a refinery, a gas plant and a main road in Kirkuk, which has emerged as a flashpoint in the power struggle between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The Associated Press reported that Kurdish fighters had abandoned their positions outside Kirkuk’s airport while civilians were fleeing the city, where sporadic gunfire could be heard.

The military offensive, which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had vowed to avoid, follows three weeks of escalating tensions since the Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood on Sept. 25. Iran and Turkey, both with their own restive Kurdish minorities, led regional opposition to the referendum and on Monday, Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement stressing the need for Iraqi unity.

It remains unclear how far Iraq’s army and its militia partners intend to advance, but the importance of Kirkuk and the complexity of the armed alliances increase the “potential for political and military miscalculations,” said Glen Ransom, Iraq analyst at Control Risks in Dubai. “The U.S. will try to de-escalate the situation to avoid compromising anti-Islamic State operations,” he said. That could lead to agreements on Kurdish withdrawals from some areas and potentially joint administration, he added.
more detail at:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-15/kurdish-oil-keeps-flowing-despite-baghdad-s-threats-over-kirkuk