Courtesy of Mish.
Iraqi Kurdistan leader Massoud Barzani says ‘the time is here‘ for self-determination.
Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani gave his strongest-ever indication on Monday that his region would seek formal independence from the rest of Iraq.
“Iraq is obviously falling apart,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview. “And it’s obvious that the federal or central government has lost control over everything. Everything is collapsing – the army, the troops, the police.”
“We did not cause the collapse of Iraq. It is others who did. And we cannot remain hostages for the unknown,” he said through an interpreter.
“The time is here for the Kurdistan people to determine their future and the decision of the people is what we are going to uphold.”
Iraqi Kurds Deliver Oil to Israel
In a move that draws criticism from the U.S. State Department, Iraqi Kurds Deliver Oil to Israel.
Oil piped from Iraqi Kurdistan has been successfully delivered directly by the region’s semiautonomous government for the first time, despite opposition from the U.S. and the Iraqi central government.
The Kurdish Regional Government said late Friday that one million barrels of its oil piped through the Turkish port of Ceyhan “was safely delivered to the buyers.” The KRG declined to say who the buyers were.
The oil is currently being unloaded at an Israeli port, according to officials at the terminal.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the delivery, criticizing the semiautonomous region’s unilateral sale without Baghdad’s approval and warning buyers of its oil.
Criticism is Not Intervention
Criticism is not intervention. Nor is pressure. Nor is sending 300 military advisors to Iraq. Nor is sending the U.S. Secretary of State to Iraq in an attempt to stop the Kurds from “Going It Alone”.
How do I know these things?
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