How to Solve the Kirkuk Question
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Contrary to the expectations of many, the situation in Kirkuk has remained largely free of ethnic conflict since the ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003. The Kurds, emerging victorious after decades of struggle, have been a dynamic actor for change in Kirkuk and other mixed-population, oil-rich areas in northern Iraq.
Using their new political strength in Baghdad, Kurdish leaders have helped design a constitutional framework that will not only reverse decades of Arabisation but facilitate these areas' incorporation into Kurdistan. It is almost certain, however, that a Kurdish take-over of these areas, by legal means or force, will be resisted actively by other local communities, the Iraqi central government, and certain regional actors.
The Middle East Institute is pleased to welcome Dr. Joost Hiltermann to share his analysis from a recent trip to northern Iraq and present options for solving the Kirkuk question.
