'Oil revenues real motive for Kurdistan independence vote'

Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region is to hold an independence referendum on September 25 -- a move that the central government in Baghdad is strongly opposed to. Regional players like Iran and Turkey have also raised the alarm about the planned referendum, arguing that it could create further instability in the region. Press TV has discussed the issue with Sa'ad al-Muttalibi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, as well as Nabil Mikhail, a professor at George Washington University.

Sa’ad al-Muttalibi believes the leader of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, has been using the referendum to further blackmail the political system in the country to gain higher oil revenues.

He went on to say that Barzani’s main aim is to add the Kirkuk region, which accounts for about 40 percent of Iraq’s total oil production, to the new Kurdish independent state.

Authorities in the Iraqi Kurdistan want Kirkuk, which is divided along ethnic lines between Turkmen, Kurds and Arabs, to be included in their autonomous protectorate, but Baghdad rejects it.

The province is aggressively coveted by Kurdish authorities because it holds more than 9 billion barrels of oil reserves, with a capacity to produce more than 1 million barrels a day.

The analyst also asserted that Barzani is well aware that the establishment of an independent Kurdish state will definitely constitute a threat to the national security of Iraq and the neighboring countries in the Middle East.

However, he said, the Kurds are planning to go ahead with the referendum which is “illegal and unconstitutional” without considering its “serious threats.”

Muttalibi further emphasized that the Iraqi government will not accept the results of this referendum and will look at it as something that has "no value."

He also warned that having an independent Kurdish government in northern Iraq that does not understand the national security policy will definitely put the country in a “grave danger.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the analyst stated that Israelis are the only ones who are excited about “the birth” of a new Kurdish state because it will put them on a direct border with Iraq, Iran and Turkey.  

He also explained that Americans have always been in favor of creating a Kurdish state but that the timing now does not coincide with US plans in the region.   

Washington has warned that the vote could be followed by unforeseen complications.

“The Americans need a viable strategic ally in the region to host American bases to watch over the eastern border of Iraq to basically look into Iran and the Americans were excited about it. But the problem now [is that] they understand the timing of this issue is very wrong and they understand that creating a state now will definitely lead to more complications in the political map in the region,” he said.

The analyst predicted that Iraq will face new problems after the September 25 vote, adding that if the Kurds manage to increase their presence in Kirkuk, the government will have to take “drastic action” to regain control of that province.  

PressTV-Kirkuk votes to take part in Kurdish referendum

The provincial council in Iraq’s northern province of Kirkuk has voted to take part in next month's Kurdish independence referendum.

Meanwhile, Nabil Mikhail, the other panelist on the program, said the Kurds have long demanded independence, adding that the call for a referendum verifies a “genuine desire for autonomy.”

“It is going to be a hard process,” he predicted, explaining that the Kurds have to coordinate with the Iraqi central government many aspects of their policies, including oil revenues and the ethnic composition of cities and towns inside the borders of Kurdistan.

The analyst further opined that while the Iraqi central government’s concerns about maintaining national unity are “legitimate” and “valid,” the Kurds should be given the chance to go forth with this referendum.

He also expressed hope that there would be “a sort of equilibrium between the regional powers’ concern and the Kurds’ assertion of independence” in order to prevent further fighting.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk