Iraq VP fears "violent conflict" in Kirkuk, if Kurdish independence talks fail

Описание: (9 Oct 2017) Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi says there could be a "civil war" over the Kurdish-administered city of Kirkuk if talks over Kurdish independence are left unresolved and if Shiite militias go to the disputed area.
Allawi, in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, says he urges Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, as well as Iraq's central government and its Iranian-backed Shiite militia forces, to show restraint and resolve in disputes over the oil-rich city.
He particularly warned against a flare-up of violence between the Shiite militias known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
Tens of thousands of Shiite men answered a religious call to arms three years ago and played a critical role in beating back extremists like the Islamic State group (IS).
Kirkuk was included in a controversial Kurdish referendum on support for independence in September.
The ethnically-mixed city has been administered by Kurdish forces since 2014, even though it falls outside the autonomous Kurdish region in northeast Iraq.

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