MESOP SHORT CUTS : Massoud Barzani warns to divide region from Iraq

Kurdpress 21 May 2015 – The leader of the Kurdish autonomous region in the north of Iraq has warned to divide the region from Iraq if the central government in Baghdad fails to pay the region’s share of budget.

A CNN analyst, Robert Baer, called the U.S. policies in Iraq a failure and warned about the Arab state’s division after the fall of the key city of Ramadi, capital to the western province of Anbar, to the militants of the Islamic State (IS). He stated it is hard to retake the control of Ramadi and Mosul, capital of the neighboring province of Nianawa, in a short time and it is likely that the Kurds would separate from Iraq. The analyst further added Barzani has told U.S. officials, in his 10-visit to Washington early this month, that he would divide the region from Iraq if Baghdad stops short of paying the autonomous enclave. Erbil has stated that Baghdad has not sent the region’s share of budget for April.