Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi, has recently launched an anti-ISIS campaign into Hawija province. This shows that for the Iraqi Kurds, Abadi is a fearful adversary.
On the 25th of September, the Iraqi Kurds are voting in an independence referendum. It is no coincidence that Abadi has unleashed his forces against Hawija at this moment: Hawija is the Arab half of the Kirkuk province, and Kirkuk is disputed territory between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds.
Whether the Kurdish question in Iraq remains merely a political dispute or escalates to a military one is uncertain. Abadi himself has threatened to use force if the referendum results in violence, which could be interpreted as either reactionary or as an excuse for military intervention. Either way, tensions between Baghdad and Erbil are reaching breaking point, and only a leader like Haider Al-Abadi has any hope of leading Iraq into a brighter future.
