Iraqi Army vehicles pass through Kurdish Peshmerga forces on their way to the Makhmour front in 2016. File photo: Farzin Hassan/Rudaw.
A Peshmerga spokesperson on October 17 said the borders of the Iraqi controlled and Kurdish controlled territories would be based on the front lines held before the start of the Mosul operation on Oct. 17, 2016.
Halgurd Hikmat said that based on an agreement signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq, under the supervision of the US-led coalition, the Peshmerga will remain in control of the territories it held before the Mosul operation began, Peshmerga Ministry spokesperson Halgurd Hikmat said.
According to Kurdistan24, the spokesperson said that both sides had agreed and would be committed to that arrangement and, in the coming days, the borderlines would be reorganized as per the agreement.
The statement followed Sky News Arabia’s report that the KRG and the Federal Government have made a deal under which KRG forces have agreed to return to 2003 Iraq borders. Sky News Arabia did not reveal the source of its info.
The Iraqi government has not commented on the both reports yet. The situation remains unclear.
Meawnhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the Kurdish independent referendum became a “history.”
“The referendum is now over, and has become history,” Abadi said during his weekly cabinet meeting refering to the Iraqi army success in retaking Kirkuk city and many other points from KRG forces across northern Iraq. “I now call for dialogue under the umbrella of the constitution.”
Earlier US President Donald Trump said they were not “taking sides” in the clash between Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers and Iraqi Army.
“We don’t like the fact that they’re clashing. We’re not taking sides, but we don’t like the fact that they’re clashing,” said Trump. “Let me tell you, we’ve had for many years a very good relationship with the Kurds, as you know. And we’ve also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been in there in the first place. We should never have been there. But we’re not taking sides in that battle.”
The US-led coalition against ISIS had backed both Iraqi Army and Peshmerga forces. It previously stated that they “strongly urge all sides to avoid escalatory actions,” and has not shown support for either side of the conflict.
The Peshmerga and Iraqi Army both had been involved in operations against ISIS. The tensions between them arose after the September 25 Kurdistan independence referendum, as a result of which Kurdistan Regional Government was planning to declare an independent state in northern Iraq.
Kurds may declare all they want (I still wonder whatt kind of nation will let their girls fight on regular basis and in mass numbers) but things should be settled according to Iraq constitution. In fact they should be happy if they keep their autonomy after their treason against their country (Iraq).
russian army, too
This narrative is in serious doubt. It is merely a wishful thought on the part of the KRG, thrown at the Iraqis , to check them out , how malleable they are , in a sort of a dialogue through the media.
They may have liberated those regions from Isis but they werent theirs in the first place. back to the 2003 borders and thats it.
Kurds still dreaming…
hahaha, look at them scamper away! they knew what was a head of them! They were going to be cannon fodder for US and Israeli geopolitical interests in the next proxy war! Smart on their behalf! They have no chance against Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria! Not to mention the Russian’s who already have proved to outsmart the Zionist regimes! Smart indeed! Off ya go, back to your caves!