... Kurdish Movement in Syria… in the effort to contain and defeat ISIS,’ [
3
] especially from 2014 onwards. However, the on-going Syrian crisis has made clear that the US does not appear to have options in terms of allies on the ground but the Kurds. This condition also explains the importance of the non-state actors’ typology prior to the classification of the different Kurdish entities
Konstantin Truevczev:
Unrest in Iraq: Continuation of the Arab Spring or a New Political Reality?
The onset of direct US relations with the Kurds of Iraq commenced ...
... was prepared by the Russian International Affairs Council as part of the RIAC’s project on «Conflicts in the Middle East: Tools and Strategies for Settlement». This paper is devoted to analyzing the situation in the oil and gas market in Iraq and Syria, as well as the energy policy of Russia in the Arab Mashreq region. The authors also analyze Iraq’s oil prospects in the post-war period under sanctions against Iran. Special attention is paid to the Kurdish factor and the role the Kurds play in the future of energy in the region, the possibility of subregional integration in the Arab Mashreq and the increasing influence of Russian energy companies in regards to gas projects located in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Russia’s Interests ...
The official referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan is soon. The referendum which is designed to sense the will of Iraqi Kurds about independence from Iraq and starting a Kurdish state among Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Theoretically, this might seem possible since Kurds already enjoy an autonomous rule in northern Iraq, they have their own president paramilitary forces and parliament. Plus the decision is being taken through democratic means. But in fact, the Kurdish dream is still out of reach and would most-likely ...
... not only Iraqi Kurds, but also Kurds from the Syrian YPG (People’s Protection Units), the military branch of the Syrian Kurdish party, the PYD (Democratic Union Party), as well as units of the Turkish PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party). Historically, Iraqi Kurds have poor, if not tense, relations with Syrian and Turkish Kurds, and this military coordination orchestrated by the US is of a significant importance since its success could pave the way for a greater efficiency in the fight on the ground against ISIS. Furthermore, during the offensive, the ...
