Kurdish reluctance towards Bush’s new plan in Iraq

In his recent editorial Howrie Kirkuki of the Kurdish Aspect called the new U.S. deployment plan in Iraq “the biggest gamble yet for both President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki”. The plan, referred to as the Baghdad Security Plan, which moves troops from Kurdistan into Iraq, is ostensibly advantageous for security in Iraq in general, but may not as beneficial to the Kurdish region, Kirkuki said.

The Kurdish Regional Government has been able to avoid direct involvement in the Shia-Sunni conflict; however, fear has arisen that this will not be the case if the two Kurdish brigades set to be deployed by the plan fail. In preparation for such an event, Kirkuki suggests that Kurdish forces need to be deployed to other areas such as the Kurdish regions around Mosul.

If the Baghdad security plan fails the Kurdish government fears that attacks from Turkey, Iran, and Sunnis might ensue - battles which the Kurdish government is not prepared to fight.

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