The process of escalation in the political and media discourse continues between all parties in Baghdad and Erbil after the completion of the process of referendum and the separation from Iraq and the declaration of the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq noting that after the twenty-fifth of September 2017 , political and security features start sweeping the region and Turkey and Iran have expressed their fears and concerns that have distracted the Security and intelligence services and political institutions in both countries.
Turkey and Iran have focused on maintaining national security on the common border with Iraq because of the Kurdish presence and fear of growing emotional and national feeling among the Kurds of Turkey and Iran and courting their aspirations to claim their national rights in the state of Greater Kurdistan.
Hence, the international, regional and internal voices started to rise to preserve the interests of all and to prevent the outbreak of clashes or confrontations in an important and sensitive region in the Middle East and the Arab world and all seek to encircle the political crisis between Arbil and Baghdad and find compromises to start an in-depth and comprehensive dialogue leading to preliminary and future agreements on the nature of the political process In Iraq and the effective participation of all in political decision-making away from exclusion , marginalization , and take possession of power and the adoption of the principle of participation rather than the majority sought by some political blocs to participate in power and lead it .
The international initiatives have an important and effective role, especially from the United States of America, the French government and the European Union, in order to preserve international and regional security, protect the field interests of all the countries of the highest interest in Iraq, and maintain their strategic relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government and their historical and positive relations with the Kurdish people and their political forces.
The importance of these international initiatives in maintaining the continuity of the political process in Iraq and respect for the rights of nationalities and minorities falls according to the following perspective:
1. Adopting a major principle and a strategic objective in Iraq by giving priority to confronting the elements of ISIS and its leaderships and working in a consensual and field way with the Iraqi military authorities to end the military presence of this organization and prevent the situations of ongoing confrontation with the security and the military forces and maintain the security and stability of Iraq to achieve regional and international security sought by the international coalition in its participation in providing support and assistance in the face of ISIS in Iraq.
2. To consolidate of relations with all the political blocs and parties within the political process in Iraq, which are brought by the American-British occupation and the continuation of political support and to provide all the potential and effective contribution to maintain and sustain this process and provide them with all the viability and survival and maintain communication with its officials and under the supervision of the United States of America.
3. Strengthening the principle of dialogue between all the political forces that participated in the elections that followed the years of the American occupation and its participation in the governments formed after 2003, ie supporting the election process at its next session, which is one of the effects of the continuation of the political process and its democratic face according to the political vision of America and its allies in the region. And everyone looks to the next days, specifically in May 2018 where the start of parliamentary elections in Iraq.
4. Adopting the principle of political reward in supporting Abadi’s government and enhancing his role by providing support and political support to him after he has faced the terrorist organization ISIS and controlled all the provinces that were previously dominated by the organization ISIS for the past three years. The Abadi administration revealed about the field coordination on the ground characterized by strategic vision and military action , And the best evidence is the cohesion and compatibility that occurred with the Kurdistan region in the strengthening of military cooperation in the course of the confrontations that took place in the process of the expulsion of fighters of ISIS from the province of Nineveh and high coordination in sustaining the momentum of battles in the areas of Nineveh Plain, which reflected positively on the course of battles and the loss of fighters of ISIS and their retreat and the political vision in the face of the future possibilities as a result of what happened in September 25, 2017 in the region of Kurdistan and dealing with this crisis accurately that push the international parties, including America to support this government and its president in the upcoming 2018 elections.
5. Continuing to confront the Iranian plan in Iraq, encircle Iran’s influence and domination in it, seeking to weaken the role of the Iranian intelligence and security services and its arms in Iraq and its support to the armed militias, and to reduce political interference in the direction and political decision-making in Baghdad, and grant clear independence to Iraqi political officials and keep the Iranian influence away from them. It is a policy followed by the US administration after Trump’s arrival to the White House and is one of the main goals of all American institutions and the makers of the US decision in the Middle East, which sees Iraq as one of the pillars in guiding its interests in the region.
Iraqi Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies