Sabah Mannan
Just one month after the Kurdish disputed referendum, the Kurdistan Regional Government denied that it had lost control of its border with Turkey. After the Kurds voted for independence last month, authorities in Iraq’s capital Baghdad demanded control of border crossings with Turkey and Syria. Haider al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq stated his intent to undertake two dramatic measures that would drastically weaken the Kurdistan Region. Abadi said that he wants Peshmerga; the military forces of the federal region of Iraqi Kurdistan to become part of the Iraqi government security forces or a small local force. Abadi also remarked that all border crossings in and out of Iraq must be under the exclusive control of the federal state. On October 30, Kurdish journalist Arkan Sharif was murdered by Hashd al-Shaabi militias. President Masoud Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region condemned the killing and released a statement on November 1 to denounce the brutal crime committed by the militias against the Kurdish civilian.
Source: The National, Kurdistan 24 and BAS News