IRAQI KURDISTAN AFTER THE REFERENDUM

Dlawer Ala’Aldeen
President, Middle East Research Institute (www.meri-k.org)

When they voted for independence from Iraq on September 25, many Iraqi Kurds felt a dream come true. However, the vote had not only been opposed in Baghdad, also many international leaders had advised the Kurdish leadership against it. In the weeks after the referendum Iraqi forces took control of many areas the Kurds had hoped to add to their territory. The Kurdish dream seems in tatters.

Moderation: Gudrun Harrer, Senior Editor, Der Standard; Lecturer on Modern History and Politics of the Middle East, University of Vienna and Diplomatic Academy of Vienna