Iraq Could Use Force if Kurdish Referendum Turns Violent

In an interview with the Associated Press, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that if there is violence as a result of the Kurdish region’s planned independence referendum later this month, Iraq is prepared to intervene militarily. The Kurdish region plans to hold the referendum in three governorates that make up the autonomous region and in disputed areas controlled by Kurdish forces which are claimed by Baghdad. “If you challenge the constitution and if you challenge the borders of Iraq and the borders of the region, this is a public invitation to the countries in the region to violate Iraqi borders as well, which is a very dangerous situation,” al-Abadi said. There are also significant Kurdish minorities in Turkey, Syria and Iran, all of which oppose the planned referendum. Al-Abadi also said that up to 1260 civilians were killed during the intense nine-month battle against the Islamic State in Mosul.