Iraqi Forces Move on Territory Seized by Kurds by Isabel Coles and
Ali Nabhan – Wall Street Journal
Iraqi forces advanced toward the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, the first concrete step to restore federal government control over disputed territories seized by the Kurds during the war against Islamic State.
Friday’s move follows a controversial referendum in which the Kurds, who run their own semiautonomous region in northern Iraq, voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence in defiance of Baghdad, regional powers and the U.S., which warned it would distract from the final battles to defeat Islamic State.
In the wake of the Sept. 25 vote, Iraq’s parliament authorized Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to deploy troops to retake disputed territories, including Kirkuk and its oil wells, controlled by the Kurds since 2014…