Iraq: Kurdish statehood a still-distant dream

The presence of its Peshmerga forces in opposing the Islamic State (IS) group, enlarging their zone of operations after a shaky start in Iraq’s latest conflict, coupled with bullish oil and gas production forecasts from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and (postponed) plans for a $500m-1bn bond issue, all suggest the semi-autonomous region could pull ever further from Baghdad’s orbit. Many of Iraq’s 6m Kurds, comfortable with their distinctive shared language and strong communal identity, would favour a more ‘Kurdish’ future, which could emerge with statehood outside the Republic of Iraq.