Fight for Kirkuk Goes Beyond the Islamic State

The Islamic State is not the only concern for Kurdish leaders in Kirkuk province. The Shiite-dominated Iraqi government and its backers in Iran will prevent the Kurds from consolidating control over the oil-rich province. They will do so by operating through Shiite militias that have been battling alongside the peshmerga against the Islamic State and playing off the personal ambitions of the Kirkuk governor. Such territorial competition and potential violence could help the Islamic State, destabilizing the province and the efforts against the militant group.