Iraq: The Kurds Regroup After Referendum Ruling

Baghdad's assault on the legality of the Kurdistan Regional Government's September independence referendum continues. On Nov. 20, the Iraqi Supreme Federal Court ruled that the referendum was unconstitutional and void. The decision, which cannot be appealed, follows a Nov. 6 ruling that no region of Iraq can secede, which the KRG accepted. KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has responded to the Nov. 20 decision, criticizing it for being unilateral since Kurdish representatives were not present but stopping short of rejecting the ruling. Instead, Barzani continued to push for dialogue between his government in Arbil and the central Iraqi government in Baghdad. He also called for a "third party" to help mediate the constitutional dispute....