Iraq: The Shia Between the Sunnis and the Kurds

Iraqi troops are being sent to Mosul for a final offensive of sorts against al Qaeda and its allies. Though the deployment is partly about Baghdad's objective of successfully degrading jihadists' operational capabilities, it also is about asserting the Shiite-dominated government's writ over northern Iraq and checking Kurdish aspirations for greater autonomy. It could lead to enhanced tensions with the Kurds at a time when the Shia already are dealing with Sunni militias' entry into the state security apparatus.