Democracy Now: In Iraq, Three Groups Struggle For Control Over Oil-Rich Kirkuk

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In Iraq, Three Groups Struggle For Control Over Oil-Rich Kirkuk

Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs are competing for control over Kirkuk, Iraq's third largest city. Turkey recently sent thousands of troops to its border with Iraqi Kurdistan, amassing what is the largest buildup of Turkish soldiers along the Iraq border since 1999. We speak with John Tirman, Executive Director of MIT's Center for International Studies.

Middle East analyst Juan Cole recently wrote that there are now four distinct wars being simultaneously fought in Iraq: a Sunni Arab guerrilla war to expel US troops from the Sunni heartland; a militant Shiite guerrilla war to expel the British from the south; a civil war between the Sunni and Shiites; and a Kurdish war against Arabs and Turkmen over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in Northern Iraq. Today we are going to look at the war being waged over Kirkuk where Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs are competing over control of Iraq's third largest city. On Tuesday, at least 24 Iraqis were killed in the city in a series of seven bomb attacks. In April, hundreds of Shiite militia men were deployed to Kirkuk, vowing to fight attempts by Kurds to take control of the city. Meanwhile Turkey has recently sent thousands of troops to its border with Iraqi Kurdistan amassing what is the largest buildup of Turkish soldiers along the Iraq border since 1999.