Iraqi MPs call for troop deployments in disputed areas

By Haydar Hadi

BAGHDAD

Iraq’s parliament on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to parts of northern Iraq disputed between Baghdad and Erbil, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.

The request comes two days after northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) held an illegitimate referendum on regional independence.

The poll was conducted in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region and in several areas disputed between Baghdad and the KRG, including Kirkuk -- home to a number of major oilfields.

Parliamentarians also called for the closure of all international borders now under the KRG’s control.

Monday’s unconstitutional referendum had faced opposition from most regional and international actors who had warned that the poll would further destabilize the region and distract from Iraq’s ongoing fight against Daesh.​