White House: We do not support the Referendum

The White House has issued a statement on the referendum in Southern Kurdistan and said, “The United States does not support the Kurdistan Regional Government’s intention to hold a referendum later this month.”

US reaction to the referendum planned for September 25 in Southern Kurdistan continues. After the Southern Kurdistan Parliament approved the referendum proposal yesterday, the White House issued a statement and said, “The United States does not support the Kurdistan Regional Government’s intention to hold a referendum later this month.” The statement called for a withdrawal of the referendum decree and “enter into serious and sustained dialogue with Baghdad”.

The White House statement included the following: “The United States has repeatedly emphasized to the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government that the referendum is distracting from efforts to defeat ISIS and stabilize the liberated areas. Holding the referendum in disputed areas is particularly provocative and destabilizing. We therefore call on the Kurdistan Regional Government to call off the referendum and enter into serious and sustained dialogue with Baghdad, which the United States has repeatedly indicated it is prepared to facilitate.”

US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS Brett McGurk and a committee accompanying him had met with KDP Leader Masoud Barzani on September 13 in Duhok and offered alternatives to postpone the referendum. But Barzani spoke in Amadiya yesterday and said they are to go through with the referendum.