Barzani’s warm reception in Washington is a warning to Maliki

News and Comment by The Kurdistan Tribune:

The warm reception Masud Barzani has enjoyed in Washington is seen by observers as a warning to Nuri al Maliki’s Iraq government in its disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Barzani’s visit marks an historic step for the KRG in strengthening its ties with the US, during days full of unfulfilled rumours that the president of Kurdistan was about to declare a Kurdish state.

According to the Research Institute for Strategic Studies in Turkey, the warmth with which US President Obama and Vice-President Biden received Barzani is a clear warning by the US Administration to the Maliki government not to mess up its relationship with the KRG.

The Institute also says that the Turkish state is very critical of Maliki’s role in Iraq and is siding with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. And a source from the Ankara-based Centre for Middle Eastern Strategic Research (ORSAM) told Sunday Zaman: “The stances of Erbil and Ankara against Baghdad are very much in line, due to the fact that both are disturbed by Maliki’s dictatorial government”.