What's left of Iraq disintegrates further as Kurds independently sell oil to meet expenses

"Kurdish officials say they have been forced to move toward economic independence rather than rely on authorities in Baghdad to pay the salaries of the Kurdish region’s government workers and fighters. Those fighters have been going without pay, hurting morale at a time when they have been protecting hundreds of miles of an informal border against Islamic State militants."

"The dispute threatens to widen differences in a country already effectively split into three parts: the Kurdish north, areas in southern and central Iraq controlled by the Shiite-led government, and territory in the north and west seized by the Islamic State."

Quotes from The Washington Post August 9 report A new fight over oil shows why it’s so hard to keep Iraq from splintering

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