A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Fouad Massoum is the New President of What is Left of Iraq, Though His Native Kurdistan is Talking About Leaving It

The Iraqi Parliament is Still Deadlocked on a new Prime Minister, but it did elect a new President today, though that post is much less powerful.  Fouad Massoum, a veteran figure in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), will replace Jalal Talabani,  head of the PUK, who recently returned to Kurdistan after a lengthy recovery in Europe from a stroke.

The fact that there is serious talk of a Kurdish referendum on independence by the end of the year underscores the fragility of Iraq at the moment.

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