An Iraqi soldier stands guard as a U.S. military helicopter takes off at New Al-Muthana Air Base in Baghdad July 30, 2008.REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ) From Yahoo News:
BAGHDAD - Iraqi lawmakers on Wednesday scheduled an emergency weekend meeting during summer recess to resolve disagreements that have blocked a provincial elections law and threaten a new wave of bloodshed in the disputed northern city of Kirkuk.
The proposed law has raised ethnic tensions in the oil-rich area, which is emerging as one of the biggest threats to U.S.-backed efforts to heal the country's sectarian rifts and prevent a resurgence of violence.
The standoff over control of Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad, is also the latest example of Iraqi political deadlock despite impressive military gains against Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents.
Read more ....
My Comment: As mentioned in my previous post on Sadr City, the civilians of Iraq .... including those in Kirkuk .... everyone has high expectations that with peace and with Iraq's oil wealth .... good times are just down the corner. In the interim, everyone is now repositioning themselves to get the most out of the system.
Expect more Kirkuks popping up in the next few months.