BBC News describes northern Kurdish Iraq as 'autonomous'.

[kansasblue]

BBC News describes northern Kurdish Iraq as 'autonomous'.

That caught me by surprise. I was aware that they have more independence than central and southern Iraq. But does the US consider them 'autonomous'?



2 a : having the right or power of self-government b : undertaken or carried on without outside control : SELF-CONTAINED <an autonomous school system>
3 a : existing or capable of existing independently <an autonomous zooid> b : responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole <an autonomous growth>

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=autonomous

[dave_p]

1. Yes, it is

The 2005 Iraqi Constitution recognizes it as such. Autonomy was originally accepted by Saddam in 1970 but torpedoed by an Iranian-backed renewal of separatist rebellion (which Iran then cut off for rights in the Shatt al-Arab). So the status is broadly legitimate under pre- and post-invasion laws.

The three overwhelmingly Kurdish provinces share a common regional government as well having their own provincial administrations; oil-rich Kirkuk's widely expected to join them after the plebiscite due in December.