The one-time allies have been fighting each other for over a week, after the Kurds held a controversial independence referendum and Baghdad responded by seizing control of contested territory.

We can and should support a pragmatic, careful approach going forward, but we should also accept and acknowledge the desires and wishes of the Kurdish people.

With Iraq on the brink of bloody sectarian conflict and fears the country could fall apart, the Kurdistan region in the north may have a chance to achieve the independence it has long wanted.