U.S.: no need for special envoy on Iraq-Kurdistan crisis

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The United States has said there was no need to appoint a special envoy to resolve the crisis between Iraq and Kurdistan Region, saying that such a dispute could be resolved “internally”.

“We certainly heard about that idea to appoint a special envoy. We believe at this point that this is an issue that can be worked out internally, that it can be worked out between Baghdad and Erbil and don’t feel that it’s necessary to appoint some sort of United States envoy in some sort of new position to handle this,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said in a press briefing late Tuesday.

“I’m not aware of a formal request to appoint an envoy. I’ve heard of this report. I’m not aware of a formal request”, she added.

“These folks have lived together, have fought together, have raised families together; we think that they can probably work it out on their own as well,” Nauert said, referring to Iraqis and Kurds.

Nauret also called upon Iraq to lift an air embargo it had imposed on Kurdistan Region following an independence vote the semi-autonomous region in September.

“The last thing that I have on that is just we’re going to work to continue to press for the opening of any remaining airports that are closed,” she said.