Barzani statements ruffle feathers

ERBIL, Iraq, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Reactions were mixed among Iraqi lawmakers concerning statements from top Kurdish officials warning the Kurdistan region could erupt in war without U.S. action.

Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani said the Kurdish region in Iraq could descend into chaos if U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq before settling regional disputes.

Sami al-Askari, a lawmaker and adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said the statements from the Kurdish premier did not serve the national interest, adding disputes between the KRG and Baghdad were best resolved according to the rule of law, Iraq's al-Sumaria reports.

Much of the regional disputes center on the status of Kirkuk. Several ethnic groups lay claim to it, with the KRG seeking annexation.

The row comes on the heels of a report from the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that strikes a similar tone as the statements from Barzani.

"If ignored or mishandled, Kurdish aspirations have the potential to ignite violence and instability in Iraq, as well as the region, at a particularly delicate time," the report states, adding American intervention is needed to resolve the issue.