Iraqi forces had clashes with Iraqi Kurds in a number of places in the largely quiet military operation that Iraq carried out:
Iraqi forces say they have now wrested control of all areas of Kirkuk province from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, following fierce fighting.
They say they have retaken Alton Kupri, the last Kurdish-held area. There has been no Kurdish confirmation.
A BBC correspondent at the scene witnessed rocket, artillery and machine-gun fire.
Iraqi forces have this week taken over swathes of territory held by the Kurds since 2014.
This is a militarized dispute rather than a war. But it is dangerous.
And the Iranians were hip deep in pushing the Kurds back from their (unwise, in my opinion) push for formal independence:
A senior Iranian military commander repeatedly warned Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq to withdraw from the oil city of Kirkuk or face an onslaught by Iraqi forces and allied Iranian-backed fighters, Kurdish officials briefed on the meetings said.
We need to reduce Iran's influence in Iraq. And taking down the mullah regime in Iran would improve our ability to do that.
The mullah regime in Iran is a Gordian Knot for many problems. Rather than running around putting out fires that Iran's rulers set, we should destroy the people with the matches and gasoline.
UPDATE: Good:
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday it was time for Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers who helped Iraq defeat Islamic State to "go home", after a rare joint meeting with the leaders of Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
As I've mentioned in relation to Iraq in Iraq War 1.0, in Afghanistan, and in Ukraine, militias are useful additions to military power in emergencies to supplement the army.
But eventually when the crisis passes the patriotism that led militias to form recedes and the militias can become criminal gangs or warlord armies. Then they have to go or come under strict discipline of the government.
Iraq needs allied help to reduce Iranian influence. The Iraqi government would like that help.
So hopefully we stay and provide that help and leverage the help of fellow Arab (although Sunni and not Shia) states.
