Rising Tensions Between Iraq, Kurds After Battling ISIS Together
BLITZER: We have just been told President Trump will make a statement in the Rose Garden momentarily following his lunch with Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and Mike Pence, the vice president of the United States. Once the president is in the Rose Garden, we will have live coverage. We will see if he takes questions from reporters as well. He suggested earlier in the day, during his meeting with his cabinet, he would, indeed, answer questions following his meeting with Mitch McConnell. This could be very significant. A very important week coming up for the president and the Republican leader in Congress on several issues, including their desire for significant tax cuts, tax reforms. Stand by for that. Other breaking news we are following. CNN has just learned Iraqi federal forces are now in control of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in Kirkuk following the conclusion of an operation that pitted two U.S. allies against one another. Until recently, government forces and Kurdish fighters battled ISIS together. But tensions have been escalating in recent weeks and months. Let's discuss the situation with my next guest. Lukman Faily is the former Iraqi ambassador to the United States. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. This is a difficult situation. You have the Peshmerga, the Kurdish military forces, closely aligned with the United States, and the Iraqi military closely aligned with the United States. They were fighting each other and coming on the heels of this referendum in Kurdistan for independence, non-binding referendum. You are an Iraqi Kurd. How do you see it unfold?</s>LUKMAN FAILY, FORMER IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Thank you for having me. I see it as the next chapter after the liberation of ISIS, only to count the remaining Iraq without ISIS in control. That's one side. Now that the central government is trying to project his power across the country, without a referendum taking place that meant the acceleration had to take place. On the other side, you have these fighters together. They have common objectives --</s>BLITZER: With the Iraqi military and the Peshmerga?</s>FAILY: They are in the town together. Now that we have issues within the Kurdish communities and the issues of how does the government try to have control. Yet, bloodless operation.</s>BLITZER: Who is more responsible for the defeat of ISIS in northern Iraq, Mosul and elsewhere, the Kurdish forces or the Iraqi military?</s>FAILY: No the military itself, I mean, it's no one military. But the central government with the corporation of the Peshmerga and others work together. The majority of the fighting was done in the central government and not just in northern Iraq. You have Anbar and other provinces as well. Certainly, it's not one as well as others as well, and the Peshmerga. It's not only one --</s>BLITZER: In 2014, when ISIS took over Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, the Iraqi military, the regular forces in Iraq, they ran away and left behind the American supplied armored personnel carriers, their tanks. They ran away. The Kurds stayed behind and fought</s>ISIS. FAILY: It's not even that clear. The Kurds fighted. The army came back again and they incorporate. Now, we need to look at the next chapter. The next chapter is they have to go politically and make sure there is no blood on the street and make sure civilians are not affected by it.</s>BLITZER: Here's what concerns the U.S. A lot of these forces fighting the Kurds are supported by Iran, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard, that they have forces there. That is of deep concern to the U.S., as you well know.</s>FAILY: I understand the U.S. has concern about that, but this is more domestic, this is more internal with Iraq.</s>BLITZER: Because you want to play a role --</s>BLITZER: -- in Iraq right now?</s>FAILY: It does. Everyone else as well. Iraq is asking people, the Turkish, the U.S. to cooperate. They are not giving them what they are asking for. This is not because of the referendum. I think there was a misunderstanding from the government.</s>BLITZER: The Kurdish government.</s>FAILY: The Kurdish government in deciding on the referendum. And, unfortunately, we have to come to this stage. The prime minister has to project power. At the end of the day, he is governing the country and has to project within the constitution. And this is what he's trying to do.</s>BLITZER: Do you think the Kurds will support Haider al Abadi, the prime minister?</s>FAILY: Yesterday, there is a split within the Kurds and that's why there was no blood on the street and the clean-cut operation of the government. Because factions of the Kurds sided with the government.</s>BLITZER: This is a really dangerous situation. I think you will agree --</s>FAILY: Yes, but the --</s>BLITZER: The U.S. is watching this very, very closely</s>FAILY: The</s>U.S. - BLITZER: -- because between the Kurds and the Iraqi Shia and Sunni and Iranians involved, this could explode.</s>BLITZER: Yes, but the U.S. has to have a proper reading of the situation. Better on the ground. They are not on the ground. They are looking at this from far off and saying, you have to be with this issue. But, unfortunately, we are escalating the situation. The U.S. has to have a better reading and a better addressing of the issues. They need to emphasize more on negotiations, certainly, the it needs to understand what the right reading is.</s>BLITZER: This could really explode into a major civil war.</s>BLITZER: I hope it doesn't.</s>BLITZER: Everybody is watching very, very carefully. Lukman Faily is the former Iraqi ambassador to the United States. Welcome back to Washington.</s>FAILY: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: Thank you very much for joining us.</s>FAILY: Thank you for having me.</s>BLITZER: Moments from now, President Trump will speak from the White House Rose Garden. We see live pictures coming in. We will go there after this.