National Geographic | By Avi Asher-Schapiro

Their centuries-old dream of statehood is coming closer amid the chaos of war.

As Sunni fighters led by the jihadist group ISIS have pressed forward, capturing the Iraqi cities of Mosul, Tikrit, and Ramadi and encircling Baghdad, Iraq's Kurds have taken advantage of the chaos by expanding their territory and pushing for greater autonomy.

Washingtonpost.com | By Ali Khedery

To understand why Iraq is imploding, you must understand Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki — and why the United States has supported him since 2006.

Bbc.com

The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region has told the BBC he intends to hold a referendum on independence within months.

Rudaw.net | By Alexander Whitcomb

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani told US diplomats in 2007 that Shiite and Sunni factions would never reconcile, according to a confidential cable made available by WikiLeaks. 

Cnbc.com

As the Obama administration considers cooperation with Iran in Iraq, it needs a clear understanding of Iran's intentions. Iran and Iraq are historic rivals. Tehran will only help Iraq if it serves Iran's core national interests.

Cnn.com | By Mick Krever

Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani gave his strongest-ever indication on Monday that his region would seek formal independence from the rest of Iraq.

Krg.org - Erbil, Kurdistan

The eighth cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government was announced at a special session of the Kurdistan Parliament held on 18 June 2014. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, and all cabinet ministers were sworn into office.

Jpost.com | By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON

"Israel-Kurdish cooperation a possibility," Israeli expert Ofra Bengio tells 'Post.'

Womensvoicesnow.org by Eva Bernard

In Turkish public opinion and media, and according to certain studies, the Kurdish regions of Turkey are often deemed the most patriarchal and traditional.  Yet, since the late 1970s, the Kurdish guerrilla movement and Kurdish political parties have been the most openly progressive proponents of women’s rights. This paradox became evident to me during the year I spent in Turkey in 2010, and led me to explore the impact of the denial of minority rights by the Turkish state on women’s lives within that minority group, and the potential influences of the Kurdish nationalist movement on Kurdish women’s rights.

Al-monitor.com

Massoud Barzani, Iraqi Kurdistan president, said that regional authorities are awaiting the results of US mediation with the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who made the decision to cut off the region's [federal] budget. He stressed that if he becomes hopeless about the mediation, the region will have to rely on its own resources, holding Maliki responsible for any rupture [between Erbil and Baghdad] that may occur. He said that "cutting off the region's livelihood is almost as dangerous as the bombing of Halabja [in reference to the chemical weapons attack by Saddam Hussein in 1988]."