GWER, Iraq — The ongoing conflict between the Islamic State (IS) and the Kurds in northern Iraq has fueled ethnic tensions between Iraqi Kurds and Arabs, with many Kurds accusing local Arabs of supporting IS.
Small anti-Arab protests were dispersed by police in the Kurdish capital of Erbil the afternoon of Aug. 9, and in the town of Gwer, just 30 kilometers (18 miles) outside the main checkpoint leading to Erbil. Kurds accused the local Arabs of supporting the Islamist militants.