Is Barzani backing away from independence referendum?
Iraqi Kurdistan's president expects "guarantees and alternatives" from Washington; Hamas diplomatic surge with Iran and Russia.
![MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ Iraq's Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani (C) sits during his meets with clerics and elders from the cities of the Kurdistan region in Erbil, Iraq August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RTS1B1DI](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2017/08/RTS1B1DI.jpg/RTS1B1DI.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=tuIC8NEb)
US makes clear its support for unified Iraq
No surprise for readers of Al-Monitor, including readers of this column last week, that Iraqi Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani may consider stepping back from holding a referendum on Iraqi Kurdish independence previously scheduled for Sept. 25.