Trouble in Kirkuk

Meanwhile, in non-campaign news, Spencer Ackerman notes that Iraqi Kurds are now pretty clearly threatening violence unless a referendum on the status of Kirkuk is held by May:

Either the Kurds will control Kirkuk through a referendum they've spent five years ensuring they'll win, or they will declare war, and fight until they get the city back. The Kurdish-Arab war won't just be for Kirkuk, but for other cities, like violence-heavy Mosul, as well. Lucky for us we've already won the war.

The war has quieted down as an issue here at home, in part because Iraq's quieted down and in part because the primaries have been so loud. But I think we can expect to see it back in the headlines soon enough. The surge has left a ton of festering issues unsettled and they're sure to start bubbling over soon enough.