ABSTRACT
The chapter argues that the KRG’s sustainable existence both as a federal region within Iraq and as a potential independent state requires a strategy of ‘non-alignment’ vis-à-vis sectarianism in a Middle East in turmoil. This is particularly true for the KRG’s position in the protracted Sunni-Shia rivalry and the plans to achieve its national goal of self-rule. The concepts of ‘non-alignment’ and ‘strategic partnership’ 1 are used to describe the relations of the KRG with its neighboring countries. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to collect data for this study with application of a discourse analysis method to speeches of Kurdish and non-Kurdish decision-makers. Our findings show that the KRG, despite being a non-state actor, has played a significant role in regional politics due to its sectarian neutrality, and unlike all the other state and non-state political entities in the region, including southern Iraq, the KRI has maintained its stability and protected its citizens from sectarian antagonism and conflict.
