ABSTRACT
The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) relies upon oil and gas revenues to secure its autonomy and possible future independence from Iraq. In any case, the KRG will require an astute foreign policy to address its oil imperative. During the 2003–2013 period, the KRG's share of considerable Iraqi oil revenues was managed poorly in some respects. As the KRG's budget fell from over 14 trillion Iraqi dinars in 2013 to under 2 trillion in 2014, the poverty rate in the region soared from just 3 percent in 2013 to over 12 percent by 2016. Whatever the KRG's aspirations for the future, Kurdistan cannot escape its geography. The origins of the dispute between Baghdad and the KRG lie in differing interpretations of Iraq's 2005 constitution. The most important constitutional articles dealing with federal vs. provincial powers, especially in regard to oil but also in regard to other matters, include Articles 110, 111, 112, and 115.
