I don't think there are any Iraq nationalists to speak of in the Kurdistan region. And from what I was repeatedly told there, the intention is to hold a referendum only in localities where there is no doubt about the outcome. Iraq's so-called Turkmens ("Turkic-speakers", nothing to do with their namesakes in eastern Iran and Turkmenistan) are another issue, since their numbers don't warrant the creation of an autonomous region anywhere, but they appear to be doing better under Kurdish jurisdiction than being controlled from Baghdad.
It is indeed the intention of the KRG to "annex part of Nineveh province" but only the areas where Kurds are a strong majority. They plan to do this democratically through a referendum, and will only hold the referendum for areas where virtually the entire population is Kurdish and will vote in favour. Even in Kirkuk province, which has some significant non-Kurdish minorities, such a referendum is likely to pass because the Kurds are seen as better administrators than the Shias or Sunni Arabs. The Kurds have no interest in incorporating Arab territory which would only cause headaches for them in the future.
I don't think there are any Iraq nationalists to speak of in the Kurdistan region. And from what I was repeatedly told there, the intention is to hold a referendum only in localities where there is no doubt about the outcome. Iraq's so-called Turkmens ("Turkic-speakers", nothing to do with their namesakes in eastern Iran and Turkmenistan) are another issue, since their numbers don't warrant the creation of an autonomous region anywhere, but they appear to be doing better under Kurdish jurisdiction than being controlled from Baghdad.
It is indeed the intention of the KRG to "annex part of Nineveh province" but only the areas where Kurds are a strong majority. They plan to do this democratically through a referendum, and will only hold the referendum for areas where virtually the entire population is Kurdish and will vote in favour. Even in Kirkuk province, which has some significant non-Kurdish minorities, such a referendum is likely to pass because the Kurds are seen as better administrators than the Shias or Sunni Arabs. The Kurds have no interest in incorporating Arab territory which would only cause headaches for them in the future.