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Groton Daily Independent
Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 110 ~ 34 of 48
Coalition announces cease- re between Baghdad, Kurds By SUSANNAH GEORGE, Associated Press
BAGHDAD (AP) — A cease- re was reached Friday between Baghdad and Iraq’s Kurdish minority tem- porarily halting clashes that followed a controversial vote on Kurdish independence last month, according to the U.S.-led coalition.
The coalition was informed of the cease- re Friday morning and coalition of cials are encouraging both sides to ensure “it’s not just temporary,” Col. Ryan Dillon told the Associated Press.
Clashes broke out earlier this month when federal forces retook the disputed city of Kirkuk and other areas outside the autonomous Kurdish region that the Kurds had seized from the Islamic State group. IS conquered those areas after sweeping across the country in 2014. Most of the Kurdish forces withdrew without a ght, but reports of low-level clashes continued and tensions remained.
The Kurdish referendum on support for independence was held in September in the three provinces that make up the Kurds’ autonomous zone, as well as in a string of territories claimed by Baghdad, but at the time controlled by Kurdish forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi demanded the annulment of the vote and the transfer of border control and other infrastructure to federal forces.
Kurdish of cials offered this week to “freeze” the results of the vote, but al-Abadi rejected the offer Thursday.
The cease- re comes after more than two weeks of mostly minor clashes and warnings from the coali- tion that the dispute was distracting from the ght against the Islamic State group.
The coalition said Iraqi and Kurdish troop movements and skirmishes stretched its intelligence and surveillance assets. Drones that previously kept watch over IS have been diverted to ashpoints in the disputed areas.
Dillon said Thursday the in ghting had also hindered the movement of military equipment and supplies to forces battling IS in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
Iraqi forces are currently ghting against IS in the last pocket of territory the group holds in western Anbar province along the border with Syria.
US economy grew at 3 percent rate in July-September quarter By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy, bolstered by business investment, grew at a solid annual rate of 3 percent in the third quarter. It marks the rst time in three years that growth has hit at least 3 percent for two consecutive quarters.
The Commerce Department reported Friday that the July-September advance in the gross domestic product — the country’s total output of goods and services — followed a 3.1 percent rise in the second quarter. It was the strongest two-quarter showing since back-to-back gains of 4.6 percent and 5.2 percent in the second and third quarters of 2014.
The economy accelerated this summer despite the impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which many private economists believe shaved at least one-half percentage point off growth.
The third quarter performance was certain to be cited by President Donald Trump, who pledged during last year’s campaign that his economic program would boost growth from the anemic 2.2 percent aver- ages seen since the country emerged from the Great Recession in mid-2009. Trump during the campaign said his policies of tax cuts, deregulation and tougher enforcement of trade laws would achieve growth of 4 percent or better, though his rst budget projects growth hitting 3 percent in the coming years.
Private economists believe even 3 percent annual gains will be hard to achieve for an economy facing a slowdown in productivity and an aging workforce.
Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said the stronger-than-expected report showed that the hurricanes ended up having “little lasting impact on the economy.”
He said he was looking for growth of 2.1 percent this year and assuming that the Trump administration