Kurds prepare for cabinet reshuffle

Kurdish ministers are preparing to pull out of the Iraqi government if the President of Iraqi Kurdistan Massoud Barzani orders them to, according to Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Speaking in Sulaymaniyah City following the annual Sulaimni Forum at the American University, Iraq's chief diplomat claimed a Kurdish ministerial meeting held two days ago discussed the option of pulling out of government. "All options are open," he said. As protests continue across Iraq, the country’s government has witnessed a growing crisis within the corridors of power. Kurdish ministers are reportedly threatening to leave Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government after the country’s 2013 budget was passed without their approval.