washington u.s. defense secretary jim mattis say friday tensions kurdish iraqi force around kirkuk full attention unite state work ensure escalate kurdish authorities say send thousands troop kirkuk confront threats iraqi military attack also pull back defense line around dispute oil-producing area slightly ease tensions get work secretary state lead force integrate among force work make certain keep potential conflict table mattis tell reporters baghdad central government take series step isolate autonomous kurdish region since overwhelm vote independence sept. 25 referendum include ban international flight go mattis say aware troop movements hear fight call side focus fight islamic state militants turn right want go shoot situation mattis add kirkuk city million people lie outside kurdish territory peshmerga force deploy 2014 iraqi security force collapse face islamic state onslaught peshmerga deployment prevent kirkuk oil field fall jihadist hand territory control islamic state shrink ethnic sectarian fracture plague iraq decade start resurface group last territory iraq stretch skirt western border syria follow fall town hawija surround areas oct. offensive u.s.-backed iraqi force mattis say differences would work politically battlefield issue longstanding case ... go recalibrate move back way solve politically work compromise solutions say mattis say u.s. work ensure situation around kirkuk escalate