Title: IRAQ AND THE KURDS: CONFRONTING WITHDRAWAL FEARS
Author: Middle East Report N°103
Publisher: International Crisis Group
Release date: 28 -03- 2011

Iraq’s government was long in the making, but its inclu-sive nature and the way in which it was formed offer hope that it can make progress in the struggle between Arabs and Kurds. The conflict, which has left a devastat-ing imprint on the country’s twentieth-century history,could cause political paralysis or, worse, precipitate Iraq’s break-up. Coalition partners have a unique opportunity to make headway. Failure to seize it would be inexcusable.Both sides should build on the apparent goodwill generated by efforts to establish a government to lay the founda-tions for a negotiated and peaceful settlement. In particu-lar, they should immediately resume talks over the status of Kirkuk and other disputed territories. They also should
use their January 2011 agreement to export Kurdish oil through the national pipeline as a basis for negotiations over a revenue-sharing law and a comprehensive hydro-carbons law.[1]