The Kurdish question in Iraq: historical background and future settlement

This article explores the political history of the Kurdish question in Iraq. It starts by giving a short historical background to the issue, and moves on to explain Kurdish demands and past attempts to resolve the problem, both militarily and peacefully. It then gives an account of the idea of autonomy as understood by various Iraqi governments and Kurdish leaderships. The article also concentrates on the obstacles hindering and obstructing a lasting, peaceful solution to the problem. Finally, it offers the writer’s suggestions for bridging the gap between the Arabs and Kurds in Iraq in general, and the various Kurdish leaderships and the central government in particular.