http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20040727/ts_latimes/kurdswonderwheretheyfitinthenewiraq&cid=2026&ncid=1480<snip>
Since the hand-over of power to a new Iraqi government, many Kurds are asking themselves whether the bargain made by their political leaders to rejoin the rest of Iraq after 13 years of semi-independence is really worth it. At the very least, Hassan said, Kurds must demand more equality and autonomy than is on offer. To him, independence would be better.
But many political leaders here say their Arab compatriots aren't taking their concerns seriously.
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At the heart of the discontent, he said, is that Arabs treat the Kurds — who are ethnically and linguistically different — as "little brothers." For instance, although Kurds were awarded eight posts in the new interim government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, including a deputy premiership, there was a consensus that the top two positions, the prime ministership and the presidency, would go only to Arabs. Kurds make up about 20% of Iraq's 25 million people.
Also, Kurds' wishes to absorb the city and province of Kirkuk into their regional administration have been deferred indefinitely. The strategic, oil-rich city was predominantly Kurdish and Turkmen until Hussein's government resettled large numbers of Arabs there.