The closest U.S. allies in Iraq _ the Kurds _ feel abandoned by Washington these days and say war with the Arab-dominated central government is likely without American pressure to resolve disputes that predate even the era of Saddam Hussein.
Tension between the Arabs and Kurds is multifaceted, but one of the major flashpoints is the status of Kirkuk, an area that contains 13 percent of Iraq’s proven oil reserves.
The Kurds believe the area should be part of their semiautonomous region in the north, which the U.S. helped set up in 1991. But that position has caused serious friction with Baghdad, including a government decision to send in new mostly Arab troops to the Kirkuk area last month.
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