A "new Kurdistan" won't happen--officially. As McGrath points out, Turkey will never allow a de jure Kurdistan--their own Kurds would want to be part. Iran feels similarly.

But in fact a de facto "Kurdistan" already exists. If they don't declare independence, no problem. Also Turkey already gets oil from "Kurdistan".

But as I mentioned earlier, the Kurds already have oil contracts with foreign firms, without the Baghdad government's OK--and have even banned the Iraqi flag--only the Kurdish flag is allowed.

The status of Kirkuk--a particularly oil-rich area--has yet to be thrashed out. And that is and will be an especially controversial issue.

No way will there be another Saddam-like figure to take over all of "Iraq". As I said, even such a figure will never get the Kurdish north back. And he also would not get US support--the US has been supporting the Kurdish north for a long time--and plans to keep access to that oil, if the rest of Iraq is cut off from Western oil firms.

And anybody who thinks the US public would support yet another Iraq war just to keep the country together is living a dream--or nightmare.

As I said before, even the sheep-like US electorate is capable of learning--eventually. Fool me once, shame on you....