re:Kurdistan
It is my understanding that the Kurdish area of Iraq were so glad to see the liberating/occupying/oppressing troops, pick a modifier depending on your bent, arrive, provided that the troops were NOT Turkish, that they have been supporting them in many ways. With this cooperation in place, they have formed a government for the area of Iraq that they control/occupy, mostly the northern and northwestern parts of the country, and are doing quite well so far. About all they want is freedom from Iraqi rule/despotism, and protection from similar "benevolent" attention from the Turks, who oppose a Kurdish homeland as it might mean the secession of Kurdish Turkey into this new homeland. One reason for this opposition is the numerous tapped and untapped oil resources in this region.

In this vein, I might also note that we displaced the Cherokee tribe from their native homelands in our southeast to "barren" lands few wanted in out central west, until oil was discovered on their lands. Fortunaely many of these peoples were able to retain their land, oil and all.

Dave