Iraqi Kurdish factions are complex problem in any war on Saddam

IRBIL, Iraq -- The complexities of Iraq's Kurdish enclave are written in the flags.

Green banners are planted by the pro-Western faction that holds the east. Yellow and red symbolize its newfound partner that controls the bulk of the region.

More than 30 other groups fly a host of different colors -- from old-school communists with their hammer and sickle on a red background to the all-black insignia of Islamic militants accused of links to al-Qaida.

Throw in a supporting cast of minorities, such as Turkmens and Christian Assyrians, each unfurling their own emblems.

This kind of rainbow is not a welcome sight for those trying to stabilize and organize the Kurds' U.S.-protected haven in northern Iraq.

"This place is a giant puzzle," said Hatab Bakogli, political officer for the Iraqi National Turkmen Party, which seeks strong links with Turkey as its ethnic motherland. "It's not just so simple as saying, 'The Kurdish area is against Saddam.' We can be against each other."

Complicated task

The gamut of loyalties and perspectives -- some overlapping, others at odds -- complicate the task confronting Iraqi Kurds and others in the semi-autonomous area: pulling together before a possible U.S.-led war targeting Saddam Hussein's regime.

A return of internal Kurdish squabbles could tear apart any potential post-Saddam government. How Kurds define their borders and political status will be closely watched by neighbors led by Turkey, which has threatened to challenge any steps for greater autonomy among the 3.5 million people in the Iraqi Kurdish zone.

For the moment, the buzz words are unity among Kurds and federation with the rest of Iraq.

The two main groups -- the dominant Kurdistan Democratic Party and the smaller Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- fought each other for power and land in the mid-1990s. But they have reconciled. Their leaders met this month in a high-profile display of cooperation.

All establishment officials read from the same script: there is no bid for independence-- only a type of federation within Iraq.

Differing factions

The messages may be about standing together, but the reality suggests something less cohesive in the region wedged between Turkey, Iran and Syria.

The various factions are still highly insular and suspicious.

In the administrative capital Irbil, the Democratic Party displays red and yellow flags and police cadets' badges depict party chief Masoud Barzani. In Patriot Union territory stern portraits of leader Jalal Talabani adorn checkpoints.

The big factions watch each other for any signs of stress in the goodwill after a three-year truce. And they both watch Saddam for signs of infiltration.

An official with Barzani's party said several spies for Saddam are known. "We keep an eye on them," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's the old cat-and-mouse game of espionage."

Some militias are setting their own hard-line course.

The fundamentalist Islamic group, Ansar al-Islam, rules a small patch along the Iranian border that U.S. authorities claim is a haven for some fugitive al-Qaida loyalists. Washington makes other strong allegations: that crude chemical weapons tests have been conducted on the territory of Ansar al-Islam, or Supporters of Islam.