The Iraqi Kurds have enjoyed de facto statehood in the north of Iraq for over a decade but Intra-Kurdish fighting, military incursions by Turkey and Iran and the constant threat posed by Saddam Hussein have plagued this 'democratic experiment'. In this book, Stansfield explores the development of the Kurdish political system since 1991. He examines the difficult and often violent relations between the two dominant powers, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and their relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government in order to understand the current state of Iraqi Kurdish politics and the operation of the state. This topical in-depth study identifies the main dynamics of Iraqi Kurdish politics, analyzes the record and potential of the 'Kurdish democratic experiment', and identifies the present and future Kurdish leaders.

'This in-depth study of political development in Iraqi Kurdistan is unique. There is no other work which provides a similar understanding of how the Kurdish political scene emerged, and especially how it has operated in the years of instability since 1991. It should be required reading for anyone interested in contemporary Iraq.' - Tim Niblock, Director of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter.

'This is a realistic and lucid account of the unusual situation of the Kurds of Iraq during the past decade or so. It sets their parties and politics in a properly balanced and authoritative account of their recent history. More than that, it also contains valuable insights into possible future developments in this key strategic region of Iraq.' - Charles Tripp, Reader in the Department of Political Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.