Answering a question from one of the American soldiers, Gates called Iraq's Arab-Kurd issue "perhaps the most worrisome" in the country.

VOA: standard.2009.12.12

Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, who was re-elected president by the parliament, asked Al-Maliki to form an administration.

CNN: Three U.S. troops killed by roadside bomb

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and the US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, voiced support for the amended version.

BBC: Iraq parliamentary election 'not possible in January'

He's a Kurd and a member of the Iraqi electoral commission, which organized the historic elections back in January.

NPR: Debating the Fate of Iraq's New Constitution