THE DEMOCRACY FAIRY CAN'T WORK MAGIC

The Iraqi city of Kirkuk is a point of contention between Arabs and Kurds. The Arabs don't want the Kurds to control the city because of the massive oil reserves and the Kurds think of it as their "Jerusalem." There was supposed to be a referendum to decide whether or not Kirkuk would be under Kurdish rule but it was called off and now...

Western officials increasingly believe that a referendum in which residents of individual areas decide whether to join the Kurdish autonomous region will only spark greater conflict. (source: WaPo)