Kurds of Iraq

I have read three interesting articles recently on the Kurdish issue in Iraq - how big of an issue is it? Meaning will there be an open conflict between the Kurds and Arabs in Iraq? Not sure, journalists, experts, scholars seem to have different ideas on it.

1. http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-going-kurdish-arab-dispute.html
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/opinion/26ohanlon.html?scp=2&sq=year%20in%20iraq&st=cse
3. http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090226/OPINION/105715252/1080