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Whatever our opinions about the legitimacy of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we cannot deny that the war has produced profound new realities for the people of the country and the region. This becomes especially clear when one looks at the situation from the perspective of the Iraqi Kurds. Victims of genocide in Saddam's Iraq, the Kurds now enjoy an extraordinary amount of autonomous rule. Even David McDowall, perhaps the world's preeminent Kurdish historian, and a staunch opponent of the war, has acknowledged its importance for the Kurds. “Let us look at where the Kurds are now and where they once were” he writes. “In the wake of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the Kurds appear to stand at a crucial turning point in their history. For the Iraqi Kurds, this juncture must without question be the most significant opportunity since 1919 to shape their future." Yet, despite these changes, numerous problems persist. These range from serious violations of human rights and general social inequality to corruption and a lack of democratic accountability among Kurdish political representatives. This paper assesses the post-war situation in Iraqi Kurdistan through the lens of various theories of democratization with the aim of understanding how Iraq Kurdistan's political, economic and social problems are being confronted by various state and non-state actors in Iraqi Kurdistan and the prospects for their management and resolution. In so doing, it also contributes to the broader discussions and debates over the problems of democratization in the Middle East. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]