ABSTRACT
The ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War ushered the Kurdish movement into a new era of uncertainty. By April 1988, it had become apparent that, despite official denials, Iran was preparing for a ceasefire. Indeed by the time the Iraqi army recaptured the Faw peninsula a few months earlier, the Iranians had clearly abandoned major operations. Tehran's sudden announcement of the truce understandably perplexed both friends and foes. One cannot doubt that the ensuing confusion was perhaps precisely what Iran had hoped for.
