Leaders of Iraqi Kurds (who are independent of Iraqi control by virtue of American and British air power) have been meeting with government officials in Turkey. If Iraq were to be invaded, the northern Kurds and the Turks could play a decisive role. American officials have also been trying to sort out the murky relationships and capabilities of the many Iraqi resistance organizations. This has proven difficult because Iraqi politics has always been fractious and hostile to outsiders. Corruption is also a factor.