In spite of all this, some commentators now suggest that the Kurds are causing problems by insisting on territorial demands and proceeding with the development of Kurdistan's oil resources.

WSJ: Kurdistan Is a Model for Iraq

One of the main reasons why the South-East Asians have prospered is that they have concentrated on economic development, setting aside old quarrels and territorial disputes.

ECONOMIST: Breaking the ice

Even less tractable is Russia's territorial dispute with Japan, the obvious country to open up the Russian east for development.

ECONOMIST: Russia does not exactly soar in its Asian backyard