U.S. LOOKS TO ARM KURDISH MILITIAS TO JOIN CONFLICT

REPORTS from Washington indicate that American officials are discussing the possibility of supporting Kurdish militias and other Iranian opposition groups as tensions with Tehran intensify.

- SHYAM BHATIYA

According to reporting by CNN and The Wall Street Journal, US officials have explored contacts with Kurdish leaders operating near the Iranian border. The idea — reportedly under discussion within the CIA and the White House — would involve backing Kurdish forces along the mountainous frontier between Iraq and western Iran.

The discussion points to a deeper dilemma confronting American planners. Air strikes can damage nuclear facilities, but eliminating a nuclear pro-gramme entirely is far more difficult.