Kurdish separatists under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani chose to wage war against the Iraqi establishment .
After a period of relative calm , the issue of Kurdish autonomy ( self - rule or independence ) went unfulfilled , sparking discontent and eventual rebellion among the Kurds in 1961 .
Kurds separatists under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani chose to wage war against the Iraqi establishment .
After a period of relative calm , the issue of Kurdish autonomy ( self - rule or independence ) went unfulfilled , sparking discontent and eventual rebellion among the Kurds in 1961 .