Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

One of the main political parties of Kurdish Iran, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, is headed by Jalal Talabani, who is now the President of Iraq. While it is now in an alliance, it long competed with Massoud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party.

As of 2001, Bob Woodward described the PUK as made up of 1.2 million Kurds who were "impoverished but educated and wanted Saddam out." It was a strong ally to U.S. covert operators in inducing regime change.