Territory and the oil under it is at the heart of the continuing standoff with Iraq. But U.S. encouragement of the Kurdish population in the north and the Shi'ites in the south to rebel changed the nature of the conflict. From Saddam Hussein's perspective, Iraq faces a coordinated inter- and intrastate war. The no-fly zone established after the Persian Gulf War by the U.S., U.K., and France precludes most Iraqi air support. Skirmishes between Iraqi air defense forces and U.S. and British aircraft continue.
Some states face the problem of controlling their borders against infiltration.
One response is to mount cross-border raids to destroy bases from which infiltrators launch attacks. Again, however, this is not a simple category. Turkish actions against Kurdish factions are designed to thwart the drive for an independent Kurdish state. Israel's frequent incursions into southern Lebanon attempt to hold Hamas and Hizbollah at bay. In some cases one or more factions receive outside aid in the form of money or arms but little if any personnel support.