Bush leaning toward Kurdistan?

Is the Bush Administration beginning to contemplate supporting an independed Kurdistan? According to Harper's, there are reasons to think yes:

There are signs—slightly cryptic, but still worth noting—that the Bush Administration may be leaning towards partitioning Iraq. The main exhibit is an October 6 AP photograph of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and President of Iraqi Kurdistan Massoud Barzani meeting in Irbil, the provincial seat. Rice and Barzani stood at a podium, flanked by a red, white, and green Kurdish tricolor flag. Neither the Iraqi flag, nor any other indication that the Secretary of State was in Iraq, was in view.

I hate diplomatic tea reading, and unlike the Harper's reporter, I think it's entirely possible Rice was oblivious to the flags being flown during her visit. Still, perhaps we are starting to realize we're going to need to pick the "least bad" option in Iraq. And I think that option is Kurdistan.