On the other side, Saddam also had complete control over Iraqi Kurdistan, and in practice, Mam Jalal could not have hoped for much help from the people of Iraqi Kurdistan.[25] Mam Jalal and his friends were drowning in disparity after a while, because the Peshmerga had lost several fights against Saddam. Ways to help the Peshmergas of the patriotic Union of Kurdistan were getting narrower and narrower.[26]