Maliki met with regional president Massoud Barzani in the Kurdish north:
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Irbil — the first in the Kurdish regional capital since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein — was to hold a Cabinet meeting as part of an initiative started last year to better understand provincial-level needs.
I'm guessing Maliki just doesn't want a two-front war if he confronts the Sunni Arabs. Without active Kurdish support, the Sunni Arabs don't have a chance in a full-blown sectarian clash.
Hopefully, the Sunni Arabs stop provoking the Shias who are fully capable of expelling the Sunni Arabs into neighboring states. Sunni Arabs may not like the current situation, but struggling within the political system of a new Iraq where Shia numerical superiority gives them dominance is still their best bet to survive and thrive.