|
Nationalism, chauvinism and conflict with Kurds undermine post-ISIS Iraq
[Jpost] Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi raised the Iraqi flag on the Iraq-Syria border in the town of al-Qaim on Sunday. It was a symbolic gesture more than three years after Islamic State took over a third of Iraq, committed genocide against Yazidis and mass murdered thousands of others. But Iraq is still deeply divided as the prime minister has attempted to roll back the rights of the Kurdistan autonomous region and as Shi’a militias run checkpoints throughout many Sunni Arab areas.Iraq is emerging from years of brutal war with millions of internally displaced people and many cities damaged or destroyed by fighting. But even in the midst of the end of this conflict, Iraq has launched a new conflict against its Kurdish region, sending tanks to retake the disputed district of Kirkuk. Iraqi security forces have clashed with Kurdish forces as it attempted to break through to a strategic border crossing called Faysh Khabur near Syria and Turkey. Dozens have been killed since October 16. Although a kind of ceasefire is in place, the situation does not bode well. There is a new sense of nationalism and religious fervor in Iraq. Shi’a sectarian flags fly from not only militia units but also appear in regular Iraqi Army units. When Iraqi forces rolled into Kirkuk they brought the flags with them. And in Mosul, a Sunni city, they hang them at the checkpoints. This triumphalism is about symbols and the Iraqi Parliament is also trying to ban symbols it doesn’t like. On October 31, the parliament sought to enforce laws that criminalize "Zionist symbols," including the Israeli flag. This was likely in response to the numerous displays of the Israeli flag in the Kurdistan region during the lead-up to the September 25 independence referendum. It won't end well Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-11-07 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=501164 |