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| Iraq |
| New law puts Iraq on verge of split |
| 2006-09-08 |
| THE future of Iraq as a nation has been thrown into jeopardy after a law was introduced to Parliament that would enable the break-up of the country into semi-autonomous regions. If passed, a self-ruling Shiite state is likely to emerge in the south, based on the autonomous region Kurds have already established in the north. It would not only be able to levy its own taxes and govern itself but, Shiite politicians say, would have its own armed guards posted along its borders. Iraq's Sunni community, which is bitterly opposed to the prospect, has warned it will mark the first step in the break-up of the country and could lead to the south of Iraq becoming a satellite of Iran. The Parliament's Speaker said that delegates must compromise and find agreement on the prospect of federalism, otherwise the country risked not only collapsing but descending into anarchy. "We have three to four months to reconcile with each other," said Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni. "If the country does not survive this, it will go under." The law is almost certain to pass as federalism is supported by both Shiite and Kurd parties, who control two-thirds of the seats in parliament, though it could be amended. The document was being considered on Wednesday by a committee of senior parliamentarians and its contents, including the powers of the new semi-autonomous regions, remained unclear. Hamid Mualla al-Saadi, a leading member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the party that drafted the proposal and has historic links to Iran, said only that it would "define how the regions are formed". This would be done through either a vote in a governing council selected from the region's leaders or via a popular referendum, he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #14 Iraq is split into semi-autonomous regions at the present. The only part living under rule of law is the Kurdish part, the rest is enduring civil disorder verging on anarchy, "civil war" is too good a term for what is now going on. Kurdish Iraq presently uses armed guards along its borders to keep unwanted Arabs and other foreigners out. Breaking up Iraq seems more of a mere formality every day. |
| Posted by: Ulelet Uniting8249 2006-09-08 16:58 |
| #13 This would be bad how? Wasn't it the British the combined that region in the first place? Was that a good idea, no. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2006-09-08 14:21 |
| #12 NS, the Kurds with a little help from their Texas friends could build a refineny and sell gas to Iran, Syria, Turkey, and sunni Iraq. Also, shia Iraq is not an enemy of the Kurds. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-09-08 12:43 |
| #11 Pipeline to Haifa |
| Posted by: J. D. Lux 2006-09-08 12:40 |
| #10 How are the Kurds going to get all that oil to market surrounded by enemies? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-09-08 12:30 |
| #9 Baghdad will be a bloody mess if this isn't handled well. The Sunnis are afraid because they see federalism as a stepping stone to division. What needs to happen is that everyone gets educated as to what federalism can be. The U.S., Germany, and Switzerland, for example, are federal republics and everyone seems to make it work in those countries. We need to discuss with them the appropriate examples and rachet down the fear level a little. A federal Iraq with a central government that is strong enough to defend the country and distribute the oil boodle, but no stronger, with 'states' for each of the three major groups, could be a good thing if it allows the level of seething and eye-rolling to come down. If the country does divide I don't care: as long as it's done peacefully (aka, Czechoslovakia --> Czech Republic and Republic of Slovakia), it's their decision. The geo-strategic implications are big, of course, but I wouldn't interfere with the decision. What we don't want is a bloody division that encourages the Iranians and Turks to step in. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-09-08 12:22 |
| #8 The Kurds would get oil fields, the Shia would get oil fields, and the sunnis would get the army of occupation. Sounds fair to me. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-09-08 10:27 |
| #7 TW, that's an interesting question. I see Baghdad being split up (a'la Jerusalem, somewhat), except that it'd be muzzie on muzzie violence, not bombing innocent Jooooooz, like in Jerusalem. Popcorn, anyone? |
| Posted by: BA 2006-09-08 10:19 |
| #6 They get to live in Baghdad, perhaps. Actually, does anybody have any thoughts on who would be assigned Baghdad, before the inevitable infighting, Lebanese style, rendered the place to hulks and rubble? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-09-08 08:45 |
| #5 The Kurds and Shia get a seething minority population and shorter borders. Yep. That's it. Too bad, tho. It woulda been better if they coulda played nice. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-09-08 06:19 |
| #4 An unified Irak si an absolute necessity: it allows Sunnis to get oil revenue from Shia and Kurdish oil fields while Kurds and Shia get... Err anby uideas over what Kurds and Shia get? |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-09-08 06:14 |
| #3 I believe this was inevitable, since the Sunnis are, indeed, "Stuck on Sheer Stupid" as RD eloquently puts it. They fucked with the bull and got the horn. So be it. It can have a "happy" ending if the Mad Mullahs are deposed. I wonder what the SCIRI and DAWA dickheads will do without direction from Qom / Teheran? LOL. Just as "Stuck" as the Sunnis, once they started feeling their oats and filled out the Govt with blindly sectarian morons. What a waste of the ultimate and classic Golden Opportunity. At least the Kurds will make good and turn lemons into premium lemondade. I don't give a flying fuck about the Arabs, anymore. |
| Posted by: flyover 2006-09-08 04:55 |
| #2 New law puts Iraq on verge of split.... Iraq's Sunni community, which is bitterly opposed to the prospect... bla bla bla etc. Sure sounds familiar eh! LOL, Iraq's Sunni community is bitter and browned off but what the f*ck else should they expect but the same results based on the laws of cause and effect. Yep let's thank Iraq's Sunni for having proved many times over that being Stuck on Sheer Stupid simply doesn't work. The blood thirsty idiots have happily gone about assassinating, bombing and sabotaging every reconstruction effort and golden opportunity to begin a new Iraq since Saddam was forced up North to hide out in his |
| Posted by: RD 2006-09-08 03:35 |
| #1 Oh the humanity! Iraq has been divided!!???!! |
| Posted by: Thoth 2006-09-08 00:56 |