Dumb Question: how's that going to help the situation? Won't the 3 new 'provinces/countries/nations' just keep fighting each other? They hate each other's guts, so what's to prevent them from continuing the war? And the Shit-ites are the ones aligned with Iran and Syria in terrorism, aren't they? Won't they keep attacking the other two?
Okay, so that was more than *one dumb question*...
It is too bad it couldn't have happened when we took out Saddam and the borders drawn then.
I think it is kind of like forcing the Bloods, Cryps, and MS13 to live together in harmony on the same block of land and work out their differences.
It ain't gonna happen.
Slam Dunk, indeed.
Turkey's going to be hating this.
His group will not advise “partition”, but is believed to favour a division of the country that will devolve power and security to the regions, leaving a skeletal national government in Baghdad in charge of foreign affairs, border protection and the distribution of oil revenue.
The Iraqi government will be encouraged to hold a constitutional conference paving the way for greater devolution. Iran and Syria will be urged to back a regional settlement that could be brokered at an international conference.
They are not advising splitting into three different countries, but greater federalization. And it isn't the "Americans" who are going to do it, it will be the Iraqis who choose (or not) to do it through a constitutional convention.
Excellent idea. This way we can concentrate our forces where there's actually a chance of success (i.e. among the civilized and ambitious Kurds) while remaining accessible to neighboring areas should trouble arise. Let the Shiites and Sunnis cut each other's throats to their hearts' content.
Just more speculation from the Times about what the President and Congress 'may' do.
Tripe.
A solution looking for a problem. Kill all the terrs then everything else can work out diplomatically. The majority of the violence stems from Al Qaeda, Syria, and Iran. Contrary to popular belief, the problem is not sectarian or ethnic. Iraq is being invaded.
Iraq needs a Muslim king friendly to the West. If it doesn't happen we will see a secular or religious dictator rise up as soon as we leave. Different cultures require different forms of government. The Middle East has always respected strong leaders. Democracy (sharing) is not strength but an opportunity for a powerful individual, good or bad.
Why dont the Serbs in Bosnia and Kosovo get to do the same?
On the surface this may seem like a last ditch effort to get out of there, but I think it has merit. Iraq has always been a country fractured by ethnic and religious differences. The real problem comes with oil profit distribution, most of it would end up with the Shiites in the center and south of the country. If we are speaking of truely autonomous areas then the oil-rich are not likely to share with the oil poor.
The Kurdish section of Iraq is nearly autonomous and has been spared much of the strife that the sunni areas have been through. The difference is that an autonomous Kurdistan may be inclined to strike at, or at least render itself as an infernal nuisance to Turkey. (Full of kooks like the rest of the neighborhood, but at least they are secular.)
In a single source economy like Iraq, anouther question is who gets the ports and major roads that the oil must flow through? If Shiitestan and Sunnistan are at odds, can one strangle the other?