Well, given the present de facto sectarian divisions between Kurd, Sunni, and Shiite, how about a stable partition of Iraq? And given the present reality of theocratic governance, how about a partition with yet another set of middle eastern Islamic dictatorships? Would that be a win?
If not, how long do we keep trying to fit the square democratic peg into the round Islamic ***hole before we decide to stop wallowing around in-country and re-engage our pre-invasion air, sea, and economic containment policies?
First, the Iraqis don't want a partition of the country. Iraq is a soverign country, an inconvenient fact. Second, from a pragmatic standpoint, it would be an enormous dislocation of millions of people. Except for the Kurds (who are predominantly Sunni), the Shi'a and Sunni Arabs are mixed together. Baghdad is primarily Shi'a. There is plenty of intermarriage. It would be like separating Protestants and Catholics in the US. Third, the division of oil revenues would be a real issue and well as how it is shipped. The Kurds and predominately Shi'a south have the oil wells, but the Sunni provinces don't. Fourth, a separate Kurdistan would invite tremendous opposition from Turkey and Iran. Finally, who would impose such a division?
If not, how long do we keep trying to fit the square democratic peg into the round Islamic ***hole before we decide to stop wallowing around in-country and re-engage our pre-invasion air, sea, and economic containment policies?
The current Iraqi government is less than six months old. It is a little early to throw in the towel. The people of Iraq have braved life and limb to vote and to confirm a new constitution. They deserve our support. Containment doesn't work against non-state actors like AQ. Do you think containment would have worked in Afghanistan when the Taliban were in charge?