[Cathryn Mataga]

There's zero chance of a Kurdish state, since likely we've promised the Turks no Kurdish state for their help. I don't see it.

I don't see the point of invading and then leaving, just to have another Saddam show up. If we invade, our only option is some kind of long term occupation, imo.

And, also, all borders are just accidents of history. Iraq isn't that much different than the rest of the world. I think we don't want to encourage shuffling around borders too much because this will mean wars all over the planet between countries wanting to expand territory.

Maybe Iran will have some influence in southern Iraq. I think Jordan will be lucky if it just survives all the trouble coming up. They're the 'Cambodia' in this situation, imo.

[timesarechangin]

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq (AP) - Suspected Islamic militants gunned down three Kurdish leaders and three civilians in northeastern Iraq, a party military commander said Sunday.
The commander blamed the Ansar al-Islam organization for the Saturday night killing of Gen. Shawkat Haji Mushir, a leader with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which controls the eastern section of the Kurdish autonomous region of northeast Iraq.

Sheik Jaffar Mustafa, the party's military commander of the nearby town of Halabja, said the three attackers also killed Hekmat Osman, party security chief of the Sirwan district, and Sardar Qafoor, military commander of Sirwan.

Mustafa also said a man, a woman and a child were killed.

Mohamad Tawfiq, security chief of Halabja, was seriously injured, he said.

Ansar al-Islam has been at war with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan for two years.

Mustafa said Mushir had been expecting to receive an Ansar defector at the house at about 10:20 p.m., when the attack occurred.

Instead of defecting, the Ansar member and two other Ansar men opened fire with Kalashnikov rifles and tossed grenades.

AP-ES-02-09-03 0408EST