While George Bush moves back to a (dubious) success narrative to characterize the nation formerly know as Iraq, what remains unquestioned is his consistent and unqualified reference to a unified state. Of the many things conveniently unreported in the U.S., however, is political activity afoot in Iraq to officially, if not quite so cleanly, call it a day.
Along those lines, Marc Lynch of abuaardvark reports on a map that is going viral in Iraq.
As Lynch reports, the image in question was produced by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), and is also being circulated by and among Shia members of parliament. The main text is said to read: "Federalism is our one path to freedom and security." Not surprisingly, the Sunni section is ominously darker and appears to have lost land mass across its south.
Roads to Iraq (via abuardvark) points out a couple of other tweaks. Half of the Ramadi province (a Sunni stronghold) has been given over to the Shiite holy city of Karbala. Also, oil rich Kirkuk (currently in the hands of the Kurds) appears to have been incorporated into the dark blue Sunni area -- a telegraph, perhaps, on a strategy by the Shiites to try and buy off the Sunnis on a split?
Finally, take a look at those clasped hands. Because it represents a diad which graphically extends over the eastern border, it's hard not to think the embrace -- also extending deep into the south -- reflects the natural Shi'a instinct for connection with Iran.
(image: abuaardvark.com)
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Our present fearless leader was preceded by a father who also fought a war against Iraq.He at least had enough sense to realize that defeating Iraq and killing it's leadership
There were three very likely situations that would result from such actions;
Not only Iraq but the entire Middle East would rise up and fight against another "Coloniali
Well,King Geoge the first,alon
The final outcome of this mess and precisely what is a good course of action,is near impossible to predict!
In regard to Iraq, the late Israel Shahak adds: “The idea that all the Arab states should be broken down, by Israel, into small units, occurs again and again in Israeli strategic thinking. For example, Ze’ev Schiff, the military correspond
To bring this about, however, will require the involvemen
The trick is that even the discussion about federalism might lead to peace breaking out, and the oil companies will resist that at any cost.
Not so fast! There are only 2500 oil wells drilled in all of Iraq. There are over a million in Texas alone. There are oil companies that are trying to set up drilling in the Sunni area. Is it unreasonab
By the way, does anybody think that our $100 barrel of oil is going to get any cheaper? The insane monster in the White House knows well that an invasion or bombing of Iran will push oil into the stratosphe
As Biden (Gelb, Brownback and others) have been saying, federalism is the answer. Our obligation is to at least mediate among the interests and protect the innocent.
This is where we have to leave the Bush doctrine behind, ask US Forces to change their mission, and bring most of them home.
Sorry Sunnis. Move to Syria or Egypt (if you can) unless you like tooling around the desert bedouin-st
An independen
The 3-state option might be the only viable option left, but it sure doesnt give me the warm and fuzzy.
Sure seems obvious the Shiites have been giving this some thought. They already have the boundaries of the 3 new countries drawn out.
The only reason they show Kirkuk as Sunni Arab is to appease the Sunnis. The Kurds will never let Kirkuk fall as it would rob them of the resource they need.
When it's all said and done, the Sunnis will get the least profitable land which is fitting as they screwed the other two groups for hundreds of years.
Of all of the things this planet needs right now, dividing the population up into ever smaller ethnic enclaves is not one of them. With this kind of momentum, when and how do we get around to trying to put the whole house in order?
It is to preempt independen
Bush is a genius and didn't know it.
Duh.....
When in 2002 the bush cabal started talking about a war of agression against Iraq, I was among those who predicted both a Vietnam like scenario (the quagmire that the US army got in on orders from bush) and the Yugoslavia scenario (the Iraq nation falling apart along ethnic and/or sectarian lines). And I was certainly not the only one. A good number of people had come to the same prediction
However, in those days the mass-hyste
Well, it is clear now that the suspension of critical thought by many individual