Why not split up Iraq?

[expat35]

Can someone please explain why they don't just split Iraq into three separate countries?

Clearly the Kurds, Sunnites and Shiites can't live together in harmony.

Anyway, as far as I know, the unition of these three peoples is an artifact from British colonial history.

[rubicond]

I never understood why there is so much opposition about splitting up countries where people don't like each other. The same is for Europe. The basques don't want to stay in Spain? Get your own country. The Northern Irish don't want to be part of England? Get your own country. The Bayerns don't want to be part of Germany? Get your own country. Maybe the problem is that some people who live in the Basque area want to remain spanish and some don't? Maybe suggesting splitting up the country would cause a civil war?

Maybe it's the same with Iraq. Althoug many areas are of majority sunny, shia, kurds, they are also inhabited by sizable minorities of other ethnic groups. If the country split up, it would cause huge problems of migration, construction of new housing, allocation of farmland, etc.

Or maybe it's just that the oil is only in a couple of areas and everybody wants it?

[expat35]

>The basques don't want to stay in Spain?
> Get your own country.

Obviously, the Spanish government in Madrid doesn't want that.

> The Northern Irish don't want to be part of England?
> Get your own country.

It's a bit more complicated than that. Basically the catholics want Northern Ireland to be part of the Irish Republic while the protestant want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

> The Bayerns don't want to be part of Germany?
> Get your own country.

Well, to some extent they have that. Germany is a federative country, somewhat like the USA.

> Maybe the problem is that some people who live in the Basque area
> want to remain spanish and some don't?

Precisely.

> Maybe it's the same with Iraq.

Well, except then that there is no central government in Iraq since Sadam Hussein has fallen, is there really?

[swordfish]

Iraq is one hell of a mess. At least pulling out of Vietnam didn't cause mass chaos. The US pullout of Iraq is going to immediately cause an all out civil war and possibly extend into neighouring countries as each side supports its own. Then there is a oil....

Holy **** has Bush opened up a can of worms. What a friggin mess that moron's got the world into now. Some liberator the Americans are. They just liberated Iraq of most of its wealth !

[Ninja]

If anyone had any doubts at all about Iraq being a mess, those doubts should be abundantly dispelled by now.

At least Bush snr had some grey matter to only expel Saddam from Kuwait and not let Stormin' Norman go all the way to Baghdad even when it was very possible to do that back in Desert Storm 1. The Gen (retd) himself was clear about what a danger going to Baghdad would pose and I note he hasn't said much at all about the present C-in-C nor his successors' strategies. Smart move... something about retiring gracefully.

I was in Saudi Arabia just recently and boy, ordinary Saudis are not happy... and they're supposed to be mild compared to the Iraqis, who have even more to be upset about. Did someone talk about the coalition of the willing winning hearts and minds?

[expat35]

Beyond doubt, Iraq is a big mess now. Hence my question: Why not split the country up?

Former Yugoslavia is a lott less messy (now that the country is split) than when civil war broke out.

[Ninja]

I wish the answer was as simple as the suggestion.

I guess it depends on the country we're talking about, in this case Iraq. Word has it that even Bush Jnr is now starting to understand that some quarrels are better left to the factions to sort ie. the sunnis and shiites. If we split these factions up into separate nations, do we then have two countries who'd be at war with each other with even greater passion, since they would have the financial means and quite possibly even more resources at their disposal? We're talking a guerilla war vs. all-out military battles... both equally bad in any case.

The fears of cleaning out Saddam's regime has come home to roost big time now. The legitimacy of the existing "democratically" elected government is questioned by a large portion of the Iraqi people, leaving a vacuum of control. The result is the factional turf war we have been witnessing since 2002/3.

Splitting them up isn't a good idea in my view. It's a seriously tough challenge to sort this situation out and I'm not sure if it can be fixed in this lifetime.

[expat35]

Reading this article in The Indepentent, "Iraq is disintegrating as ethnic cleansing takes hold" ( http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article548945.ece  ) I cannot help but think dividing up the country is inevitable. Obviously this will cause grief but trying to keep it together against all odds may prove even more painful.

[Joseph27]

I cant help but to think of all the arguments I had on this page with paper convinced that invading was the right thing to do.  Alas 3 years later and the country is in this position and Bush's ratings are under 30%.  

Hard part now is working out an exit strategy but with the US building a near Vatican size embassy it is clear that the US isnt going anywhere and this is going to get a lot worse.  The American people were duped into this and are now stuck.  

Not that I would equate the US with Nazi Germany but from an Iraqi's point of view - most especially one who has been a victim of the US - the US is an agressive power with plans to stay.  This isnt getting any prettier anytime soon

[harry06]

oooooooooooo
just wanna to have more fun
c what you can do
hehehehe

[expat35]

It's interesting to see that dividing Iraq into three ethnically defined zones is starting to become a more likely scenario by the day, despite the difficulties (ethnic cleansing) that this will no doubt give in mixed cities like Baghdad, Basra and Mosul.

[Vulcanl]

It is truly stunning to see just how badly this administration (Bush's) has bungled so many of their own initiatives.  

The best way out for us now is to indeed split up Iraq - let Iran control the Shiites, Saudis assist the Sunnis.

US Troops remain to maintain "order" during this transition, and slowly leave.

Hopefully this can be done during Bush's final 2 years.

God help us, what a mess this guy got us into