Imagine Iraq in three separate, unique, autonomous countries:

Shiite Territory

Kurdish Territory

Sunni Territory

Should it be done?

Question:
Should Iraq be split into 3 separate countries?

Choices:
Yes
No
Don't Know
Only if the Iraqi Govt Wants It

 

Yes, we sort of caused the current problems (by eliminating the army, removing anyone involved in the original government, and allowing the infrastructure to be run down and destroyed), but the Iraqis need to help themselves. We've been doing their dirty work for too long. It's long past time they started solving their own problems, even if we, in part, caused them. The best thing to do now is leave things in the hands of the Iraqis. The longer we stay, the more things we'll break.

Imagine the United States as a bad repairman. Every time he tries to fix something, he breaks something else. After a while, you just want him out of your house before he breaks more stuff while trying to fix things he broke.

quote:

But isn't it our fault that this is happening in the first place?

nope it's their fault in a sense because two islamic factions can't decide who the righteous Caliphate is (never mind that both are dead)

Hell this civil war was here the whole time. We didn't see it in saddam's iraq because he'd kill them en masse if they tried anything

quote:

Originally posted by clpo13:
Here's an idea: let's let the Iraqis figure it all out. If they want to fight over religion, let them. It's not our problem. When two people hate each other with a vengeance, stepping between them is only going to end with you getting a black eye. Let's save ourselves the trouble and let them squabble on their own.

But isn't it our fault that this is happening in the first place? I mean we sort of opened up something and now we can't stop it.

quote:

This is something missing in Iraq.

Actually we have something similer with the Kurds

they want the US to stay forever. To quote a kurdish minister "I would not say that we ask America to build bases in Kurdistan, I demand it"

and essentially doing that will result in a new North Ireland or Israel. Actually, more North Ireland because the Northerns have the UVF and their own terror groups who fought the PIRA and INLA. The Kurds have similer groups (the PKK as you mentioned) who go on raids in Turkey and Iran to rescue their brother kurds from the oppresion found in there tweo countries. The shite/sunni groups of course all hate the kurds so they take the time to go whomping on them. This is very similer to the Ireland situation with a third ideological side thrown in (Sunni Vs. Shite Vs. Kurds)

quote:

Not to mention Iran and Turkey would absoufreakinloutely loose their minds if a free-pro US- kurdish state was suddenly established on their borders.

A good point, Turkey has been fighting the Kurdish PKK since the 80s and it has resulted in 40,000 deaths since. The leader of the PKK Abdullah ocalan was captured in 1999 and the PKK virtually gave up armed struggle. Since the US invasion of Iraq however sufficient chaos has ensued in northern Iraq to allow the Kurds to use the area as a base for attacks on Turkey which have increased lately. The US has PKK on its terrorist black list but hasn't done enough to curb their activities. So, with this threat in mind Turkey has said it will launch a large scale military operation into northern Iraq, much to the disagreance of the US. But, screw them I say, Turkey has every right to defend itself by invading northern Iraq. It will also forgo all relations with the US and end its pursuit of EU membership to protect the territorial integrity of the state I believe, and that means any Kurdish state is a valid cause for war.

quote:

Maybe we should be talking to the brits about how they've been dealing with The Troubles

Its a waiting game...a long drawn out violent waiting game. In the end the IRA could not compete with the British military and intelligence, all hope of military victory was lost and their ring-leaders imprisoned. They had to resort to sitting down at the negotiating table. The problem is the majority in northern ireland want to remain part of the UK, national identity played a large part. This is something missing in Iraq.

Here's an idea: let's let the Iraqis figure it all out. If they want to fight over religion, let them. It's not our problem. When two people hate each other with a vengeance, stepping between them is only going to end with you getting a black eye. Let's save ourselves the trouble and let them squabble on their own.

It strikes me that the situation in Iraq is rather like Ireland. You have two religous factions (sunnis&shites/catholics&prodestants) they both hate each other and are working to kill each other while freeing their country. Maybe we should be talking to the brits about how they've been dealing with The Troubles

quote:

there can no longer be any pretence that religion is seperated from the government.

there never really was in a large portion of the middle east, hell even saddam's Baath party only let I think it was... Sunnis in

No.

This will only prolong the violence, not defer it. This is an ideological war, one that will not be won by splitting up the ideologies, but only by giving a message of tolerance and unity through humanity.

Countries shouldn't be made depending on religious background. There cannot be a Sunni state and a Shiite state because a) that just makes it easier for them to attack each other and b) there can no longer be any pretence that religion is seperated from the government. Plus all of the other complications that would arise, like where do the nonreligious folk live? And what do people with both Shiite and Sunnis in the family do? The world went wrong creating an all Jewish state, I would be very pissed off if they tried it again.

sounds good to me, however the problem with the creation of Kurdistan is that while they love us, they are even more hated than irsaelis by the local muslim populace. Not to mention Iran and Turkey would absoufreakinloutely loose their minds if a free-pro US- kurdish state was suddenly established on their borders.