Shiites demand autonomous region in Iraq

[IrateCitizen]

It looks to me like things could start unraveling rather quickly. Now, with the deadline for a new Iraqi constitution only 4 days away, a Shiite group is demanding an autonomous Shiite region through the oil-rich regions of Southern Iraq.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/iraq

[Kikosexy2]

1. Civil war...

here it comes!!

[saigon68]

2. I can't Wait-- "FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH"

[MGKrebs]

3. Ah yes, can you say "partition"?

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. This demand isn't going to go away anytime soon

Even if they are refused, this isn't going to stop them. This is a very serious problem that the US would rather ignore.

[cliss]

5. You are right.

Here's where things start to unravel for the U.S. I loved reading the article, because there's so much unvarnished truth in it. It mentioned that US negotiators were "active in negotiations, trying to protect vital US interests".

Man, that's stating it like it really is.

We NEVER should have gone in there. This is a country with 22 million people (minus + or - 100,000). The US will never be able to control them.

Look at how much money we've poured into that country so far - what? $180 billion? (I don't even know the correct figure any more). We've lost almost 2,000 lives. Lots of equipment, machinery, Humvees, Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles. And for what? They're going to take it back, is my gut feeling.

[0007]

15. .....but 'ya gotta look at the big picture. Look at all the jobs

Halliburton has created. And all the jobs that will be created by those fourteen military installations.

:sarcasm:

[davidinalameda]

6. I agree that we're going to see a civil war there

sooner than later

and our troops are going to be stuck in the middle defending a government that no one wants, if it's still around

[TankLV]

13. "But they've got to stay there till "it's" done"! So say some misguided

DU'rs!

[punpirate]

7. This, oddly enough, might be part of the US strategy...

... creating enough chaos to cause the country to break into autonomous regions, and eventually into three separate countries--a Kurdistan, a Basra-controlled Shia southern region and the Sunni Triangle--sort of a divide and conquer routine. Each one would be somewhat hostile to the other, and one or more would accept US aid as a means to their own defense.

One of the three, an autonomous Kurdistan, would be much more likely to work out status of forces agreements with the US to host long-term US bases (which is one of the main reasons for the invasion). Their territory is also where most of Iraq's undeveloped oil reserves are located.

Cheers.

[geek tragedy]

10. Partition wouldn't be the worst thing.

If the various factions needed the iron fist of Saddam to keep them under the same tent, maybe they should be under different tents. :shrug:

[BootinUp]

11. I wouldn't say that

I mean it wasn't the strategy, and I still don't think it is.

All we need is more failed states that become terrorist refuges. But alas, it is looking more and more likely that we are heading in that direction.

[punpirate]

14. I'm not married to the idea...

... but I ran into a contractor who was in Iraq in the spring, and one of his statements stayed with me. He was staying in a neighborhood of Baghdad which was populated by mid-level government officials and alluded to a conversation with one who said, "everything's going according to plan," and the official went on to briefly describe the plan--about which the contractor said nothing except, "it's a brilliant plan."

Now, I couldn't get a sense of his political loyalties and whether or not those influenced his opinions of the plan, but it was enough to make me wonder if there isn't something else at work that isn't visible from the little news coming out of Baghdad.

Cheers.

[lumpy]

16. Makes sense

We know the US leadership will use any of the time tested strategies
to retain the power. They have proved that they are wily.

[rocktivity]

8. Why was there a deadline in the first place?

You're writing a constitution, not a term paper!

Why was there a deadline for the elections? Why couldn't be postponed until it was safer for everyone to vote? Yet, a schedule for reducing the troops is out of the question!

:headbang:
rocknation

[TankLV]

17. Because a deadline for a constitution + no deadline for withdrawl

makes bunkerboy & the repukes look good.

EVERYTHING is done thru the window of "WILL THIS MAKE ME LOOK GOOD/GET ME RE-ELECTED?" - including telling lies to and witholding documents from congress & the American People for INITIATING this WAR OF CHOICE in the first place!

[rocktivity]

9. During the runup to the invasion, I remember DU-ers predicting

that Iraq could end up split into Sunni, Shiite, and Christian territories. Yet King George and all of his men couldn't figure out the outcome?

:headbang:
rocknation

[TankLV]

12. Follow the money - notice it's the OIL region.

The boundary of the region stops where the oil stops.

But, of course, the "Iraqi People" are writing their own constitution! (sarcasm off)

Never mind that they are doing it at the point of a (bush*) gun under a bush* imposed false deadline.

And too many persons will fall for this crap.

[Cocoa]

18. think they can resolve this by Monday?

and what if they don't?

[chieftain]

19. We are going to have to shoot our way out of Iraq.

These idiotic, incompetent ,lying bastards have put our military in an untenable position. And you are right , the constitution writing process will accelerate the disintegration of order that has already begun. God help the troops, God help us all.