Does ANYONE have a plan for Iraq?

*raises hand timidly*

Published on August 30, 2004 By Angloesque In International

I don't claim to be any expert on foreign policy but it would seem that violence is perpetuated by political lines being drawn which encompass opposing factions. (Feel free to say "Duh.")

For example:
Israel/Palestine and the Gaza strip
Chechnya and Russia
Hutus/Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi
Shiites/Kurds/Sunnis in Iraq

It would seem that most of these situations are exacerbated by geographical lines. Generally, one side seems to be dominant and force or oppress other factions into abiding by the ruling or more powerful faction's laws. No one likes to be oppressed (yet again, duh). So the point of this article is to try to figure out what to do with Iraq and its factions.

The U.S. has been mired in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict for ages and it does not seem to be going away. There seems to be a similarity with the situation in Iraq, and I wonder if it's not solvable by dividing the factions somewhat geographically and grouping them loosely together as territories or states (perhaps more independent than, say, the U.S. states).

Take this map for example:

Couldn't state lines be drawn, and Iraqis can (but do not have to) live in the state that is culturally relative to themselves? For example, the Kurds would be in a Northern state, etc.

The U.S., however, is historically bad at drawing lines. Take a drive through Washington, Oregon, and Idaho some time and check out the land taken from the Native Americans as compared to the land given to them for their reservations. So doing this would require an international alliance and cooperation--and especially the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis themselves. (And anyway, the U.S. needs to start diminishing its role and let the Iraqis do more--it is their country, after all.)

If each Iraqi state had its own governing system analogous to international penal systems (i.e. you don't chew gum in Singapore and you don't cut off thieves' hands in the U.S.), they could be based on their own religious beliefs, insofar as necessary. Sunnis would be responsible to behave respectfully in the Kurdish state, and vice versa. I suppose it would have to be somewhat democratic in that each state would be represented in some kind of senate, at the very least. Perhaps also a president--I haven't fleshed it out that far.

Now before you dismiss me as being all idealistic, are there any better ideas? 'Cause I haven't heard of any ideas to solve this from anyone in the Bush administration, the Kerry campaign, the U.N., France, no one. All I want is to get done what needs to be done, not bicker about it like politicians trying to get elected.

Comments

historyishere

on Aug 30, 2004

All I know is Turkey is vehemently against the Kurds having an independent state.... so that would be a sticky point.

Angloesque

on Aug 30, 2004

Well, although I suppose they could invade, I'm not sure why Turkey should try to regulate other countries' decisions, though from an international union point of view that would definitely be sticky.

historyishere

on Aug 30, 2004

Turkey has land which a possible Kurdish Nation might want.... because there are a fair number of Kurds in the region of that country bordering on Iraq... one of the claims that the Turkish government has made in the past is that a Kurdish nation would be dangerous to their own country.

Muggaz

on Aug 30, 2004

This was a cool article - i liked the use of colours and graphs!!!

Well, I am just happy there is ONE person out there who is thinking about the end cause in Iraq!!! Why doesn't the USA just wash their hands of the place, sit back in their lounges with some pop-corn, and watch various war-lords battle it out for supremacy, and then just buddy up with the strongest one after years of fighting... and then assist at quashing any 'rebel' alliance that may exist...

I will be watching this space!

BAM!!!

Angloesque

on Aug 30, 2004

Historyishere, I won't try to fathom that mess, but I would say that I'm not proposing a Kurdish nation, per se; just an Iraqi Kurdish state. Thanks for the clarification, though.

Angloesque

on Aug 30, 2004

Muggaz, the U.S. just likes to play in the mud. That's all I can figure out. :/

Deference

on Aug 30, 2004

In regards to the Gaza strip, it seems to me that both parties have ,at one point or another, held a genuine claim to the same land. This is the crux of that problem and is unsolveable except by means of compromise (and since both sides are too unmoveable...)

Madine

on Aug 30, 2004

My understanding is that the security problems in Iraq are insurgent/terrorist attacks aimed at the Iraqi government, not the various ethnic groups fighting against each other.

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