After Sadam - dissolution of Iraq...and why not...

Submitted by Mark, UK (United Kingdom), Mar 8, 2003 at 11:56

Just a a quick comment...

Many people seem terrified of the potential dissolution of Iraq after the coming war.

Iraq (and Turkey and USSR for that matter) was an artificial creation that bore little resemblence to its ethnic divservity. The minority christian, Kurks and Suni population all deserve their own level of autonomy - and it has only been opressive state parties that have held them back from this aim.

Personally my view is that artificial politically constructed countries simply lead to confict and war in the long-term; and loose federations are far safer (and generally more benign) models _in the long run_. Take US/Ireland/Scotland - this led to centuries of bitter warfare, while a [peaceful] federation seems to have largely solved that problem.

Similarly the formation of the USSR (and the cold war) simply burried many ethnic conflicts throughout the Soviet Union - [including Chechnia].

The real question is this - can we balance the historical desires of populations for autonomy Vs national governments that desire national & economic cohesion?

I would put it to you that in the long-run this is the only option...
The alternative (crushing of minorities) has certainly been practiced in countless Islamic states for hundeds of years (who's hear of the Albanian Chrisitians in Turkey today? or the Sudanese Christians?) but this is not a model we should even be considering today.

So here is my vote....

Give the Iraqis the regional autonomy they deserve...as long as they are commited to peace...

This might also have the effect of truly motivating the surrounding countries into doing something positive about their own minorities, rather than have it done for them...

While for many it is too late...lets not abandon them all for political expediency yet again to the all powerfull petro-dollar...

Mark

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