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| Yes | 39% | 27 votes | Total: 69 votes | |
| No | 61% | 42 votes |
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Add to FavoritesUS presidential candidates have endorsed the concept of partitioning Iraq in both parties. Both Senators Joe Biden and Sam Brownsback say they favor partitioning Iraq into areas controlled by Shia, Sunni and Kurds as a way to prevent sectarian violence from becoming a complete bloodbath and enable America to make a respectable exit. Why doesn't the idea get more coverage in mass media, on Helium and in other areas of debate on strategies for the War on Iraq?
I believe it is because it strikes at the core of the deception behind the war and the concept of the country of Iraq. The world was carved up by western powers after WWI in order to create more colonies (Iraq was British) and avoid the creation of an autonomous Kurdish state (Turkey felt threatened). In fact, all WWI combatants actually agreed to the concept of an autonomous Kurdish homeland in the Treaty of Sevres (August 10, 1920), but then changed their minds. It seems that creating an Iraq with such powerful sectarian divisions keeps all of them weak and under control.
Turkey is extremely concerned about Kurdistan and talking openly about invading northern Iraq. Is Turkey's true motive the avoidance of self-determination by Kurds in order to maintain and grow the concept of greater Turkey, hearkening back to the Ottoman empire? Is Turkey hungry for Iraqi real estate?
Would an Arab Shia state with most of present Iraq's population be threatening to Sunni leaderships in various Arab countries as a dangerous precedent and potentially strengthening of Iran's voice in various forums? Is there international collusion to deny the creation of another Shia country? Are the Arab Sunnis in Iraq considered to be the ballast as a counterweight against the Shia?
If Iraq is partitioned, the thesis of promoting Iraqi democracy as the justification for the American war would be history. The neo-con logic would be defunct. That may be seen as a latent criticism not only of Bush, but also Israel, the quiet proponent of the American War on Iraq. Apparently, the neo-cons believe that blocking active discussion of the concept of partitioning of Iraq will give more time to fight the war. Unfortunately, fighting people to give them freedom is a non-sequitor.
If Iraqis were impressed with the American promises, there would be no insurgency. Iraqis correctly see American promises of freedom and democracy as so much hot air. They have not benefited by the invasion and occupation. Debate of partitioning is too scary for the neo-cons to allow the idea to catch on. After all, it could work!
Learn more about this author, Robert C. Sage.
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No
The segregation of a country can only lead to further killing purely on the basis of prejudice. America should know this better than any country. Segregation only inspires more violence, as it approves further distribution of prejudice.
In order for Iraq to learn to be a free country they must learn to live with their fellow citizens. And, that freedom does not require they give up their heritage, and traditions. It provides for them only a governing force to protect them from invasion by foreign countries, and harm from their fellow citizen imposed upon them becomes a crime.
Americans after a couple of hundred years are still battling to achieve this goal, and have come closer than any other country, yet we still have not obtained a unified country, over a unified color, or ethnic group.
The Iraqi people must be taught by their governing forces that prejudice inspires war, and if they can find a common ground to unite on, their homeland will be theirs to rule, as they the citizens see fit.
Thanks to the Internet I am able to speak to people all around the world, and the majority I speak to from other countries would give anything to come to America so that they can be free.
Sadly, so few of them understand what freedom in America really is.
They believe that it is food on the table, a roof over their heads, a good job, and the freedom to do as they choose without fear of being harassed or killed by their local governments, neighbors, or gorilla soldiers.
There is no freedom in food on the table, just freedom to obtain it within a lawful manner. There is no freedom in putting a roof over your head, only the freedom to attempt to do it. There is no freedom in a good job, as jobs in America are not the security they used to be. There is no freedom to live without fear in America, as many citizens have disputes that end in a citizen's blood being shed through our local governing officials. And as for Gorilla Soldiers, in America we call them gangs.
America's people live in the same world the rest of the people of the world live in, the only difference is that we Americans are trying to put aside our differences to live in a community that protects each other, not just themselves. And, we all know that segregating any community inspires fear, and a desire to feel that one is better than the other. There can't be, and never will be any peace in a country determined to remain divided.
Instead all that they will inspire after we pull our soldiers out is the mass slaughter through invasion by neighboring countries.
The people of Iraq are well aware of this, and say that it is their leaders that remain defiant of providing Iraq with a unified government to over see the rights, freedoms, and liberties of all the Iraqi people.
Segregation will never inspire equality, and if there is no equality then there is unity, and any country, or nation that aspires to such devious plans as to continue to keep a country at war, is a country with no regard for it's citizens, and these poor people have now fallen under the rule of multiple new faced Saddam.
So no, this journalist does not think that Iraq should be partitioned into Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish sections.
Learn more about this author, Angelique Reder.
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