Iraqis to Consider Self-Ruling Regions, page 1

Iraqi leaders are now considering and are working on legislation that will allow the three ethnic and sectarian groups to permit the creation of self ruling regions. The Kurds are kind of already set up this way in the north, but with this new legislation, the Shiite and Sunni's will also have their own regions.

www.comcast.net
Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders broke a two-week deadlock and agreed on a compromise that will allow parliament to take up Shiite-proposed draft legislation to permit creation of partly self-ruling regions.

Sunni Arabs have fought the federalism bill, fearing it will splinter the country and deny them a share of Iraq's oil, which is found in the predominantly Kurdish north and the heavily Shiite south.

But they agreed to a legislative debate after all parties accepted a Sunni demand that a parliamentary committee be set up to study amending the constitution. The committee will be named Monday and the federalism bill will be read to 275-member parliament a day later.

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This sounds like a good idea on the surface, Sunni's, Shiite's and Kurds all have their own region they will govern as they see fit. Kind of like they each have their own state but are still part of Iraq.

I can also see in the long run how this also might end up with each of these "states" warring against each other, and building their own militaries, assassinating another clans candidate for a position in the national government.

This might be good for the short term, but I don't think it will stop the violence between the groups in the long run. I just see them isolating themselves from each other and growing further apart until tensions build enough and they are fighting again, only this time each sect would have their own militia. These people just have to learn that they are going to have to live together.

[edit on 24/9/06 by Keyhole]