Iraq fails to sign constitution

More details will surely follow but the Iraqis have postponed signing their constitution indefinently.

I believe this is not unexpected. We have 3 major waring factions trying to come together as a country. The only reason the country survived as a whole was because a dictator was keeping it together.

I wish we had never said we would not split it back to it's pre-WWII boundries. It would be better to allow the tribes to re-claim their positions. Even Churchhill said he regreted the creation of Iraq.

Could this lead to civil war?

i agree, i wish that it had stayed seperate. i believe the formation of iraq (along with israel for that matter) were the two biggest mistakes made in the middle east. and yeah, i really do expect a civil war there by the end of this year, whether we pull our troops out or not.

I guess Shiite happens, huh? Sorry had to say it.

I think the problem, other than the "wording", is that the Shiite are objecting to an autonomous Kurd (Kurdistan, comes to mind) or Kurdish autonomy.

I would not doubt an Iran and/or Turkish influence in this either. Respectfully, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Armenia, and even Iraq, don't want to entirely see an autonomous Kurdish state.

What needs to be watched is the Shiite leader, Sistani. I guess it would be safe to presume that if the Shiites cannot become autonomous that they feel the Kurds shouldn't either. Its a unified Iraq or no signing.....methinks. Bosnia all over again, maybe?



regards
seekerof

[Edited on 5-3-2004 by Seekerof]

its not just the problems of a kurdish state that would make the partition of iraq impossible. if a separate shiite state was created, it would inevitably become a pawn of iran (if it wasnt absorbed completely into the iranian nation state). this would create a hegemonic power in the middle east with an anti-west agenda.

i really cant see a workable solution to iraq or israel/palestine. and its all our fault - the west that is.