Iraq: France Backs Idea Of Southern Federation, Says Ambassador

[ECH1969]

France supports the idea of a regional federation in southern Iraq. Moreover, the French government wishes to strengthen its ties with local authorities there, and is willing to provide manpower training and a French cultural centre, "to promote the role of culture in the political process and people's intellectual development," the French ambassador to Baghdad, Bernard Bajolet, stated on Wednesday during a visit to the southern port city of Basra.

On the occasion of Bajolet's visit, Basra's governor, Bassora Muhammad al-Wayli signalled the future potential of the oil-rich province in a reconstructed Iraq. "Basra is considered one of the wealthiest cities in the Orient and it is ready to play a primary role in Iraq's political and economic life, thanks to its oil reserves, its strategic location and various other factors," he said.

Wayli invited Bajolet to open a French Consulate in Basra. Doing so would "simplify many political and economic questions, also because the city offers great opportunities, especially investment in the oil and agricultural sectors," he said.

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.286425518&par=0

[Kutjara]

1. Seems a little too much like...

...the way India got partitioned in 1947; and that turned out wonderfully - not.

[HereSince1628]

2. Is this what we call Balkanization of Iraq?

[Dhalgren]

3. The British created Iraq by drawing lines on a map. There was

never an Iraq like the one the British created in the 1920s, so it can't really be "Balkanized" now. If Iraq breaks up into its constituent parts it may simply be the "best" solution to the cluster-fuck created by the US invasion. It isn't written anywhere that there has to be an Iraq that looks just like the one dreamed up by the Brits. It may be time to start using reality-based ideas, and going for what "works". I am glad that the French are engaging the Iraqis, it is about damned time someone without a gun in their hand did...

[HereSince1628]

5. True, but if you start allowing borders to be redrawn where does

that end? That seems like a remedy the might be as dangerous as the problem. Do we just erase the intervening history of the middle east and return to century old map?

[endarkenment]

6. More like 80 years.

And Iraq has been in trouble for the entire 80. Why exactly are we supposed to believe that 'Iraq must be preserved'?

[liberalpragmatist]

8. Well, where do you draw the lines?

A partition may well be the end-stage, but it's hardly a "good" outcome. Partitions have historically NEVER led to two peaceful states but rather two or more states that are weak and constantly at war with each other.

And yes, Iraq may only have been around for 80 years, but that's STILL 80 years. There aren't any clean-cut divisions any more. Many Northern cities are heavily mixed between Sunni Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen; Baghdad has 1 million Kurds and otherwise has huge populations of Shi'as and Sunnis. The Shi'a holy city of Samarra is in the Sunni majority area of the country.

Right now, Iraqis are fracturing along sectarian lines - that's what happens in a destabilized situation, as ethnic partisans use the power vacuum to their advantage; they spread a climate of fear that forces people to pick sides. Once there's a total breakdown in law and order, people try to seek protection in whatever group they can; ethnic and tribal loyalties are usually the easiest to find. Thus, you get former neighbors fleeing each other and mixed families being torn apart. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are the products of mixed marriages, for despite each group's grievances with one another, relations between ordinary Iraqis was generally quite good and true sectarian hatred was not heavy.

In short, partition will lead to violent ethnic cleansing, genocide, and 3 weak, divided, unstable countries each hostile to each other and surrounded by hostile neighbors. Not a great outcome.

[SoCalDem]

9. Just like Yugoslavia..

As long as Tito controlled everything, they held together to rebel against the Soviets..Once the Soviets went away, everyone all of a sudden realized they still had century-long beefs with their neighbors:shrug"...and so the bloodshed.

Artificial borders drawn by third parties who know NOTHING about the area...very bad idea, and sure to fail someday...
Nothing can be done about the borders with the neighboring countries, but we need to let Iraqis sort out the internal issues..

[endarkenment]

4. Maybe France and England can restart their hostilities now.

Southern regions == big ass oil fields.

[Adelante]

7. And the Sunnis are going to sit still for this?

Doubtful.