| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraq's oil-rich provinces mull breaking away |
| 2004-10-01 |
| Three of Iraq's oil-rich southern provinces have discussed breaking away to set up an autonomous region similar to that demanded by Iraqi Kurds in the north, the Financial Times said on Thursday. The newspaper, quoting diplomats familiar with the plans, said officials from Iraq's second largest city of Basra had been holding talks with officials from councils in two neighbouring provinces — Missan and Dhiqar. The paper said the move reflected the three provinces' growing frustrations with Baghdad rule and a feeling they were being marginalised in new government institutions. There was no independent verification of the report. The newspaper said people close to the Iraqi government suspected hardline elements in Iran were encouraging the southern provinces to demand self-rule. "The south has been desperately disappointed and they see Baghdad as continuing to leave them without representation," a western diplomat told the paper. "So they are working on ways to organise themselves to have more clout with the centre." Any attempt to form a breakaway autonomous zone would meet fierce resistance from many Iraqis and could spark civil war. reuters |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #15 Damn_Proud_American "Anonymous6092, disagree... more countries there are to deal with the more trouble it is to deal with them all" How much trouble we've had from Quait, UAE, etc...? |
| Posted by: Anonymous6092 2004-10-01 8:51:17 PM |
| #14 Actually the southern oil principally goes south to the oil terminal on the Persian Gulf. The oil from Kirkuk/Mosul goes through the Turkish pipeline. The center of the country obtains some oil for domestic uses like refining and power generation through the central pipelines, but as a matter of exports and revenues, Iraq could easily be demarcated as a Kurdish oil-exporter, a Shiite oil exporter, and a Sunni income-less "failed state". |
| Posted by: buwaya 2004-10-01 7:13:43 PM |
| #13 The last sentence in the last post should read " Couldn't figure out how to create a link any other way." I'll figure out the linking mechanism in time. |
| Posted by: John 2004-10-01 5:47:06 PM |
| #12 I think that in so far as oil goes, dealing with three countries instead of one would be a headache. It is a big headache with one country. I thought there was a single pipeline going up the country. Almost true. The pipeline goes from Kuwait to Syria and another branch up to Turkey. If the Sunnis control the pipeline in central Iraq it looks like they would control the entire pipeline. Don't think we have any way to go but to continue on trying for one country that is stabilized. A good link on the pipeline is: Iraq Pipeline Watch http://www.iags.org/iraqpipelinewatch.htm Hope the link works. Couldn't figure out hope to create a link any other way. |
| Posted by: John 2004-10-01 5:42:54 PM |
| #11 I like that Lex. Great time to try things. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2004-10-01 4:31:16 PM |
| #10 Ditch the national election scheme. Substitute rolling elections by districts as they become peaceful. Huge disincentive to the bad boyz and a big bonus to peaceful Iraqis, mainly shi'a and Kurds. Not kosher with the agreed framework but these are not normal times. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-01 4:07:45 PM |
| #9 Lex, I agree, but I think the train has already left the station without this one. CPA should have done it as part of a national ID card/voter registration/DNA sample project. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-01 4:00:29 PM |
| #8 Kurds want a state. Shia want a state. Sounds like most Iraqi's are sick of the Sunnis. Perhaps that means they'll support the flattening of the Sunni triangle. Anyway, partitian works for me. We promised the Turks we wouldn't but the Iraqi's never promised the Turks. Besides, the Turk screwed us and a free Kurdistan could be used against Iran and Syria very effectively. And a free shiastan could be used as a draw on the Arab Shia corner of Iran as well. |
| Posted by: RJ Schwarz 2004-10-01 3:32:38 PM |
| #7 agree that articles of confederation makes more sense. Would probably work better for Kurds too. I don't see these guys being able to form a state..but do see them being able to operate together in a self-interested manner for trade, etc. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-01 2:36:27 PM |
| #6 Alaska solution: Put the country's oil reserves in a national trust and pay every Iraqi, regardless of his city, a royalty each year. But better move fast on this. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-01 1:54:55 PM |
| #5 Anonymous6092, disagree... more countries there are to deal with the more trouble it is to deal with them all. |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-10-01 1:32:56 PM |
| #4 Opportunity for a "two for one" sale The U.S. buys(take over)the broken up southern province for the oil and gets a base of operations for Israel (wink wink) to attack Iran, for FREE. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2004-10-01 12:18:26 PM |
| #3 The smaller they (Arab countries) are, the less trouble they can make. |
| Posted by: Anonymous6092 2004-10-01 12:12:34 PM |
| #2 Maybe the time has come to revisit The Articles of Confederation. Seems like it might work there. They are people who have fought each other for centuries, might work for them. Give them more than thier individual power, with a lot of autonomy. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2004-10-01 12:09:30 PM |
| #1 And then be co-opted or annexed by Iran? I don't think so. This is what the Sunnis need to understand, but they are dense thugs. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-10-01 12:03:29 PM |