Article

2006-01-07 Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Dan Darling 2006-01-07 00:55|| || Front Page|| [11130 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 divide and conquer.

Posted by 2b 2006-01-07 02:40|| 2006-01-07 02:40|| Front Page Top

#2 What is driving this, is that the Kurds and Shiias want to bring it down on the Sunnis and the Americans are holding them back. IMO because of fear of headlines that read Sunni Massacre, ethnic cleansing , etc. These things will happen, its just a matter of how long it takes. I just don't buy (allusion deliberate) that getting the Sunnis to participate the political process will achieve any significant power for the Sunni through the ballot box. The reality is the Shiia and the Kurds have a demographic lock on the political process. And that means the Sunni have to accept their second class status one way or another.

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-01-07 03:53|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-01-07 03:53|| Front Page Top

#3 I personally don't believe there will be a viable Shiite/Sunni/Kurd Government in Iraq. Listening to NPR on Thursday a Sunni Leader ( I can't even begin to type his name) said Sunni's will not accept a minorty role in the Government. He said calling the Sunnis a Minority was an insult and would never be accepted. It had to be tried but the Sunnis will not try to make it work.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2006-01-07 08:30|| 2006-01-07 08:30|| Front Page Top

#4 The solution is partition: Kurdistan, an independent Shiite nation, and an independent Sunni nation. (Assuming the Turks don't go ballistic over the prospect of a greater Kurdistan.)

Posted by Jonathan">Jonathan 2006-01-07 10:13|| 2006-01-07 10:13|| Front Page Top

#5 "Few details of the talks were available."

Apparently, the usual leakers are all in the NSA.

Posted by doc 2006-01-07 17:48|| 2006-01-07 17:48|| Front Page Top

#6 Deacon, I agree. That guy made as much sense as Nancy Pelosi.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-01-07 17:56|| 2006-01-07 17:56|| Front Page Top

#7 In contrast to Deacon Blues' view, I believe that the Sunnis' intransigence is a negotiating stance only. All groups/individuals act within their best self-interest...in my opinion, the Sunni's know they are at a disadvantage, they know that they would be much worse off on their own (e.g. no oil fields, no skills, no viable institutions of any kind), so they know that eventually will have to accede to their minority status. 1.) I take ANY commentator interviewed on NPR with a salt lick; 2.) the Arab world (particularly Sunni Iraqis) will bluster one thing publicly while planning otherwise; 3.) the Sunnis are starting to grasp the phrase "no better friend, no worse enemy". The insurgent negotiation with the US flies in contrast to the position stated in the NPR interview and appears, to me, the political equivalent of an infant holding on for dear life to his mother's blouse to avoid being put in the playpen with the older children.

Posted by mjh 2006-01-07 20:34|| 2006-01-07 20:34|| Front Page Top

#8 Though, in reference to my above, I must caution that rawing my conclusions requires a presumption that the Sunni political representation is able to act according to its self-interest...as has been said here on my beloved RB before, some groups never miss a chance to miss a chance

Posted by mjh 2006-01-07 20:43|| 2006-01-07 20:43|| Front Page Top

21:58 Vince Watkins
21:44 Vince Watkins
21:20 Vince Watkins
22:13 Vince Watkins
23:32 Steve White
23:28 .com
23:23 .com
23:17 xbalanke
22:56 2b
22:55 2b
22:42 Fred
22:34 Pappy
22:24 2b
22:22 mom
22:21 TomAnon
22:19 Rafael
22:18 mom
22:17 Qwerty
22:14 Paul Moloney
22:13 49 Pan
22:11 mom
22:09 Rafael
22:08 mom (Chicago expat)
22:06 Frank G