What would the advantage be at this point to dividing Iraq into 3 semi-autonomous provinces?

Question

This is the plan Sen. Joe Biden is currently advocating.

Would dividing Iraq along sectarian lines help reduce violence? How?

Would this give Iraqi's a greater stake in their government or would it lead to more alienation?

Answer 1

The violence would increase. You would end up with a three sided civil war for control over the other territories. Each sect believes that they are obligated by the Koran to convert or conquer the world to Islam and each believes that only their sect has it right.

Answer 2

I think this would have made a lot more sense about two years ago when the insurgency was still at a low ebb. It is hard to say what effect it might have now.

One of the issues in developing security forces has been that the Iraqi's who are trained as police or military tend to want to work in their regions, or regions which are along their own sectarian lines. There have been some problems with police and soldiers refusing to work in certain areas, and Biden's plan could help this.

Another problem is infiltration of Iraqi security forces by insurgents. It's unclear if the provincial proposal by Biden would have a positive effect on this, but it could be that an insurgency within a group is more easily identified if that group is all sunni or all shia.

The bottom line is that this must be done by the Iraqi government at this point and there are provisions in their constitution which would allow for it. In fact, they have just recently passed a law which allows any state in Iraq (there are currently some 20+ of them) can choose to succeed from the central authority and govern themselves. If civil war does break out in ernest, Kurds may do just that in the north.

All in all, there are no happy solutions here.

Answer 3

I think Joe Biden needs to get a grip...That is something the Iraqi Government needs to address not the US..

Answer 4

No clue...