The Nation: Iraq: Poised to Explode

[marmar]

Iraq: Poised to Explode
posted by Robert Dreyfuss on 07/27/2008 @ 1:02pm




While everyone's looking at Iraq's effect on American politics -- and whether or not John McCain and Barack Obama are converging on a policy that combines a flexible timetable with a vague, and long-lasting, residual force -- let's take a look instead at Iraqi politics. The picture isn't pretty.

Despite the Optimism of the Neocons, which has pushed mainstream media coverage to be increasingly flowery about Iraq's political progress, in fact the country is poised to explode. Even before the November election. And for McCain and Obama, the problem is that Iran has many of the cards in its hands. Depending on its choosing, between now and November Iran can help stabilize the war in Iraq -- mostly by urging the Iraqi Shiites to behave themselves -- or it can make things a lot more violent.

There are at least three flashpoints for an explosion, any or all of which could blow up over the next couple of months. (Way to go, Surgin' Generals!) The first is the brewing crisis over Kirkuk, where the pushy Kurds are demanding control and Iraq's Arabs are resisting. The second is in the west, and Anbar, where the US-backed Sons of Iraq sahwa ("Awakening") movement is moving to take power against the Iraqi Islamic Party, a fundamentalist Sunni bloc. And third is the restive Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr, which is chafing at gains made by its Iranian-backed rival, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI).

Perhaps the issue of KIrkuk and the Kurds is most dangerous. Last week, the Kurds walked out of parliament to protest a law passed by parliament to govern the provincial elections. The law passed 127-13, but it was vetoed by President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd. Juan Cole, the astute observer, says : "The conflict between Kurds and Arabs over Kirkuk is a crisis waiting to happen." He cites Al-Hayat, an Iraqi newspaper, as claiming that not only do the Kurds want to control Kirkuk, an oil-rich province in Iraq's north, but they plan to annex three other provinces where Kurds live: Diyala, Salahuddin, and Ninewa. That's not likely, but they do want Kirkuk, and the vetoed election law would have limited the Kurds' ability to press their gains there. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/339676

[Orrex]

1. That's not true at all

The MSM told me just yesterday that we've all but won our just and righteous war in Iraq, and that violence is at an all-time low. Surely you can't be suggesting that the surge isn't working?

[Bandit]

2. Not to even mention what the Turks are going to do

I suspect an invasion by the Turks real soon after this latest bombing.

[malaise]

3. UhOh!

<snip>
Suicide bombers have killed at least 47 people and wounded about 240 in attacks on crowds in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk.

Three blasts in Baghdad killed at least 25 Shia Muslim pilgrims heading for the city's Kadhimiya shrine.

The attacks, which wounded about 90 people, were carried out by women suicide bombers, police said.

In Kirkuk, a suicide bomber targeted a crowd of Kurdish protesters, killing at least 22 and injuring at least 150.

Kirkuk is disputed between Kurds, Arabs and Turkomans.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7528117.stm

[safeinOhio]

4. Still no

man on the street stories or reporters walking around the new "safe" Iraq. So, what's up with dat?