Idea of Dividing Iraq Unites Iraqis in Opposition
In a rare show of political unity, the Iraqi parliament has basically told American politicians to leave the future of Iraq to the Iraqis.
Over the weekend, the divided political leadership of Iraq showed its contempt for a nonbinding resolution passed last week in the U.S. Senate that called on Iraq to be divided into three partitions (Sunni, Shiite and Kurd) with a weak central government. The Los Angeles Times reports that for many Sunni and Shiite parliamentarians in particular, the measure reminded them of how often outside powers have tried to shape the future of their country.
"We refuse the resolutions which decide Iraq's destiny from outside Iraq. This is a dangerous partitioning based on sectarianism and ethnicity," said Hashim Taie, a member of the Iraqi Accordance Front, the parliament's main Sunni representation.Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's political supporters joined their rivals in denouncing the U.S. Senate's measure. "This project is the strategic option for the American administration in its failure to igniting a sectarian war inside Iraq," Nasr Rubaie said. "They started to search for a replacement, which is to divide Iraqi."
In another rare occurrence, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad joined in criticizing the Senate resolution. In an unsigned statement, embassy officials said the resolution could seriously hamper Iraq's future stability.
9:28 AM ET | 10- 1-2007 | permalink
