Iraqi parties agree to federalism bill

[maddezmom]

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago



BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's fractious ethnic and religious parliamentary groups agreed Sunday to open debate on a contentious Shiite-proposed draft legislation that will allow the creation of federal regions in Iraq, politicians said.

The agreement came after a compromise was reached with Sunni Arabs on setting up a parliamentary committee to amend Iraq's constitution, a key demand by the minority.

The committee will be set up Monday and the federalism bill will be read to the body a day later, Sunni and Shiite politicians said.

The deal opens the way for Iraq's Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds to move ahead politically and break a two-week political deadlock that threatened to further sour relations between the communities. If left unresolved, the deadlock could have further shaken Iraq's fragile democracy and led to more sectarian violence.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060924/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_federalism

[sutz12]

1. The first steps to forming 3 separate countries.

Inevitable. As colonial masters, we're not doing so well.

[LynnTheDem]

2. The deal opens the way for massive bloodbaths.

Very massive.

[ECH1969]

3. re-read what it said

It will take about a year to amend the constitution and the legislation, even if approved, will take 18 months to be implemented, legislators said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060924/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_federalism
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The Sunnis have agreed to federalism only if they change what federalism means in the Constitution and that will probably take a year and a half.

[stevedeshazer]

4. Iraqis to consider autonomous regions

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060925/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AtpxjlI9yqzvxz2SsqHZCpms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OTB1amhuBHNlYwNtdHM-

<snip>

BAGHDAD, Iraq -
Iraq's feuding ethnic and sectarian groups agreed Sunday to consider amending the constitution and begin debating legislation to create a federated nation, while the Shiite prime minister appealed for an end to violence during Ramadan.

Despite Nouri al-Maliki's plea for peace, violence killed at least 20 Iraqis and wounded 37 a day before the official start of the Muslim holy month. Two U.S. Marines died in combat in restive Anbar province west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders broke a two-week deadlock and agreed on a compromise that will allow parliament to take up Shiite-proposed draft legislation to permit creation of partly self-ruling regions.

Sunni Arabs have fought the federalism bill, fearing it will splinter the country and deny them a share of Iraq's oil, which is found in the predominantly Kurdish north and the heavily Shiite south.

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more at link :crazy:

[Old and In the Way]

5. And the Balkanization of Iraq begins.

I wonder if Dimson gets a woody knowing that he alone is responsible for the destruction of a nation-state?

[ButterflyBlood]

13. Iraq isn't a nation-state

It's actually a textbook example of a nationless state. Iraq isn't a state built around a people with a shared culture and history, it's just something the British cobbled together.

[Old and In the Way]

15. True....but it had legal standing and may well have had the best

opportunity to become a secular moderate state in the ME...if it didn't have that problem of having the #2 oil reserves in the world. Bush has essentially kicked the chair out from under Iraq and now we watch it slowly dissolve back to its constituent parts.

[ECH1969]

6. This is a duplicate thread

There already is one on about federalism today.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Seems to me they had the only system that worked. The minority

population ruled the central government & as long as everybody behaved themselves the place operated in an organized manner. It seems like the problems occurred when ever the US government messed with them.

[enigma000]

9. Like apartheid in South Africa?

It worked but it was immoral.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. They didn't need a US invasion to change apartheid did they?

When they were ready & willing they changed it from within.

[enigma000]

11. Well, however the Iraqis got here, I don't think many want to go back

to what they had. Maybe some Sunnis do. But the Kurds and Shia don't.

It looks like any changes have to be approved by referendum - something that should encourage the factions to come to common agreement on any deal.

[pampango]

12. You're right that South Africa didn't need an invasion to change.

I would like to think that liberals hastened change in that country through disinvestment and sanctions (forms of nonmilitary interference), but change came when the cliche in control realized that the cost of maintaining power was just too high.

IF the choice in Iraq was (not saying it is) between forming three "countries" with some level of peace and prosperity versus maintaining the geographic integrity of Iraq through a repressive dictatorship of a minority (Sunni or Kurdish) or majority (Shia), I would prefer the former. Countries exist to serve the interests of people, not the other way around.

I realize that there are tremendous problems associated with the "three country" solution - mainly what happens in mixed ethnic areas and how do you compensate the Sunni for not having any oil. Part of the former problem is unfortunately being addressed through "voluntary" resettlement of people fleeing mixed neighborhoods due to the threats and violence of the Sunni and Shia militia.

[krispos42]

8. Bush in gonna have kittens

And deep in the cockles of my heart, I find I don't care.

[ECH1969]

14. They postponed making a decision on federalism

until the Constitution is amended meaning nothing will happen for at least a year and a half.