Lasting Peace in Iraq? Divide Iraq along Ethnic and Religious Lines
Reader comment on article: A Strongman for Iraq?

Submitted by William Bryan (United States), Apr 28, 2003 at 14:23

You want peace? You want the Middle Easterners to run their own affairs?
You want to get Coalition Forces out of Iraq as quickly as possible? You
want to thwart a religious takeover of Iraq similar to the 1979 takeover of Iran?
You want to stop a full fledged nuclear war with the nations of Islam? If so:

Let's involve all of Iraq's neighbors with Coalition Forces as the umpire and
divide Iraq along religious and ethnic lines!

Traditionally Turkish areas of Iraq go to Turkey, opt to stay part of Iraq, or...
In exchange, Kurdish areas of Turkey can become independent, autonomous or become part of a new nation called Kurdistan.

Shiite areas of Iraq can become part of Iran or be a new nation, or...
In exchange, Kurdish areas of Iran can become independent, autonomous or
become part of a new nation called Kurdistan.

Traditionally Turkish areas of Syria can revert to Turkey, opt to stay as part
of Iraq, or...
In exchange, traditionally Syrian areas of Iraq can revert to Syria or can be absorbed by Jordan, remain part of Iraq, or ...

and ETC...

By doing this, Western Powers will have gone a long way to correct the
RealPolitik destruction of the Ottoman Empire where tribal, ethnic and religious
identities were taken into account and divided the Ottoman Empire into countries
that GUARANTEED future strife.

Will the US led Coalition let the nations of the Middle East decide their own
affairs or will we be dedicated to maintaining the cynical, volitile status quo that is now the Middle East?

If Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair do not let the so-called Iraqii people decide what's
best for their own self interest, we will be prepping the Persian Gulf for War #3,
or, by our mere presence, start an Christian-Islamic War with Nuclear, Biologic
or Chemical ramifications.

To paraphrase Churchill's comments on Chamberlain's 1938 Munich Treaty
which led to WWII:

"At Baghdad, in 2003, We Could Have Had Peace With Honor; We Choose
DisHonor; WE SHALL HAVE WAR!"

Sincerely!
William Bryan III

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