Don't Be Mislead On The Iraq Federalism Issue
The Iraqi constitution allows for the creation of federalist states meaning that Iraq can be partitioned into 3 sections by parliamentarian agreement. This may be the best way for Iraq to remain a "nation" albeit a loosely held one. This aspect would allow for increased autonomy in geographic and ethnic regions and prevent a civil war.
The Kurds to the north truly desire to establish their own nation, but to move into a loosely aligned nation consisting of three federal states is much in their interest. There are dangers to establishing their own nation. Turkey has already expressed concerns. Turkey has been posturing itself for a Kurdish invasion to prevent the session of nearly 8 million Kurds currently living in Turkish territories from joining a new Kurdish nation.
So far the federalist concept has been embraced by the Kurds to the North, the Shiites to the South, but not by the minority Sunnis in Iraq's center. Why is this you ask? Well it always revolves around money doesn't it? The north and south of Iraq are oil rich, but the central part of Iraq around Baghdad is mainly desert and does not have any oil reserves. So if the country were to be partitioned into 3 autonomously operating states, guess who is left off the oil gravy train? The Sunnis! This is why they are not in favor of partitioning Iraq into three ethnic and geographic states.
What no one seems to be addressing is that the Iraqi constitution already addresses this. Oil that is currently being produced in all regions is shared by all even with a three state federal union. But this is the big sticking point, new oil production remains income for the state in which it is found and does not fall under the parameters of having to be shared by the new state with the federal government. The Kurds appear to be sitting on a huge untapped reserve and this may be one reason why the Shiites and Sunnis will be uninterested in allowing the Kurds to either break away into their own nation or to move the federalist agenda forward.
It always boils down to money doesn't it?
The Kurds to the north truly desire to establish their own nation, but to move into a loosely aligned nation consisting of three federal states is much in their interest. There are dangers to establishing their own nation. Turkey has already expressed concerns. Turkey has been posturing itself for a Kurdish invasion to prevent the session of nearly 8 million Kurds currently living in Turkish territories from joining a new Kurdish nation.
So far the federalist concept has been embraced by the Kurds to the North, the Shiites to the South, but not by the minority Sunnis in Iraq's center. Why is this you ask? Well it always revolves around money doesn't it? The north and south of Iraq are oil rich, but the central part of Iraq around Baghdad is mainly desert and does not have any oil reserves. So if the country were to be partitioned into 3 autonomously operating states, guess who is left off the oil gravy train? The Sunnis! This is why they are not in favor of partitioning Iraq into three ethnic and geographic states.
What no one seems to be addressing is that the Iraqi constitution already addresses this. Oil that is currently being produced in all regions is shared by all even with a three state federal union. But this is the big sticking point, new oil production remains income for the state in which it is found and does not fall under the parameters of having to be shared by the new state with the federal government. The Kurds appear to be sitting on a huge untapped reserve and this may be one reason why the Shiites and Sunnis will be uninterested in allowing the Kurds to either break away into their own nation or to move the federalist agenda forward.
It always boils down to money doesn't it?
