Partition Moving Apace

22 December 2006



America Hands Najaf to Iraqis

Amid the debate about a plain stupid troop surge in Iraq-Nam and the swearing in of a new Secretary of Defense, the US troops in the province of Najaf handed security duties over the their Iraqi counterparts. This is the third province out of 18 to revert to genuine Iraqi control (as opposed to the transfer of faux sovereignty a couple years ago). As the other two, Muthana and Dhiqar, were held by the Brits, this is the first US-occupied province to be handed to the Green Zone government, at least in theory.

The provincial capital city of Najaf is the location of the Imam Ali Shrine, about as sacred to Shi’ite Muslims as the Vatican is to Catholics. It is also where the US and the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr fought a rather bloody battle in 2004. Also, in the fall of 2005, the Mahdi militia had a day-long battle with the Badr Corps, a rival Shi’ite militia. For 2007, one must hope for the continued good health of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the one man who can keep the various Shi’ite factions from going after one another and who lives in Najaf. He’s 76 years old, and in 2004, had to travel to London for heart treatments. Inshallah, he will help keep a lid on things for many years to come.

As part of a rather bizarre hand-over ceremony, a few Iraqi troops bit the heads off frogs and ate the heart of a rabbit in acts of courage. One hopes that courage extends to actually fighting for the government they have sworn to support, but thus far, there is little evidence that they will. Iraq’s national security adviser, Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie, understands perfectly saying, “If we don’t handle the responsibility, history will destroy us.”

Three out of 18 provinces, 1/6 of Iraq-Nam, is now under Iraqi “control.” The British intend to hand over Basra province early next year, meaning they will have pulled back in 3 of the 4 provinces they control; Maysan would remain in UK hands. Meanwhile, Mr. Rubaie believes Kurdistan is ready to formally recognize what has been the truth on the ground since the no-fly zone was established more than a decade ago in northern Iraq. “In a few days, we shall see a transfer of security in the three provinces of Kurdistan,” he promised.

The partition of Iraq-Nam is proceeding apace, whether anyone wants to acknowledge it or not. Najaf borders Muthana which borders Dhiqar, which borders Basra and Maysan. The core of a Shiastan is there for anyone with eyes to see. Kurdistan already exists, and only the sensitivity of the Turks to their Kurdish minority has prevented independence. Three Kurdish provinces controlling their own security situation will be independence without the seat at the UN. Meanwhile, more US troops in Baghdad and Anbar province under the surge plan means more fighting against Sunni militias – driving them farther from the idea of a united Iraq. At what point will the White House yield to the inevitable?

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.


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