Foreign Policy Laughs
Sen. Joe Biden has proposed partitioning Iraq into three main areas: the Sunni west, the Shiite south and the Kurd north, and forming a loose coalition of these areas. Sounds like a plan. A stupid plan, but a plan none the less.

Sen. Biden, I know how hard it is for senators to do this, but be quiet for five minutes. This is a dumb idea. Autonomous regional control would embolden Iranian supported Shiite militias to seize control of the south and radical Sunnis to seize control of the west perhaps shaping it into a new Taliban-run Afghanistan. While a Kurd state would probably not hurt US interests, it would alienate Turkey--presumably a US ally. If this is meant as a way to light a fire under the new Iraqi government, then perhaps the suggestion has its place. If this is a serious foreign policy proposal, Joe Biden should give up all presidential aspirations.

The LA Times, of course, shows its colors in its lede:

Three years after President Bush declared beneath a "mission accomplished" banner that major combat had ended in Iraq, a leading Senate Democrat on Monday suggested the creation of separate, autonomous regions for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds to counter continuing ethnic and religious violence.

Shouldn't the Iraqis decide on their own government? Wasn't that the point of all of this? Biden's proposal is little more than a modern day Munich agreement.
- posted by Base10 @ 10:55 AM