Iraqi Kurds to Vote on Independence

[morningfog]

President of Iraq's Kurdish region, already largely autonomous, says the country is already partitioned

The partition of Iraq lurched closer to reality on Tuesday when the head of the country’s already quasi-autonomous Kurdish region publicly declared he would schedule a referendum on independence. Polls and previous votes indicate that the measure is certain to pass, leading, in all likelihood, to an independent Kurdistan on the northern and northeastern borders of Iraq.

“From now on, we won’t hide that that’s our goal,” Massoud Barzani, president of the Regional Kurdistan Government, told the BBC in an interview. “Iraq is effectively partitioned now. Are we supposed to stay in this tragic situation the country’s living? It’s not me who will decide on independence. It’s the people.”

The referendum will come in “a matter of months,” Barzani said. He said the Kurdistan parliament must first establish an independent electoral authority, then establish the date for the referendum that Barzani made clear will end with the creation of a state.

http://time.com/2945035/iraqi-kurds-to-vote-on-independence/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20time/topstories%20%28TIME:%20Top%20Stories%29

I wonder how this will affect the US position that a "unity government" in Iraq must precede strikes. Will unity be redefined as just sunni and shia? Does this doom any possible sunni shia unity government, even?

[stevenleser]

1. Should the country simply be split into three parts?

If Sunnis and Shiites don't want to coexist, should they be forced to do so?

[morningfog]

2. A good question for Obama, Biden and Kerry.

A better question is why we should have any say in the construct of their state(s).

[stevenleser]

3. I was going to say, a good question for Iraq's leaders to include ISIS/ISIL

and any other insurgents.

[wandy]

5. Would this be a bad thing? If this is what they want...........

what would be so wrong about it.
I might hope they could do this in a peaceful manner but the history of this strongly suggests it will get bloody.
Current borders were drawn by outside forces and not by the people living there.
Let them work this out for themselves. By no means take this to mean let them kill each other. If they can do this without bloodshed so much the better.

The only thing I feel strongly about is the U.S should have minimal involvement.
Democracy means the will of the people. We, are not those people. We have our own problems to solve.

Unless something becomes a well defined, clear and present threat we should keep 'hands off'.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. So, which side are we on? The Not as Bad Good Guys or the Not as Good Bad Guys?

[morningfog]

6. I prefer the "no place for the US military in this" side.

No troops, no advisers, no drones, no Apache helicopters, no Hellfire missiles, no arms deals....

[Vattel]

7. I hope Obama does not oppose this.

[morningfog]

8. As of now, the Obama Administration opposes it, or at the least, does not support it

and "still believes" Iraq can remain unified.

[pampango]

9. Another "99% in favor" type referendums with no international monitors.

The legitimacy of referendums is lost in situations like this.