Iraqi southern provinces threatening to break away

[SoCalDemocrat]

Notify the major networks of this breaking news story! Civil war is looming.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_1-10-2004_pg1_2

"Iraq’s oil-rich provinces mull breaking away

LONDON: Three of Iraq’s oil-rich southern provinces have discussed breaking away to set up an autonomous region similar to that demanded by Iraqi Kurds in the north, the Financial Times said on Thursday. The newspaper, quoting diplomats familiar with the plans, said officials from Iraq’s second largest city of Basra had been holding talks with officials from councils in two neighbouring provinces — Missan and Dhiqar. The paper said the move reflected the three provinces’ growing frustrations with Baghdad rule and a feeling they were being marginalised in new government institutions. There was no independent verification of the report. The newspaper said people close to the Iraqi government suspected hardline elements in Iran were encouraging the southern provinces to demand self-rule. “The south has been desperately disappointed and they see Baghdad as continuing to leave them without representation,” a western diplomat told the paper. “So they are working on ways to organise themselves to have more clout with the centre.” Any attempt to form a breakaway autonomous zone would meet fierce resistance from many Iraqis and could spark civil war. reuters"

[serryjw]

1. Can Southern America break away also?

:toast: :bounce:

[SoCalDemocrat]

3. LOL

We should take the Blue states and go home and make USA Left.

[rndmprsn]

4. Red states are welfare states...

http://www.retrovsmetro.org/retrovsmetro/

Metro America is not geographically contiguous—New England, the Middle Atlantic, the Great Lakes states, and the West Coast, plus Colorado and Arizona. Metro America represents “New America,” with the New Economy and political power more equitably distributed among ethnic groups.

Metro America, with 34 percent of the land mass, has 65 percent of the population, with a density of 151 persons per square mile. Metro America produces the majority of the nation’s tax revenue, but some $200 billion a year of Metro taxes flow to Retro states and support the economic life of its small cities, towns, and rural areas.

[SoCalDemocrat]

2. Bush administration moves to censor reports from Iraq

Bush is moving to censor reports coming out of Iraq that are proving damning to the administration.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60725-2004Sep29.html?sub=AR

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0930/dailyUpdate.html

"Thursday morning in Baghdad multiple car bombs and rocket attacks killed at least 40 people, including many children and several US soldiers. The Bush administration, The Washington Post reports Thursday, worried that negative stories like these are dominating the news headlines during an election period, has decided to send out Iraq Americans to bring what the Defense Department calls "the good news" about the situation in Iraq to US military bases.
The Post also reports that the administration is moving to "curtail distribution" of reports that show the situation in Iraq growing worse. In particular, the US Agency of International Development said this week that it will "restrict distribution" of a report by its contractor, Kroll Security International, that showed the number of attacks by insurgents had been increasingly dramatically over the past few months. Attacks have risen to 70 a day, up from 40-50, since Iraqi Prime Minister Alawi took office in June."