Partition of Iraq

From The Kurdish Secret and Watch the Sunni Tribes

Two articles by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas Friedman, author of the widely renowned The World Is Flat, discussing the feasibility of breaking Iraq in three autonomous regions with Baghdad dispersing oil revenues between the three states. The first article explains the great success the Kurds have had rebuilding the northern part of Iraq into a fledgling democracy. The powers that believed Kurdistan, for lack of a better term, to be safe enough to open a new American University there. Unfortunately, the success of northern Iraq is very rarely mentioned due to friction between the Kurds, Turks, and Iranians, as evidenced by the struggle between Turkey and Kongra-Gel.

The second article discusses the newfound willingness of local Sunni tribal leaders to assist the US in purging radical elements from the Sunni region of western Iraq. One large problem that has only recently begun abating is lack of funds flowing from the central government in Baghdad.