Comments on: Why is Iraq in Such Trouble? http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/ let's activate something Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:19:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Nathan Eanes http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-91 Nathan Eanes Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:39:23 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-91 I hope I didn't suggest a particular policy. I did not mean to suggest that we should separate the people or promote any type of segregation. I just think we need to understand and honestly discuss the ethnic and economic dynamics of the situation. Although you two may be right-- I don't know the exact history of Shiite-Sunni relations in Iraq specifically. I hope I didn’t suggest a particular policy. I did not mean to suggest that we should separate the people or promote any type of segregation. I just think we need to understand and honestly discuss the ethnic and economic dynamics of the situation.

Although you two may be right– I don’t know the exact history of Shiite-Sunni relations in Iraq specifically.

]]> By: eric http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-90 eric Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:00:37 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-90 i would add that it is a dangerous and common trend to claim that any two groups of people 'have always been at war' and the best solution is to separate them. it's a common proposal for israel/palestine and has also been used in places such as rwanda. this solution always seems to sidestep the real issues and blame everything on some vaguely racist concept that segregation really is best. did i say vaguely? i would add that it is a dangerous and common trend to claim that any two groups of people ‘have always been at war’ and the best solution is to separate them. it’s a common proposal for israel/palestine and has also been used in places such as rwanda. this solution always seems to sidestep the real issues and blame everything on some vaguely racist concept that segregation really is best.

did i say vaguely?

]]> By: Justin Alexander http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-89 Justin Alexander Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:27:05 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-89 Tim Nafzinger emailed me this post and invited me to reply because I have some experience of Iraq. What Nate says about the economic aspects of the situation are spot on and too often overlooked. Some of your other points sound to me like you may have been reading Peter Galbraith's "The End of Iraq", and I'd challenge them. There is very little record of inter-community conflict in Iraq. Certainly some regimes have oppressed segments of the population, but this should not be construed as inherent sectarianism. While Shiism was indeed born out of conflict within the early Islamic community, it is misleading to talk about an ongoing sunni-shia war throughout the last 1400 years, certainly not in Iraq. The growth of arab (as opposed to Persian) Shiism in Iraq is a relatively recent phenomenon (17-18th century) which converstion being in part an act of resistance against the Ottoman rule. While there was no independent nation state of Iraq prior to the British mandate, the name was already in use refering to the area from Basra to Mosul, and often including a wider area including what is now Iraqi Kurdistan. The region has a historical unity dating back to the Assyrian and Bablyonian empires, and the rivers have provided continuity of connection even as it has been ruled from outside and administered in different ways. I recommend reading my friend Zaid al-Ali's article which is linked to in my latest blog post on www.justinalexander.net Tim Nafzinger emailed me this post and invited me to reply because I have some experience of Iraq. What Nate says about the economic aspects of the situation are spot on and too often overlooked.

Some of your other points sound to me like you may have been reading Peter Galbraith’s “The End of Iraq”, and I’d challenge them. There is very little record of inter-community conflict in Iraq. Certainly some regimes have oppressed segments of the population, but this should not be construed as inherent sectarianism. While Shiism was indeed born out of conflict within the early Islamic community, it is misleading to talk about an ongoing sunni-shia war throughout the last 1400 years, certainly not in Iraq. The growth of arab (as opposed to Persian) Shiism in Iraq is a relatively recent phenomenon (17-18th century) which converstion being in part an act of resistance against the Ottoman rule. While there was no independent nation state of Iraq prior to the British mandate, the name was already in use refering to the area from Basra to Mosul, and often including a wider area including what is now Iraqi Kurdistan. The region has a historical unity dating back to the Assyrian and Bablyonian empires, and the rivers have provided continuity of connection even as it has been ruled from outside and administered in different ways. I recommend reading my friend Zaid al-Ali’s article which is linked to in my latest blog post on http://www.justinalexander.net

]]> By: Vigilante http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-87 Vigilante Sat, 28 Oct 2006 13:11:17 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-87 "a metaphorical molotov" --Good! “a metaphorical molotov”

–Good!

]]> By: Vigilante http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-86 Vigilante Sat, 28 Oct 2006 13:09:37 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-86 That's why there was no exit strategy planned! YOU'RE right! No exit strategy because they never planned to exit. No one on my site has made that point yet! That’s why there was no exit strategy planned! YOU’RE right! No exit strategy because they never planned to exit. No one on my site has made that point yet!

]]> By: Nathan Eanes http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-85 Nathan Eanes Sat, 28 Oct 2006 01:07:54 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-85 You're perfectly right. This is an occupation, and the fact that the Bush administration planned no "exit stragegy" indicates that they intended it to be an occupation, for American interests. You’re perfectly right. This is an occupation, and the fact that the Bush administration planned no “exit stragegy” indicates that they intended it to be an occupation, for American interests.

]]> By: Vigilante http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-84 Vigilante Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:39:45 +0000 http://young.anabaptistradicals.org/2006/10/26/why-is-iraq-in-such-trouble/#comment-84 I think the most critically important point to make about Iraq is what we have there is not so much a war as an occupation. Wars are either won (maybe) or lost. Occupations are not won or lost. They are just ended. I think the most critically important point to make about Iraq is what we have there is not so much a war as an occupation. Wars are either won (maybe) or lost. Occupations are not won or lost. They are just ended.

]]>