[Peace-discuss] Iraq: what ethnic violence?

[Randall Cotton]

During Sunday's AWARE meeting while we were discussing possible positions on the occupation of Iraq, at least one opinion was expressed that we can't pull out our troops now because in the face of ethnic divisions in Iraq, it would be "naive" to believe Iraq wouldn't descend into some sort of nightmarish ethnic civil strife.

Oddly enough, I remember arguments last year against the U.S. invasion (though not from within AWARE) claiming that once Saddam was removed from power, the three main ethnic minorities would be at each others throats and Iraq could be engulfed in perpetual ethnic violence.

What ethnic violence? This just hasn't come to pass. I've only seen rare spurious reports of anything of the sort. And I don't believe for a second that this is because the U.S. military is earnestly attempting to prevent Iraqi violence against other Iraqis when they've got their hands full protecting themselves (often failing to do so). The only violence seems to be inflicted by the U.S. and those opposing the U.S. occupation.

Can anyone enlighten me on this? What ethnic tensions (ancient or otherwise) exist in Iraq that weren't ultimately caused by Saddam's rule, now defunct? What evidence is there to suggest any such tensions would boil over if the U.S. pulled out of Iraq?

Am I really "naive"?

R
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