[Peace-discuss] Iraq: what ethnic violence?

[Chas. 'Mark' Bee]

Randall Cotton wrote:

>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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>

   Google:  Iraq +"ethnic tensions"  - gets 11,900 responses:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2003/08/iraq-030825-rferl-165226.htm

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/iraq/1863126

http://www.iraq-today.com/news/archive/00063.html

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/printer_090603H.shtml



  There will probably need to be between 80-150,000 troops in Iraq for 
the foreseeable future.  Of course, that doesn't mean they have to be 
ours.  But since Bush needs the artificial GDP expansion in order to 
pretend there's a recovery, and a lot of camo for what I call his 
"third-world wages here by 2020" globalism efforts, don't look for 
anything but the usual leaky trial balloons from BushCo.

   All sorts of folks in the surrounding countries are poised to go in 
and incite a civil war right now, so concentrating on current tensions 
only would be a mistake.