Momentum builds for a self-ruled southern Iraq

[kpete]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Momentum builds for a self-ruled southern Iraq

By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers

Friday, January 16, 2009

(01-16) 10:41 PST NAJAF, Iraq (AP) --

The country's biggest Shiite party is hoping for a big win in elections across the oil-rich south to jump-start its campaign for a self-ruled region — a move that would transform Iraq and, critics say, give Iran its biggest prize since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

To reach that goal, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council needs to win control of Najaf — which it wants as a future capital of an autonomous southern Iraq — when voters across the country choose members of ruling provincial councils Jan. 31.

But the Supreme Council faces strong opposition from other Shiite groups, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa party and followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Those groups fear regional self-rule, modeled after the Kurdish autonomous area in the north, would weaken Iraq, open the door to expanded Iranian influence and threaten the existence of the Iraqi state.

Zoheir al-Hakim, a senior Supreme Council official in Najaf, predicted a comfortable win in this urban center of Shiite learning about 100 miles south of Baghdad.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/0...

[Taverner]

1. There needs to be 3 Iraqs

Central (Sunni), Southern (Shia) and North (Kurd)

[maddezmom]

2. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...