Editor,
It is becoming increasingly likely that some form of breakup will occur to the nation-state of Iraq. The breakup will reflect the relationships among Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish groups, and the relationships of these groups to the central government - which in turn have consequences on the region. If forces inside and outside of Iraq responsibly manage the redefinition of the country, we can avoid what could be a spiraling situation that subjects many more people to suffering, deprivation and deadly violence.
The more the Iraqis and the international community help build productive local-national bonds inside Iraq, the severity of harmful fallouts that impact the region will be lessened. The two smaller ethnic groups, Sunnis and Kurds, will likely accept and maintain relationships with the central government that advance subnationally driven development. Such relationships are in the self-defined interests of the parties and are capable of becoming lasting connections among what needs to be a web of mutual-gain connections with the Iraqi government and among the ethnic groups. Therefore, initiatives, such as development assisted by the central government that is identified and managed at the local level, should be strongly supported.
This developmental approach of creating local-national ties also directly advances reconciliation. Locally driven development and reconciliation are both processes that reflect the self-defined identities and experiences of their participants. They should therefore be pursued in tandem with each other, rather than in separate programs, because doing so is more cost-effective and expeditious in generating the range of intended positive results.
The procedures of locally driven development bring people together and build trust in the process of generating new jobs, better health, etc. By the same token, the participants of reconciliation processes can naturally segue into joint development planning and management of projects. However, even if this strategy were vigorously pursued, which it should be regardless, the creation of distinct and self-determined ethnic entities that formally composed Iraq is probably unavoidable. In principle, this in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. If only it were peaceful, it could be in keeping with the democratic tenets of decentralization and self-management.
Among the most serious regional concerns of a breakup of Iraq is that it could challenge to some degree the territorial integrity of Iraq's neighbors - particularly Turkey, which has the largest Kurdish population. Nations act without limit to preserve their territorial integrity. If the Kurdish people, for example, who live in adjacent parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, more strongly advance their group identity, terrible regional violence could be triggered.
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Early planning could help ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq's neighbors, while at the same time create a new context that allows for a level of expression acceptable to the Kurdish people. What is important now, though, is that leaders in the region and the international community quietly prepare for the eventuality of being pressed for a solution to the Kurdish plight. How far is Turkey willing to go to ensure its territorial integrity and allow for Kurdish expression? This is among the hard questions that need to be asked and answered in order to effectively manage the consequences of Iraq.
Jason Yossef Ben-Meir
UNM graduate student
