I was just reading that the success story of Anbar province could unravel quickly if the people there aren't soon given jobs, clean water, and help to rebuild the area. Apparently they feel that the Shiite dominated federal government is ignoring them or at least treating them as second class citizens.

@Rath

1. Turkey is doing pretty much everything it can to gain full member status in the European Union and a crackdown on its Kurdish citizens wouldn't really play well. I don't really see why you think this would become a civil war situation.

2. There's a devastating war going on now between Sunni and Shia.. and with even further breakdowns. What situation could possibly be worse than it already is? Everybody wants control. If Iraq is partitioned, each group will have more control over their own government and their own lives. It will not end sectarian conflict but it will ameliorate conditions quite a bit. The two groups will never get along --- and they haven't for centuries. Saddam Hussein held together the country by FORCE. The Shia will not cede power to Sunnis or vice versa.

 A Shi'ite southern state would certainly align itself with Iran -- what of it? It is pretty much the global consensus that the Iran isn't really a threat. Israel might feel differently about that but it is not the job of other nations to bail out Israel. 

 The Iraqi government has had over four years to stabilize the country. Have they succeeded? Have they made any tangeable progress whatsoever? From everything I've read the answer is no on both counts. While certain US presidential candidates might think its a good idea to stay in Iraq for "a million years" it makes little sense to keep trying something which has failed over and over again. Iraq must be partitioned. Its the only way.

I'm not saying that Turkey would crack down on Kurdish citizens, I'm saying its Kurdish citizens may revolt. Basically a Kurdish state would threaten the stability of both Iran and Turkey.

Also don't you see a problem with the middle east being split into two strongly opposed blocks? Currently Iraq is a buffer, a mixed Sunni/Shiite state that if it succeeds will greatly help peace in the middle east. If it splits then we end up with more Shiite Sunni wars.

Also there has been progress in Iraq, the Iraqi government is gaining more and more control, it has a better police force and army than it has had since the fall of Saddam.

^Yea, but even if you divide Iraq in states there will still be land problems. Oil isn't everywhere in Iraq and there is only a small stripe of land that is connected to water. Splitting up Iraq in any way will just cause more trouble.

Today the 4000th American soldier died according to the Pentagon

 Which is like... 1/4th the amount of people in the US who die due to drunk driving every year in the US. 

Everytime I see the death figures i always expect it to be a lot higher.

So??? Iraq still produces oil and Bush is stealing it...It may not be as much as Saudi Arabia, but they are still STEALING IT!!!!! I predict by 11/10/09 when a REAL President arrives for one year, this invasion is going to stop....I hope...

@PDF I'm sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you had meant split them up into different countries. I would hope that the Kurds, the Sunni's and the Shi's will one day be able to put aside their religious differences and be able to live together. I agree with you on different states for each group. But, are we going to build a wall to divide them. It kinda of works in Jerusalem but there is still masive tension on both sides there too.

@supermariogalaxy You do know that the US produces way more oil than Iraq. In fact Mexico, China, Venezuela, Norway, Nigeria, and Brazil all produce more oil than Iraq. Get your facts straight.

The Iraq Oil Law is basically a grab for Iraq's oil.

some people listen to micheal moore more than common sense sometimes