They want the ownership of any natural resources, including oilfields, and the power to determine how the revenues are split with the central government.
They want authority over the formidable militia called the pesh merga, estimated at up to 100,000 members, in defiance of the American goal of dismantling ethnic and sectarian armies. The pesh merga would be under nominal national oversight, but actual control would remain with regional commanders. No other armed forces would be allowed to enter Kurdistan without permission from Kurdish officials.
They want power to appoint officials to work in and operate ministries in Kurdistan, which would parallel those in Baghdad. These would include the ministries that oversee security and the economy.
They want authority over fiscal policy, including oversight of taxes and the power to decide how much tax revenue goes to Baghdad. The national government would make monetary policy but would not be able to raise revenue from Kurdistan without the agreement of Kurdish officials.
The "green line" that defines the boundary between the Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq would be officially pushed south, to take in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, the city of Khanaqin and the area of Sinjar. Kurdish leaders argue that this would just reestablish historic borders where Mr. Hussein had drastically altered the demographics by displacing Kurds with Arab settlers.
Interesting list. Effectively seceding in all but name.
I am not sure who would object most strenously the Turks, Shiites, U.S or Iranians but they will not be allowed this level of autonomy. I do think the final formula will have the Pesh Merga being turned into "regional security forces" as I cannot imagine the Kurds disbanding their militia given the history of ethnic conflict in the Region. The rest of the demands are just a starting point. They will have to make substantial concessions to the national government as part of the Constitutional negotiations.
Lists like this drive pro-Turk websites into a frenzy. I was over an Armernian friend's house the other day and he was showing me some sites where Armernians and Kurds troll the Turks. It was distrubing but amusing as well. It is a reminder of how much bad blood exists between the various ethnic groups in the region and just how daunting this task is not just from an internal standpoint but an external one as well.
vaulos wrote:An interesting list. It's almost the same one drawn up by the 13 colonies after the Revolutionary War. History repeating itself?
Heh, except we didn't have a well armed country that was extremely hostile to the idea of us becoming a nation sitting on our northern border. Regretably, it is likely that this will be nothing like the American experience as the internal and external forces at work here are radically different. The level of isolation and ethnic homogeneity that we enjoyed were extremely unique in history and allowed something to occur that seems impossible in a society that is so splintered along ethnic and religous lines.
History probably won't be repeating itself in Iraq and if it does it won't be early American history being replayed.
There's significant differences in that list from the original 13 colonies:
- No other militias being permitted in Kurdistan without their approval?
- Kurdistan having final say over taxation?
Essentially that list amounts to even more independance than most EU nations have from each other.
Personally I don't see an issue with the list however. It establishes the groundwork for an independant Kurdistan which does make a lot of sense in the long term. It's just not the "unity" in Iraq that some parties were thinking would happen.
Ddrak- Go read the articles of confederation sometime: both of those are on the list. Oddly enough, both are among the main reason that the Articles were eventually dissolved in favor of our Constitution (amendments aside).
Akhbarali- Actually, the British were indeed just to our north (Canada was still a British colony. Remember 1812? Burning of D.C.? It coming back to you yet?)
Vaulos Grandmaster of Brell / Shadowblade of Kay Minister of Propaganda for the Ethereal Knighthood