• Background: Separate the ethnic-religious groups
• Debate: Will worsen problem v. Running out of options
• Recent Developments:

Background

• Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) went before the UN Security Council to discuss his year-old Biden-Gelb Plan of essentially carving up Iraq. The "soft-partition" plan would divide the country into three semi-autonomous, ethno-religious regions held together by a central government.
• The Biden bill faces stiff oppostition from two important groups: President George W. Bush, who's entire political legacy will be impacted by a stable, unified Iraq, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki, who would lose his powerful position if a partitioning were to occur.
• The three groups in Iraq, the Sunni Muslims (32%-37%) who enjoyed dominance under the rule of the Sunni Hussein, the Shi'a Muslims (~45%) and the non-Arab Kurds (20%) were more or less 'unified' under the title of nation in 1921 when Winston Churchill was given the task of carving up the former Ottoman Empire lands following WWI. Proponents of a partitioned Iraq note that that 'Iraq' is not really a nation as much as a loose puzzle piece drawn along the lines of a foreign victors' interests, namely, oil. On that point, Iraq's oil production, which constitutes 95% of exports, would also have to be proportionately divided up as well to each ethno-religious group.
• A partitioning of Iraq has always been on the table, if not as a detailed plan, then at least as an effect of the ongoing civil tension that plagues the country following the 2003 invasion. Indeed, as some point out, a partitioning is happening through the very civil war itself. By letting the strife take its course, ethnic groups will flock to their own and will generally partition themselves.

Debate

• Opponents of this plan that a partitioning of Iraq would only worsen civil tension and possibly lead to genocide.
• Proponents say we are running out of options.

Recent Developments