Futile Efforts

A Recent New York Times article "Redrawn Lines Seen as No Cure in Iraq Conflict" by Robert F. Worth discusses the likely unsustainable outcome of sectarian divisions within Iraq and Syria. As The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, continues to gear up for more fighting with the Shite forces in Iraq there are growing tensions within each sect that threaten to erupt into bloodshed behind the battlefronts. There have already been claims of gun battles between different factions among the militants holding onto to control on the besieged city of Mosul. Within the Shiite forces there are also tensions between factions; the Mahdi Army commander has refused to fight under the banner of the Iraqi army which is a rift that has caused bloodshed in the past. The one faction pleased to see the infighting is the Kurds.

The violent insurgency of The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has weakened Baghdad's control on the country to an extent that may finally allow the formal succession of Iraqi Kurdistan. The main obstacle preventing a sovereign Kurdistan in the past had be the Shiite control of Kirkuk, an oil rich city in northern Iraq. With Baghdad's decreased influence in northern Iraq, Kurdish forces have seized control of Kirkuk with little resistance. The Kurdish president has since stated that there will be no withdraw of Kurdish forces from the Kirkuk, that they have no intention of relinquishing control of the city back to the Iraqi government. In the opinion of the Kurds, Kurdistan's succession has been formalized de facto.

While even the United States government seems all too complacent with the current separation of Iraq, analysts suggest it will not solve the social and political issues in the region. Many analysts of Iraq and Syria have stated that the regions could be divided multiple times, the sectarian power struggles would still commence. The issue lies with how power is utilized within these regions. Given the opportunity the powers that be within the regions, regardless of religious or political affiliation, will act to instill control of the region for their sect while persecuting the rival groups. This cycle had repeated in the Middle East for centuries, there is no signs it will stop with the de-evolution of a few national borders back to the regional provinces of old. ISIS has denounced the border between Syria and Iraq as colonialist imperial partitions that they do not recognize. While not entirely far from the truth, it seems these borders are only in name sake now as a line in the sand. Draw the lines on the map where you will, these sect will continue to fight over them regardless of their geographic position.