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  •  Re: When your puppets don't dance (none / 1)

    But your Kuwait point shows the real issue:  In Yugoslavia, areas with different cultures, languages, and traditions were rammed together.  Except for Kurdistan, Iraq and the rest of the Arab states had more or less the same culture, language, and traditions and got carved up.  Iraqs' ancestors may not have wanted to be Iraqis: They wanted to be part of a united Arab state.

    Check out my blog if you like discussion of the Middle East and other random topics.

    by Brian Ulrich on Sun Nov 09, 2003 at 08:32:10 PM PDT

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    •  Re: When your puppets don't dance (none / 1)

      Except for Kurdistan, Iraq and the rest of the Arab states had more or less the same culture, language, and traditions and got carved up.

      And so is Northern Ireland. Your point? Just because two regions are 'more or less' the same, from an outsiders eyes, does not mean that they 'want' to be considered one state.

      -- "Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man."

      by Gary on Sun Nov 09, 2003 at 11:52:30 PM PDT

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      •  Re: When your puppets don't dance (none / 0)

        Here's the bottom line:  There is no movement in southern Iraq for an independent Shi'ite state.  On the contrary, there is fear that the U.S. will do what the British did and try to break up an Arab nation so as to weaken it.  Yes, Iraq is a colonial mishmash, but as with most other Arab states, it's one where the population tends to want greater unity rather than further subdivision.  I don't know the full history and culture of Northern Ireland.  I do know the history and culture of Iraq.

        Check out my blog if you like discussion of the Middle East and other random topics.

        by Brian Ulrich on Mon Nov 10, 2003 at 12:56:49 AM PDT

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      •  Re: When your puppets don't dance (none / 0)

        That's because Northern Ireland has a Protestant rather than Catholic majority - a majority which is the product of centuries-old ethnic cleansing, for lack of a better word. Not a good analogy.

        W was elected to protect Them from Us.

        by Radical Middle on Mon Nov 10, 2003 at 02:47:16 AM PDT

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