| ID | 081735 |
| Title Proper | Historical myths of a divided Iraq |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Visser, Reidar |
| Publication | 2008. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The idea of a soft partitioning of Iraq along ethno-sectarian lines has gained traction in some US policymaking circles. However, the model of an Iraq divided into three ethno-sectarian entities lacks historical resonance and is likely to increase instability in Iraq rather than reduce it. The most persistent trend in Iraqi history since medieval times is the status of Baghdad as a regional proto-capital for an area from the Gulf to the mountains north of Mosul - an area which was frequently referred to by its inhabitants as 'Iraq' from pre-modern times. Conversely, there is no precedent for subdividing the Iraqi territory on the basis of sectarian identities, and Iraq's long history exhibits almost no examples of secessionist movements based on Shia or Sunni ideology |
| `In' analytical Note | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol. 50, No.2; Apr-May 2008: p95-106 |
| Journal Source | Survival : the IISS Quarterly Vol. 50, No.2; Apr-May 2008: p95-106 |
| Key Words | Iraq ; History ; Ethnicity ; Iraq War |