Demand for Shia-stan and division of Iraq

The Shia leaders in South Iraq are now pushing for establishment of autonomous Shiastan. It is a Shia-dominated region and the demand has come from none other than Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim in the holy city of Najaf.

The Shiastan will have oil fields and we are also told that it will be a region rich in natural resources. Iraq is a Shia majority country (60% Shia populace) but was ruled by the minority Sunnis.

After the long-stand demand for the Kurdistan and the recent Shiastan, the worst one can expect is demand for a Sunnistan. However, given the sort of ethnic conflict that has gripped Iraq, after the US-led invasion, it is not a far-fetched theory.

After its Iraqi misadventure that has cost the US dearly, the hawks in Bush administration would also love to divide the country. It is almost impossible in today's circumstances to keep the nation intact, with every group baying for the blood of the other.