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| Iraqis held posters of Shiite cleric Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim at a July 19 religious ceremony in Basra. Hakim's nephew, Ammar,
backs more autonomy for the south. Atef Hassan / Reuters / Newscom |
In Iraqi south, Shiites press for autonomy
Momentum is building for a federation of southern provinces in a further challenge to Iraq's national unity.
from the August 6, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Although Najaf and neighboring Karbala Province hold spiritual significance to Shiites, the viability of any regional federation hinges on Basra, which is the economic linchpin with its oil resources and sea access.
The case for partitioning
Partition is increasingly being advocated by Washington lawmakers and think tanks as the only way to bring peace to Iraq. "There is a massive operation underway to pave the way for the [south of Baghdad] region, but it's being done quietly," says Sheikh Jalaleddin al-Saghir, a senior parliamentarian and Hakim partisan who favors the SIIC plan.
Besides enjoying a close relationship with Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and educating the public about the merits of the "South of Baghdad" project, Sheikh Saghir says his party has already drawn up a detailed blueprint for creating the regional administration and that regular meetings take place now between top political, economic, and security officials from all nine provinces to further the goal.
He says the issue is of "tremendous regional and strategic significance that leaves no room for misadventures."
But the project faces important obstacles from other influential elements within the Shiite community.
There is Mr. Sadr who, despite his low profile in recent months and a US-led crackdown against his Mahdi Army militia, continues to enjoy wide support, especially among disaffected segments of Shiite society.
The Fadhila Party says that one of the main reasons why SIIC and its allies "orchestrated a campaign" to squeeze out Basra's governor, Muhammad al-Waeli, is because of his strong opposition to joining the federation.
"They simply want to eliminate all those opposing the region project," says Jaber Khalifa, a Fadhila leader.
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