Amid the media frenzy over Margaret Beckett’s admission that history may not look kindly on the invasion of Iraq,

Financial Times, Times, Telegraph. Simon Tisdall had an interesting piece in the Guardian discussing the implications of federalism for Iraq, as the Iraqi parliament debates a bill that would partition the country into its three main regions. Given that the three regions were initially cobbled together by the British for the purposes of Empire, it is unsurprising that there is a move towards re-division, particularly on the Kurdish side. However, as Tisdall points out,  such a course of action is as fraught with danger as any of the political options open to Iraq.

“…two basic facts have not changed since Saddam Hussein's downfall. One is that any national Iraqi government, if it is to survive the withdrawal of coalition forces, will have to concede a significant degree of autonomy or self-rule to the country's three principal communities - Shias, Sunnis and Kurds.

The other is that giving physical and territorial shape to these prospective federal arrangements is fraught with existential danger. Without agreement on power-sharing, minority rights, borders, and crucially, resources, the creation of federal regions, as allowed by the new constitution, could irresistibly lead to further partition and sub-partition, secession, and the eventual fragmentation of Iraq into a mosaic of opposed and warring factions.”

Simon Tisdall – The Guardian

In the Independent- Sir Menzies Campbell called (again) for a new strategy on Iraq, listing six key elements and emphasizing the importance of engagement with the UN on this issue. - “New Strategy must come through the UN.”

Also in today’s news

Following up on previous blog posts, we have:

More on opinion polls in the Independent: 

“How much faith should we have in political opinion polls?”– Sean O’Grady

“Tories regain poll lead over Labour” – Colin Brown & Andy McSmith

More on the lack of prison spaces – this time for young offenders – also in the Independent:

“Custody spaces run out for young offenders” – James Watson

More on society’s fear of, and lack of engagement with young people:
 

“Lend an ear to what hoodies need” – Andrew O’Hagan, Telegraph