(*If anybody gets this reference I will be very impressed.)
Whether it is a good idea or not, Iraq continues to look as if it is heading toward partition.
As I wrote about earlier, the Kurds have removed the Iraqi flag from government buildings in Iraqi Kurdistan (this includes a good primer on Kurdish attempts to establish an independent state - if they ever make it they will have a hell of a mini-series for the Kurdistan History Channel). But now, there are calls for a Kurdish national anthem and a city that borders Iraqi Kurdistan wants to become an official part of the Kurdish region.
As one might expect, the Turks do not care for this development and they are letting Kofi Annan know it.
This is the usual march toward secession or de facto independence for Iraqi Kurdistan that comes up almost everyday. However, there is a distinct new element that may accelerate partitioning. Shiites are introducing legislation to allow a Shiite autonomous region in the South. If they win (which right now seems to be a crap shoot), this is one step closer to no more Iraq.
Finally, I don't know if this is hopeful or sad:
"Amid growing fears about the sectarian conflicts in Iraq evolving into a civil war, charms in the shape of a united Iraq are in huge demand in the country."