User:Michaeldsuarez/Partition of Iraq

A partition of Iraq is a proposed solution to sectarian violence in Iraq. Partition proposals advocate the creation of a Shiite state, a Sunni state, a Kurdish state, sometimes even an Assyrian state. Such states would either be autonomous or sovereign.

History of Iraq's diversity
The Arab conquests of Mesopotamia in the seventh century began the process of Arabization and Islamization in Iraq. Indigenous peoples, such as the Assyrians, were supplanted by Arab settlers, assimilated, or killed. Arab culture quickly became the dominate culture of Iraq.

Starting in the late 18th century, a large number of Iraqi Arabs converted to Shia Islam.

The Biden-Gelb plan
In an op-ed article entitled "Unity Through Autonomy in Iraq", US Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) and Leslie H. Gelb advocated the division of Iraq into three autonomous states: a Shiite state, a Sunni state, and Kurdish state. The co-authors drew parallels between the sectarian conflict in Iraq and the Bosnian War.