Roads to Iraq

Losers

Kurds

For the first time, both PUK and KDP felt the heat of isolation even from the closest ally the U.S., because of the actions regional powers surround Kurdistan area are now thinking of forming one entity to confront the growing danger as reported on Al-Watan “Syria with Iran and Turkey seek to form one political institution”:

This is the reason behind Bashar Al-Assad’s visit to Iran and Turkey….sources expected that Syria – Iran – Turkey summit to crystallize the final version of the coordination.

United Iraqi Alliance

Already in a difficult position of finding public support, UIA’s political blocs took different, contrary positions at the provincial law voting. Badr Organization voted in favor of the law is just one of other future splits add to this the UIA put their Turkomen-Shiites members in a very embarrassing situation.

Winners

Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council

Indirect and Marginalized small gain. The SIIC opposed holding the provincial elections on schedule time, for fears of losing their influence in any future elections, later they accepted to hold elections on time due to public opinion and the occupation pressure.

The SIIC has one last “card” to play to postpone the election, which is to block (obstruct) the annual budget law since the Financial Minister is member of the SIIC.

Kirkuk crisis came just in time, and SIIC played a big role in escalating the problem by allying with the Kurds to avoid any later embarrassment with blocking other laws.

Turkomen and Kirkuk-Arabs

For Turkomen, although there is some support from Turkey, the Turkomen allied themselves with Kirkuk-Arabs because Turkomen don’t have the tribal structure as this of the Arabs and the Kurds [probably one day I will write about the reason].

Mix of Shiites and Sunnis, Kirkuk-Arabs welcomed the solidarity of their extended tribes and families from the south and middle Iraq.

Others

Sadrists, Accordance Front, Iraqi List and Islamic Party, their success to establish a “special situation”, drafting and adopting a special election law for Kirkuk, as well as the formation of a committee to look into violations that occurred before and after in 2003, the emergence of a strong parliamentary alliance of 110 MP to form “Kirkuk crisis cell”. All these achievements are highly jubilated by the public opinion and the Iraqi media.