Word: sectarianism
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...election could be crucial in determining whether Iraq continues on a path toward stability, independence and democracy, or plunges back into the kind of vicious civil warfare from which it has just emerged. Previous American-sponsored elections produced a series of sectarian and ethnic leaders who proved unable to resolve fundamental issues regarding the future of the Iraqi state - from the sharing of oil revenue, to the boundaries of disputed territories and the balance of power between the central government and the regions. And when gridlock in Baghdad was at its worst, the country went up in flames...
Northern Ireland's Troubles may have officially ended, but it's a strange kind of peace. On Feb. 4, Catholic and Protestant parties in the province finally reached an agreement on policing, one of the most divisive issues between the two sides. Relations, though, remain frosty, and sectarian violence has made a worrying return. This week, as local politicians move to finalize major new legislative powers, the very foundations of power sharing are shifting again...
...These people are fundamental republicans, and violence is a way for them to appeal to a wider audience," says Mooney. "The greatest trick they ever pulled was convincing the world they had gone away. While the intent is there, you can't rule out more acts of terrorism." (Read "Sectarian Tension Returns to Northern Ireland...
...That change may also be caused by shifts in the sectarian fault lines. Instead of Shi'ite-vs.-Sunni conflict, tensions now are mounting inside ethnic and sectarian groups. The duopolistic ruling parties of Iraqi Kurdistan find themselves under threat from a breakaway movement - Goran, or "change" - more interested in cleaning up politics in the Kurdistan Regional Government than in accelerating Kurdish autonomy from the rest of Iraq. And there's been plenty of bad blood between al-Maliki and the fundamentalist Shi'ite parties of the Iraqi National Alliance ever since the Prime Minister sent the army...
...factor determining whether sectarian warfare of one form or another will revive in Iraq is the attitude of the country's neighbors as U.S. soldiers depart. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has become a major battleground in the regional power struggle between Iran and Syria on the one hand and the U.S. and its Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia on the other. Right now, engagement remains the order of the day as the White House attempts to restart regional peace talks and holds open the possibility of a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program. But should...