Last week the Senate, having endorsed the idea that it is despicable to ever criticize a Republican for any reason, no matter what his errors, mistakes, crimes or stupidity, suddenly found itself with empty desks. So they decided the best way to move forward was to issue a nonbinding “sense of the Senate” that it would be best to divide Iraq into three sectarian regions, let the central government be responsible for border security and dividing oil profits, and let’s all go home.

Considering the current state of Iraq it didn’t seem like a good idea last week, and doesn’t seem much better this week, either. But there are some people who like the idea. Joe Biden, of course, since it’s got his name on it, and probably Mr Cheney and his good friends in Big Oil. They don’t care whether Iraq is one state, 3 states, 82 provinces or a smoking hole in the ground as long as they can get the oil and improve their already obscene profits.

According to Aswat al-Iraq, the Iraq Parliament voted on this Senate foolishness. We noted last week that some Iraqis were struck by the gall and arrogance of the US Senate trying to decide what’s best for a sovereign country. A sardonic man would think they haven’t watched our Senate long enough, if they’re interested in studying arrogance.

Baghdad, Oct 2, (VOI) – The Iraqi parliament voted on a statement issued by its leadership in which it expressed its categorical rejection and condemnation of a U.S. Senate resolution calling to divide Iraq along ethnic lines.

"Iraq is not a U.S. property…The parliament has to show its unity to the whole world," stated MP Mustafa al-Haiti, who is also a member of the Sunni National Dialogue Front (NDF), adding, "Despite disagreements between political blocs over some articles in the constitution, they can reach a solution that is acceptable to all."

Meanwhile, Hadi al-Aameri, the secretary general of Badr Organization, one of the components of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), described the U.S. project as "interference in Iraq's internal affairs."

"Iraqi parliamentarians are not minors for the U.S. Congress to pass a resolution concerning Iraq," al-Aameri said.

"Baghdad is now being divided along sectarian lines…The solution is to adopt a practical stance and prevent political disputes between political blocs from turning into sectarian divisions," al-Aameri added.

Meanwhile, MP Abdul Bari Zibari of the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) said in statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that the U.S. draft resolution suggested "establishing," not "dividing" Iraqi regions along ethnic lines. "There is a reference to the establishment of Iraqi provinces in article 119 of the Iraqi Constitution, which stipulates that provinces are entitled to set up regions of their own. This was misinterpreted by some parliamentarians as the coalition’s approval to divide Iraq, which is not true," Zibari explained.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi cabinet announced today during its regular session its rejection of the resolution and of any forms of interference in Iraq's internal affairs.

"The constitution voted upon by the Iraqi people defines a federal system of government for Iraq," a spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh, said in a press release.

"Despite all terrorist challenges that spark sectarian sedition, Iraqis show their adherence to national unity and determination to live in peaceful coexistence," read the statement.

"We are quite confident that all segments of the Iraqi people will undermine all forms of foreign interference in their internal affairs. Therefore, the Iraqi government categorically rejects the resolution," the statement concluded.

They’re terribly surprised to learn that the US Senate had no idea what the Iraqi Constitution says. Well, they don’t know what’s in the US Constitution, either, so there ya go.

We regret that Aswat al-Iraq failed to note the final vote rejecting Mr Biden’s efforts. If it becomes available we’ll post it as an update.

Aswat al-Iraq is also carrying an article showing some support for the idea, but only among some Iraqis. Hmm.. differences of opinion, in the same paper. How unusual. Didn’t we do that in this country once upon a time?

Baghdad, Oct 2, (VOI) – "Why not? It seems a nice solution," suggested a bookshop owner in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, with bright eyes and a smile from ear to ear. "Since 1991, we became accustomed to having Iraqi Kurdistan as a special entity. We can never live under a central government again after the years we tasted a semi-independent status," said Farouq Jamil. … Aram Ali, a student, said the U.S. resolution is an "optimal solution to the Iraqi problem. Kurdistan, with its security and stability, is a case in point because it is ethnically harmonious and the Kurds are a majority there."

"The same thing applies to southern Iraq areas of predominantly Shiite inhabitants, while unrest is focused in the areas where Shiites and Sunnis mix," Ali told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Individual Kurds seem to be on board with the idea. There has been less sectarian strife in the North since their ethnic cleansing of all Arabs was done far more peacefully. The Shia man in the street likes it, too.

Bahaa Haddad, a political analyst, said the Congress resolution was just "sheer support for an old demands by Shiite and Kurdish leaders. "The resolution was just a confirmation of earlier agreements signed in London in 2002 before the ouster of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein," said Haddad.

Haddad said he found it rather strange that some Kurdish and Shiite politicians objected the Congress' resolution. "They have always demanded independent Kurdish and Shiite entities," he said.

Inaam, a civil servant in the predominantly-Shiite oil-rich port city of Basra, had some fears the resolution could be a prelude to the disintegration of her country.

Somehow I’m reminded of the partition of India, which as we all know, worked out so well.