Home > CIA Warns of Possible Civil War in Iraq
Hindustan Times
January 24, 2004
CIA warns of possible civil war in Iraq
Press Trust of India Washington, January 23
Iraq may be on the verge of a civil war to trifurcate
the country into three states — Kurdish, Sunni and
Shia — the CIA has reportedly warned US administration
officials.
The Central Intelligence Agency’s bleak assessment was
delivered orally to Washington this week, according to
the Carnegie Foundation.
It starkly contradicts the upbeat assessment President
George W Bush gave on Iraq in his State of the Union
address three days ago.
The warning echoed growing fears that Iraq’s Shiite
majority, which has until now grudgingly accepted the
US occupation, could turn to violence if its demands
for direct elections are spurned.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s Kurdish minority is pressing its
demand for autonomy and shares of oil revenue.
These dire scenarios were discussed at meetings this
week by Bush, his top national security aides and the
chief US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, officials
said on condition of anonymity.