Iraq 's borders were mapped out by the British and French colonial powers during WWI . Faisal Al Yafai writes that the borders -- though contentious and flawed -- have broadly changed . Plans for an Arab caliphate or dividing Iraq into provinces are not realistic , he says . The colonial-era divisions were a mess . But to change them now is a recipe for a lifetime of change , Al Yafai writes .
Iraq 's borders were mapped out by the British and French colonial powers during WWI . Faisal Al Yafai writes that the borders -- though contentious and flawed -- have broadly changed . Plans for an Arab caliphate or dividing Iraq into provinces are not realistic , he says . But to change them now is a recipe for a lifetime of change , Al Yafai writes .