Cablegate: Media Reaction: Iraqi Government, Constitution, Tal

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003733

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P

E.0. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, CONSTITUTION, TAL
AFAR; BAGHDAD

SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major
editorial theme of the daily newspapers on September 11,
2005. END SUMMARY.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
------------------------------

A. "The Constitution, A Step Forward" (Al-Adala, 9/11)
B. "On the Threshold of Tal Afar" (Al-Bayyan, 9/11)
C. "The Last Roll of the Constitutional Dice" (Al-Ittihad,
9/11)
D. "Agreement on the Constitution" (Al-Fourat, 9/11)
E. "The Constitution and the Guarantees" (Ad-Dustoor, 9/11)
F. "No Waiting for An SOS" (Al-Adala, 9/11)

SELECTED COMMENTARIES
---------------------------------------

A. "The Constitution, A Step Forward"
(Al-Adala Newspaper, affiliated with SCIRI, published this
page 14 editorial by Adnan Hardan)

"The fruit bearing tree is felled with a stone as the
proverb says, and here they are now hunting in wastewater.
They are trying to put impediments in front of any new step
the new Iraq is trying to take forward. These hindrance are
in the form of vicious actions based on a return to the era
of dictatorships. Their members are hard at work proving
Machiavelli's theory that the end justifies the means, and
attempting to sow the seeds of sectarianism and foment
sedition among members of one family who all share the same
house. More than this they are destroying everything in a
most brutal way, killing the innocent wherever and whoever
they are.

"The most fruitful step for Iraqis, following the January
election, is the constitution. A document has been absent
from the people of Iraq for the last 35 years; laws were
made one day and then canceled the next. Exemptions were
issued for friends and relatives (e.g. the law exempting
relatives of the former regime from military service) while
the destitute were sentenced to death. In the fading light
of dictatorship, the path toward freedom is lit and despite
differences and healthy debates over the constitution the
voice of the people will cry out during the coming
referendum to ensure the continuity of the democratic
process."

B. "On the Threshold of Tal Afar"
(Al-Bayyan, affiliated with the Islamic Ad-Dawa Party led by
Al-Ja'afari, published this page-three column by Salim
Rasoul about military operations in Tal Afar)

"Yesterday, I heard from citizens of Tal Afar, who left
their city to save their lives, how terrorists desecrated
the area and targeted all sects in the city. This proves
that Ba'athist terror does not belong to any nationality,
sect or religion. In spite of this tragedy in Tal Afar, the
Iraqi people continued helping their brothers. For instance,
citizens of Karbala and Najaf provided displaced citizens of
Tal Afar with shelter and this indicates how Iraqis are
united in disasters.

"A military expert said that Tal Afar is suffering from a
deterioration in its security situation because it is a
border town. Everyone knows that terrorists in Tal Afar
allege to be part of the resistance. However, it has become
very clear that what was happening in Tal Afar has nothing
to do with resistance. Citizens of Tal Afar suffered from
killings, beheading, looting and other crimes and I think
such acts cannot be described as resistance against the
occupation. Today, none of the Iraqi people accept such
statements and Iraqis know exactly who is behind such calls.
Those who issue such statements want to disrupt the progress
of the political process in Iraq so that they can control
the country again in the name of killing and destruction. We
will no longer accept those calls that provoke terror."

C. "The Last Roll of the Constitutional Dice"
(Al-Ittihad, affiliated with the PUK led by Talabani,
published this page-two editorial by Faryad Rawanduzi on
Sunni attempts to reject the constitution)

"Will the Sunni groups that oppose the constitution be able
to reject it in the upcoming referendum? We know that in
politics everything is possible. But, for instance, if the
Shiites wanted to reject this constitution, the result would
be very clear and I think there would be no need to hold a
referendum. If we look at three Shiite provinces in the
south of Iraq, we will see that they are sufficient to
reject the constitution. The same thing can be applied to
the Kurds. Concerning the Sunnis, there are four provinces
where Sunnis are the majority. The first is Diyala province,
which could be a weak card which Sunnis cannot bank on
because there are Shiites, Kurds and Turkmen living in this
province.
"Those three groups will absolutely accept the constitution.
The second province is Salah Ad-Din (Tikrit), which also
cannot be considered a stronghold because there are Shiites,
Kurds and Turkmen (the majority of whom are Shiites) who
live in this province. In Ninewa (Mosul), thousands of Kurds
have left the city because of intimidation by Sunni
terrorist groups and they fled to Kurdish areas outside of
the city of Mosul. If those Kurds are not able to
participate in the referendum and all the Sunni Arabs in
Mosul do, then Ninewa could reach the 67% ratio and reject
the constitution. On the other hand, if all the Kurds,
Turkmen and Christians are able to participate in the
referendum, it will be difficult for the Sunnis in Mosul to
reach the 67% needed to defeat it...

"Al-Anbar (Ramadi) will be the last province and it does not
contain any ethnic or sectarian diversities. Therefore, all
indications are that this province will reject the
constitution. This is because the Association of Muslim
Scholars and the Sunni groups that are loyal to Saddam will
stand against the constitution.

"It seems that those who want to reject the constitution
will not be able to gather the 67% total in three provinces
as dictated by paragraph C of Article 61 of the TAL. The
current Sunni groups that negotiate in the constitutional
process know this fact and will try their best efforts to
hinder the birth of this constitution. For this reason, they
are trying to roll doubles in the constitutional dice game
so that they can get out of this crisis."

D. "Agreement on the Constitution"
(Al-Fourat, independent, anti-coalition, published this page-
three editorial by Abdul Zahra Al-Talkani on the upcoming
referendum)

"Disagreement is normal everywhere and nobody can guarantee
that there are people who can agree with each other in any
country. A plurality of viewpoints is a healthy matter
because it develops and promotes these points of view. Thus,
the Iraqi people will not unanimously accept the
constitution. Only constitutions that were drafted by
tyrants had 100% of votes because dictators forced people to
accept their constitutions and when people went to vote they
were afraid the security forces might punish them for
rejecting that constitution.

"The Iraqi constitution has witnessed many stages since its
birth and this constitution was accepted by 95% of the
Iraqi people. The disagreement is only over a few issues.
However, these issues are very important because they deal
with the country's destiny. We must focus our future
dialogue on the rejection or acceptance of this
constitution. This constitution was drafted while mortar
rounds were falling on the constitutional committee's
headquarters. This constitution was written after many
Iraqis sacrificed their lives for it. On the other hand,
some Iraqis consider this constitution to be an imperfect
document that requires amendment. If we explore this
constitution, we will find that it enshrines many important
issues that will guarantee the rights of Iraqi people for
hundreds of years. In addition, the constitutional
committee, which drafted this constitution, made efforts to
craft it in a way that satisfies all Iraqis. However, we
know that the Iraqi people are difficult to please. But, I
am sure that Iraqis will reach an agreement on the
constitution and we will be waiting for the coming days to
see the results."

E. "The Constitution and the Guarantees"
(Ad-Dustoor, independent, published this front-page
editorial by Bassim Al-Sheikh about the constitution)

"There is an insistent question that cannot be ignored about
the constitution that was submitted to the National Assembly
and will be put to vote in mid-October. The question is, who
will insure that all of the good principles and legislation
in the draft constitution will be implemented? What are the
true guarantees and criteria for real justice and equality?
Who will stand against those who do not want to implement
the constitution and those who work against it? Who will
ensure that there will be no revolutions or coup d'etats
against the authority of the constitution?

"Moreover, the legislative, judicial and the executive
branches will not be able to protect the constitution
because they all will be under threat if a certain group
plans for a coup and then controls them. However, only the
Iraqi people can answer these questions. They will protect
the constitution by ratifying it in the upcoming referendum.
Here, lays the real power of the nation, if the populace has
an opportunity to be educated and become more conversant
about the constitution and more aware of how important it is
to have constitutional rights than this is the difference
between modernity and illiteracy-- between democracy and
dictatorship and between slavery and freedom. When people
understand these facts, then no one will dare abuse those
rights for any possible reason."

F. "No Waiting for An SOS"
(Al-Adala, affiliated with the Supreme Council for an
Islamic Revolution in Iraq - SCIRI, published this page-
three editorial by Dr. Ali Khaleef)

"The Iraqi government has done well by intervening
militarily in Tal Afar to rid the city of terrorists who
have occupied it, started to kill its innocent citizens, and
commit genocide against the people who live in that peaceful
area. However, this operation should have been conducted
before. The Iraqi government is responsible for all Iraqi
land and all Iraqis should protect their people and land
without waiting for an SOS.

"They should eliminate terrorists throughout Iraq. Those
criminals killed our people solely because they belonged to
different sects or religions. The same thing happens in
Baghdad; there are many families who have begun leaving
their homes in the Al-Doura area because terrorists have
intimidated them and therefore they cannot live peacefully
any longer.

"We do not want to create another Tal Afar in Baghdad or in
any other area in Iraq. Instead, we want to see the rule of
law spread and security cover the entire country. Everyday
we hear and see intimidation against people and we know that
there are groups trying to foster and support terrorism in
Iraq. I think those are more dangerous than the terrorists
themselves because they provide shelter and cover for
terrorists who kill innocent people. I am sure that those
who conduct killings and kidnappings in Baghdad are not
necessarily residents of the city but instead come from
outside Baghdad. Indeed, our problem is those who support
terrorists; the government must enact quick measures against
anyone trying to terrorize innocent citizens so that we will
not hear another SOS like the one heard in Tal Afar."

SATTERFIELD

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