Cablegate: Daily Iraqi Website Monitoring - October 19, 2005

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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004319

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: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - October 19, 2005

SUMMARY: Discussions of Saddam's trial and its significance
in conjunction with the constitutional referendum were the
major editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on
October 19, 2005. END SUMMARY.

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

A. "No One Cares About Saddam's Trial" (Iraq 4 All News,
10/19)
B. "Saddam Tells Tyrants to Beware" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 10/19)
C. "From Referendum to Saddam" (Independent Iraqi News
Agency, 10/19)

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SELECTED COMMENTARIES
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A. "No One Cares About Saddam's Trial"
(Editorial from the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper, posted on Iraq
4 All News - http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=10376 )

"The curtains are open, the actors are ready, but the
audience is busy with something else. Today is the first day
of Saddam Hussein's trial, and the long awaited tribunal
seems to have lost its glamour. It has been a long time
since the fall of the Ba'ath regime and it seems that Iraqis
have realized that Saddam's reign ended with the fall of his
statue in April 2003. In these critical times Iraqis are
indifferent to Saddam's trial; they would rather question
the repeated power outages and water shortages, and
concentrate their efforts on finding jobs and improving
security conditions.

"The U.S. media machine might suffer terrible consequences
after promoting Saddam's trial; even assuming that most
Iraqis hate Saddam, they also hate the way things have
turned out. Sunnis, in particular, hate the U.S. occupation
and the disrespect toward Iraqis.

"Describing Saddam's trial as ridiculous might be as
accurate as possible. The defense team's absence during
certain proceedings as well as accusations of neglecting
legal procedures by the court will result in a chaotic trial
that is more of a political play than anything else, and
will fail to meet international standards.

"The U.S. has exploited Saddam's trial to serve its
interests; it also tried to extend the trial to strengthen
its presence. The idea that the trial's results will support
U.S. plans is questionable, especially if we take into
consideration the trial of Serbian president Slobodan
Milosevic, which had no positive effect whatsoever on the
presence and reputation of international forces in Serbia."

B. "Saddam Tells Tyrants to Beware"
(Editorial by Sarum Al-Faili - Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice of
Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles-
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17679 )

"Saddam will stand trial today in front of Iraqis. There
will be photos and footage of the man who previously put all
courts of justice on hold and ran everything through his
military intelligence [apparatus]. Today the tyrant stands
without power, wealth, or good deeds. God willing, he will
be condemned to hell.and go on to remember the many crimes
that he committed, including the gassing of Muslim Kurds.

"Let's turn this trial into a triumph of the weak who were
unable to take a stand for themselves, into a rejection of
sectarianism, racism, and bloody Ba'athism embodied in
Saddam. Today, rationalism, realism, diversity, and
democracy emerge victorious; Saddam was their enemy. It is
the moment of justice for many lives raped; bodies torn
apart; many widows; grieving mothers; and orphans suffering
fear and deprivation. By trying the tyrant, we condemn those
who contributed to-or overlooked-the suffering of innocent
people.

"I am sure that all tyrants will spend their nights haunted
by the suppression of their nations after seeing Saddam in
the defendant's cage. It might be an opportunity for them to
change, but a very difficult opportunity for those in power
and those who seek to regain it in Iraq."

C. "From Referendum to Saddam"
(Editorial by Ja'far Mohammed Ahmed - Independent Iraqi News
Agency - http://www.normal.iraq-
ina.com/showarticles.php?id=1492 )

"The constitutional referendum passed more peacefully and
calmly than expected. There were some attacks, but they were
minor compared to the lethal explosions in the preceding
days. Iraq chose democracy in its own unique way-not as
American President George Bush would like. Iraqis went to
ballot boxes and said their words regarding the
constitution. They chose the weapon of words rather than
bombs and bullets.

"Iraqis used the referendum to prove that they are the
opinion-holders and they determine Iraq's future, not the
American occupation that deceived them with false promises
and dreams that turned into nightmares. [American]
falsehoods were revealed just like the weak justification
used to invade Iraq. Iraqi people challenged the difficult
conditions and threats and practiced their rights to vote
and express their attitudes.

"Participation in the voting process, and Sunni
participation after realizing the huge mistake of boycotting
elections last January, confirmed the need for national
reconciliation and.[the need for] Amr Musa's visit to
Baghdad. All should work to make this initiative successful;
it will lead Iraqis toward reconciliation, without which
Iraq will not rebuild or reform.

"Iraqis overcame the constitution battle and now they face
former president Saddam Hussein's trial, which begins on
Wednesday. It is undoubtedly an exciting trial and it will
bring back painful memories and anger. The paradox is that
the trial, which took so long to begin, comes four days
after the constitutional referendum. Will it pass
peacefully, unaccompanied by bloody, violent acts that
deepen Iraqi wounds and return Iraq to the very beginning?

"Between the referendum and Saddam's trial, Iraqis, along
with Arabs and Muslims, hope Iraq will move beyond the
painful past and bring back security, which has been lost
during the American occupation. The referendum's result is
the people's decision; Saddam's trial is the responsibility
of the judiciary."

SATTERFIELD

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