US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2371

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002371 
 
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, Media 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ CONSTITUTION SYRIA TERRORISM; 
BAGHDAD 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on 
June. 2 were the developments of the security, political 
situations and the constitution's drafting process. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "May Hammurabi appear and draft our constitution" (Al- 
Mashriq, 6/2) 
B. "Syria's interest is to cooperate with Iraq" (Al-Adala, 
6/2) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "May Hammurabi appear and draft our constitution" (6/2) 
 
Al-Mashriq (independent) published a front-page editorial 
by Hamid Abdullah about the new constitution: 
 
"The constitution is a society's philosophy drafted into 
the language of law. It is a mechanism for the government 
to practice power. It is also the essence of people's 
doctrines. Sociologists say that the laws reflect a 
society's values. If we want to know the values of a 
specific society, we have to look at its laws. Therefore, 
if the constitution does not represent all perspectives and 
aspirations of a society, the drafters of such a 
constitution are separated from their society. For this 
reason, the developed nations used to make their former 
presidents members of their constitutional committees. 
Those committees were responsible for examining and 
comparing laws that are enacted by the legislative 
authority within the constitution.  If these laws 
contradict any constitutional item or paragraph, the law 
would be cancelled regardless of which authority enacted 
it. This is exactly what happens in France and other 
countries with progressive governments. In Iraq, the 
problem of drafting the constitution is not separate from 
the dilemma of forming the government. In fact, it is more 
complicated than the problem of forming the government 
because this issue can be solved by harmony and ethnic 
power sharing. On the other hand, drafting the constitution 
requires the interaction of the philosophies, ideologies 
and affiliations of the constitutional committee's members. 
All these attitudes must come together so that the 
constitution can be drafted. The problem is in determining 
how to unite conflicting opinions. How can drafters agree 
to write a constitution only using one philosophy to draft 
constitution? If Hammurabi had been living in our time, he 
would have been assassinated by unknown gunmen because he 
ignored demands of the Iraqi sects, parties and tribes. 
Yet, I wish that Hammurabi would appear to solve the 
problem of our constitution." 
 
B. "Syria's interest is to cooperate with Iraq" (6/2) 
 
Al-Adala (affiliated with SCIRI) published a fourth-page 
editorial by Zuhair Al-Dijaili about Syrian relationship 
with Iraq: 
 
"Syria has stopped intelligence and counterterrorism 
cooperation with the U.S., although observers do not know 
much about this cooperation. Washington sees this as an 
indicator that Syria insists on keeping its attitude 
unchanged regarding Iraqi and Lebanese issues. Damascus 
said that it has supported Iraq, but Washington does not 
fully appreciate its positive attitude. The U.S. Secretary 
of State said that Damascus did not offer anything 
concerning the Iraqi security cooperation. Iraqi Minister 
of Foreign Affairs Hoshiyar Zebari ended this controversial 
discussion by saying that Iraq does not have a good 
relationship with Syria.  He said that Damascus does not 
cooperate with Baghdad on the security situation in Iraq. 
Baghdad has submitted to Damascus the names of activists 
who command the insurgency in Iraq. Baghdad asked Damascus 
to prevent those activists from staying in Syria.  Baghdad 
demanded that Syria hand over wanted Iraqis and to stop 
infiltration. Iraq has sent five memoranda to Syria about 
these issues, but Damascus has not responded. Syria claims 
that there is a joint Iraqi-Syrian security committee, but 
a source in the Iraqi government says that such a committee 
was uselessly formed one year ago. Iraqi sources confirm 
that there are members of Syrian-funded terrorist gangs 
wounded in Al-Qa'im military operations who escaped to 
Syria for medical treatment.  On the other hand, we hope 
that Al-Jafari's expected visit to Syria will make Syria 
change its attitudes toward Iraq. The Iraqi government 
believes that the situation in Iraq will be stabilized if 
Syria stops funding and supporting terrorists and 
insurgents in Iraq. An Iraqi security official said that 
Damascus should know that the past is gone, and it should 
bet on the peaceful development of Iraq. Everyone knows 
that a stabilized Iraq will benefit Syria's stability." 
 
SATTERFIELD