US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2398

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002398 
 
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, BAGHDAD 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ RESISTANCE GOVERNMENT 
POLITICAL PROGRAM; BAGHDAD 
 
1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on 
June 5 were the developments of the security and political 
situations. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "Resistance by animals and water melon" (Asharq Al- 
Awsat, 6/5) 
B. "Citizens and the political program" (Al-Bayyan, 6/5) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "Resistance by animals and water melon" (June 5) 
 
Asharq Al-Awsat (independent, London-based, has wide 
circulation in Iraq) published a tenth-page editorial by 
Adnan Hussein about the recent militants' military styles 
in Iraq: 
 
"Poisoning a watermelon to kill Iraqi soldiers at 
checkpoints is not resistance-it's murder. Booby-trapping a 
dog or a donkey with explosives does not represent honest 
principles. However, these actions are what characterize 
the current Iraqi resistance.  The most famous resistance 
movements in modern history include the Soviet resistance 
against the Nazis, the Vietnamese resistance against the 
American invasion, the Kurdish resistance in Iraq and the 
Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. 
 
 Although fundamentalists and extremists have distorted the 
Palestinian resistance, the Soviets did not behead Nazis 
and the Vietnamese resistance did not kidnap journalists 
and employees of international organizations. The 
Palestinian resistance, before extremists took over the 
movement, did not booby-trap cars or animals. Every Iraqi 
knows that the Kurdish resistance was a great example of a 
patriotic resistance.  It did not conduct sabotage or hurt 
citizens.  It treated its military prisoners nobly. 
 
Making donkeys and dogs carry rockets in order to be 
detonated is a strong sign that the Iraqi resistance is 
finding it difficult to recruit new members.  Poisoning 
watermelons indicates that the Iraqi resistance suffers 
from a lack of supplies.  This also shows that its leaders 
are brutal criminals.  According to the latest statistics, 
in the last month the Iraqi resistance killed 672 Iraqis 
and wounded 1,174.  Most of their victims were women, 
children and the elderly. 
 
Sheikh Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi has issued a historic Fatwa 
calling for murder of all these people under the pretext of 
the enemy's shields. Saddam's followers did not bother 
themselves to find a nationalistic or patriotic 
justification to shed Iraqi blood. They believe that 
Saddam's Qadissiya will continue to hurt the Iraqi people 
so that Iraq will be a land without inhabitants. Saddam 
first announced that belief to reporters 25 years ago. 
 
The resistance of booby-trapped animals and poisonous 
watermelons has supporters.  These are the partners of 
those who booby-trap cars and call for the killing and 
beheading of Iraqis just because they are Iraqis." 
 
 
B. "Citizens and the political program" (June 5) 
 
Al-Bayyan (affiliated with Islamic Dawa Party led by 
Ibrahim Al-Jafari) published a front-page editorial about 
the government's announced political program: 
 
"The Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jafari announced the 
transitional government's political program in front of the 
National Assembly. This program addresses the needs and 
dreams of the Iraqi people.  It also compliments the 
accomplishments of Allawi's government.  The program 
discusses the security and political situations, in 
addition to the need for municipal services. 
 
The government took a while to announce its political 
program.  This program did not restrict itself to 
determining the goals for the transitional period but it 
included solutions for current problems.   It was willing 
to work toward solutions to these problems despite the fact 
that the transitional government will only be in office a 
short time. 
The most important reason for applying the government's 
program is the call for the full cooperation between the 
Iraqi people and ministries, associations, and all 
government offices.  There must be full cooperation between 
all the national political parties and the government in 
order to support the political process.   This will benefit 
all the Iraqi people.  The success of the transitional 
government will reflect the success of the whole political 
process. If we get through the political process, we will 
be able to secure the country and stabilize it politically 
and economically.  Without this stability, we will not be 
able to start reconstruction.   On the other hand, to 
accomplish this program we need the Iraqi people to support 
it so that it will achieve their goals." 
 
 
SATTERFIELD