US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2828

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002828 
 
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 Reaction 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ, TERRORISM, U.S. WITHDRAWAL, 
KIRKUK; BAGHDAD 
 
1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on 
July. 5 were preparations for drafting the constitution and 
the latest developments of the security situation. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "Do not leave us to fight terrorism alone" (Al-Bayyna, 
7/5) 
B. "Normalizing the situation in Kirkuk is an Iraqi affair 
and a legal commitment" (Al-Ittihad, 7/27) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "Do not leave us to fight terrorism alone" (Al-Bayyna, 
7/5) 
 
Al-Bayyna (affiliated with Hezbollah in Iraq) published a 
front-page editorial about the recent calls for the foreign 
troops to leave Iraq: 
 
"The withdrawal of the multi-national forces from Iraq has 
become a point of contention between the government, 
political parties, and those calling for the occupiers to 
leave Iraq. During his recent tour abroad, Al-Jafari 
confirmed that Iraq is facing a fierce terrorist threat 
that is targeting its democratic experiment. The Prime 
Minister demanded more financial support because it is 
opposing terrorism on behalf of the entire world. Al-Jafari 
also stated that the Iraqi people are sacrificing all they 
have in order to defend humanity. The world must come to 
realize this fact and the donor counties must help Iraq 
during the current exceptional circumstances. 
 
At the same time, Al-Jafari warned of the possible failure 
of Iraq's democratic experiment and claimed that such a 
failure would have adverse consequences for the entire 
world. He indicated that the danger of terrorism would 
threaten all capitals of the world and endanger all 
democracies. We must stress that the Iraqi democratic 
experiment represents a dramatic transformation in a region 
whose nations have suffered from dictatorship, suppression 
of freedoms, and the confiscation of opinion and willpower. 
These countries are now carefully observing the Iraqi 
democratic experiment, which is plagued by both internal 
and external terrorism. This experiment is surrounded by 
neighboring countries which are supporting, feeding, and 
encouraging terrorism in Iraq. These countries are 
recruiting killers, mercenaries, and brainwashed 
individuals in order to send them to Iraq to make the 
democratic experiment fail. The fate of these countries, 
however, will be worse than the Iraqi destiny, which is 
protected by American tanks and multi-national forces. 
 
If we are looking to evaluate the Iraqi situation as a 
whole, we must stress the fact that the destabilization of 
the security situation is an international act. The 
terrorism is only aimed at making the democratic experiment 
fail in Iraq in order to bring Saddam's regime back to 
power. Recent calls demanding the departure of multi- 
national forces must realize that the Iraqi security forces 
must be capable of filling the security vacuum after the 
foreign troops' withdrawal. A hasty withdrawal will only 
lead to sectarian and civil conflicts, thereby giving the 
Baathists, Saddamists, and Salafists an opportunity to 
restore power. Such a scenario will lead to the eradication 
of the Shiite majority in Iraq. Indeed, making a rash 
decision regarding the withdrawal of multi-national forces 
will come at a great cost to the Iraqi people. We do not 
want a sectarian regime to be established in Iraq. We want 
to build a democratic system that is built on equal rights 
and responsibilities. Only then will the Iraqi people be 
able to protect their experiment and their own lives." 
 
B. "Normalizing the situation in Kirkuk is an Iraqi affair 
and a legal commitment" (Al-Ittihad, 7/27) 
 
Al-Ittihad (affiliated with PUK) published a third-page 
column by Abdul Hadi Mahdi about the Kirkuk issue: 
 
"Included in Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative 
Law (TAL) is a paragraph that establishes the Higher 
Commission for Solving Real Estate and Property Claims. 
Therefore, Al-Jafari's government must work diligently to 
activate this commission and allocate special funding so 
that it can accomplish the normalization of the situation 
in Kirkuk. 
 
The agreement between the UIA and the Kurdish list stated 
that the former regime's policies in Kirkuk must end. These 
policies included displacing Kirkuk's original citizens and 
replacing them with Arab outsiders. The first paragraph of 
this agreement calls for expediting the normalization of 
the situation in Kirkuk and other areas that are under 
dispute according to the TAL. The agreement also states 
that the government must allocate the appropriate amount of 
funds to accomplish this process of normalization. 
Therefore, the government must now apply the first four 
sections of the TAL's Article 58, Paragraph A. These 
sections state that the government must activate 
normalization procedures within one month after its 
establishment. 
 
We believe that these articles and paragraphs are clear. 
Without a doubt, Al-Jafari is very familiar with these 
articles and paragraphs. As Prime Minister, it must be his 
priority to implement what was agreed upon in the TAL. It 
is not beneficial for Al-Jafari to surprise everyone by 
asking for a postponement in solving the Kirkuk issue. He 
must consult with the Presidency Council and National 
Assembly before making such unilateral decisions. The Prime 
Minister should also call for a meeting to be held between 
the UIA and the Kurdish Coalition to discuss this issue. 
Al-Jafari's call for postponement has come at a sensitive 
and complicated time. The government must demonstrate to 
the Iraqi people that it is working to calm the situation, 
not to create more tension." 
 
SATTERFIELD