US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3064

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003064 
 
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 CONSTITUTION TERROR; BAGHDAD 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on 
July 24 were the presidency council's meeting, Al-Jafari 
and Talabani's meeting with the American ambassador, the 
constitutional committee's preparations for the referendum, 
drafting the constitution, and the developments of the 
security situation. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "Constitution and the political demands" (Al-Adala, 
7/24) 
B. "Epidemic of the century" (As-Sabah, 7/24) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------- 
 
A. "Constitution and the political demands" (7/24) 
 
Al-Adala (affiliated with SCIRI) published a third-page 
editorial by Ali Khalif about the constitution: 
 
 
"The constitution is almost finished and the terrorists are 
afraid.  They are so afraid that they assassinated three 
Sunni members of the constitutional committee. 
 
Those Sunni members wanted to help maintain the unity of 
Iraq.  That is why they were killed.  These three martyrs 
will join the other martyrs that have died trying to save 
Iraq.  They will all be the Martyrs of Iraq and we honor 
them by not giving in to these terrorists.  We must 
continue to move forward and successfully finish the 
constitution. 
 
However, some Sunni groups say they will not participate in 
process of drafting the constitution unless they can 
achieve their political demands.  I think that these 
demands have nothing to do with drafting the constitution. 
I also believe that they should have submitted their 
political demands to the government and then let the 
government do its job. 
 
The terrorists tried to prevent our Sunni brothers from 
participating in the elections and now they are trying to 
prevent them from participating in drafting the 
constitution.  Neither of which helps Iraq.  The terrorists 
have threatened to kill any Sunni who participates in the 
constitutional process.  They regard the Sunni members of 
the constitutional committee as apostates. For this reason, 
our Sunni brothers must continue to work on the 
constitution.  They must not give in to these terrorists 
and their threats. Our Sunni brothers must be audacious and 
revolt against the terrorists.  They must also stop those 
who try to provoke terror and killing in the name of the 
Sunnis. I think that there are wise figures among the 
Sunnis that understand that fact very well. 
 
May god bless the martyrs of Iraq.  May god bless every 
effort to build the new Iraq." 
 
B. "Epidemic of the century" (7/24) 
 
As-Sabah (independent) published a front-page editorial by 
Jum'a Al-Hilfi about terrorism: 
 
"Terrorism has no home, no identity and no address. It is a 
disease and every human everywhere is in danger because 
terrorism has a human form and the human form has caught 
the disease. 
 
How else can we explain this epidemic of terrorism?  How 
else do we explain the terrorist who kills children, women 
and the elderly? How else do we explain the terrorists who 
kill themselves? 
 
Those who allowed terrorism to grow in their country or who 
provided shelter, logistics and money for terrorism, must 
be waiting for their role.  Somehow terrorism must be 
preparing the world for them. 
 
Since terrorism is a disease it will always spread.  People 
will either catch it or be killed by it.  It targets us 
all.  Nobody can be save from terrorism even if they 
supported it. 
 
Indeed, terrorism has no loyalty and if we look at the past 
we can find good examples. 
 
The late Egyptian president Anwar Al-Sadat allowed 
terrorism to grow in his country.  He tried to use its 
power against Egyptian leftist groups.  In the end, 
terrorism turned against him and killed Al-Sadat while he 
was sitting on his platform watching a parade. 
Furthermore, the Americans let terrorism grow in 
Afghanistan because the Taliban opposed the Soviet Union 
but they too fell in the same trap in the end. 
Terrorism is the epidemic of the century and it is not an 
easy to control such a disease.  However, the world's 
leaders must find a way.  They must come together and 
discuss how to treat and eradicate the epidemic of the 
century." 
 
 
Khalilzad