US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3098

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003098 
 
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 26 were the constitutional committee's preparations 
for the referendum and a response to Egyptian media 
coverage of the Sharm Al Sheikh attack. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "Constitution and the Iraqi street" (Al-Mashriq, 7/26) 
B. "Egyptian resistance and the Sharm Al-Sheik's attacks" 
(Al-Ittihad, 7/26) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "Constitution and the Iraqi street" (7/26) 
 
Al-Mashriq (independent, anti coalition) published a 
fourth-page editorial about the constitution: 
 
"The people are asking to have the contents of the 
constitution explained to them.  We ask our politicians. 
We ask experts on constitutional law.  We want to know how 
we will be represented by this document.  What source book 
will the constitutional drafting committee use to write its 
masterpiece?  All of these questions are unnecessary; we 
already know what is in the constitution. It is the best of 
us.  The constitution represents the Iraqi identity. 
Everything that we are and want to be is in that document. 
We have high expectations of what the new Iraq will look 
like and high standards for ourselves and for the 
constitution. 
 
These standards call for equality, social justice, the 
right of citizenship, the right of voting and nomination, 
freedom of speech and freedom of the media. Indeed, today's 
Iraq requires a constitution that must enforce a strict law 
to maintain the government's facilities and protect 
citizens' lives. It is important to hold positive and 
effective talks with all of Iraqi society before ratifying 
any constitution. For this reason, the constitutional 
committee must listen to all viewpoints. This will instill 
hope in the people of Iraq as they look forward to 
rebuilding a new democratic government to replace the 
previous dictatorial regime. To support this idea, we have 
to guarantee freedom of movement and security for all 
Iraqis as we prepare for the upcoming public elections. We 
have to call for the freedom to establish political 
parties, freedom of possession, freedom to demonstrate and 
hold political forums. This will serve to build a positive 
environment for building a new democracy. However, the best 
option to achieve coexistence among all nationalities and 
political groups is for the Iraqi people to call for unity 
and reject discord.   We want to build a new Iraq without 
any interference from avaricious foreign groups." 
 
B. "Egyptian resistance and the Sharm Al-Sheik's attacks" 
(7/26) 
 
Al-Ittihad (affiliated with PUK, led by Talabani) published 
a third-page editorial by Abdul Hadi Mahdi about terror in 
Iraq and the Sharm Al-Sheikh's attacks: 
 
"The recent attack in Sharm al Sheik has been condemned by 
all, from Iraqis at the highest levels of the government, 
all the way down to the Iraqi street. They know very well 
the consequences. However, what should be said about the 
Egyptian Media?  We know that they are very qualified and 
well known, but as it relates to the Sharm Al Sheikh attack 
they are being two-faced and unbalanced.  When they write 
about what is going on in Iraq, the car bombs, explosive 
belts, IEDs, assassinations, kidnappings and attacks 
against our infrastructure, it is generally referred to as 
Iraqi resistance against occupation forces, even though 
most Iraqi condemn these same acts.  Still the talking 
heads and pundits from the various satellite TV stations 
stick to their ridiculous analysis, alienated from reality, 
and blame the Sharm Al Sheikh attacks on the American 
occupation. 
 
The question here: What is resistance and what is 
terrorism?  Can you tell us the criteria between the two so 
that it is clear? I wonder what the opinion is of the 
Egyptian media by the average Egyptian on the street? What 
would Egyptians think if the Iraqi media reported that the 
Sharm Al Sheikh attack was "Egyptian resistance" in 
response to normalization with Israel, having the Israeli 
flag flying in the middle of Cairo, selling Egyptian gas to 
Israel, or having the Israeli tourists on the Kenana land. 
Certainly this would be an unacceptable interpretation to 
our Egyptian brothers. 
We are comparing the two situations to call attention to 
the fact that the outcome of these attacks is the death of 
innocent people.  The goal of the attackers is to 
intimidate the Iraqi people and target stability and peace 
in Iraq, Egypt and throughout the region.  Our first 
response should be Arab unity in standing against the 
attackers.  We should then put an end to these actions by 
addressing their cause and uprooting them fiercely and 
strongly. 
 
KHALILZAD