US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3570

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003570 
 
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: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, CONSTITUTION; 
BAGHDAD 
 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major 
editorial theme of the daily newspapers on August 31, 2005. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "An Evil Ideology" (Al-Bayyan, 8/31) 
B. "The Peoples' Word Will Be the Decisive Judgment" 
(Baghdad, 8/31) 
C. "Before it's too Late" (As-Sabah, 8/31) 
D. "The American Shifts" (Al-Ittihad, 8/31) 
E. "Pie in the Sky?" (Az-Zaman, 8/31) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "An Evil Ideology" 
(Al-Bayyan, affiliated with the Islamic Ad-Dawa Party led by 
Al-Ja'afari, published this front-page editorial) 
 
"Without a doubt, the democratic and constitutional process 
in Iraq aims to establish a political regime that can 
represent Iraqis' willpower and guarantee their rights. The 
most important principles in the current constitution aim to 
provide constitutional and legal assurances that will 
prevent the reemergence of a dictatorship in Iraq. The Prime 
Minister Al-Ja'afari has stressed that the Ba'ath Party has 
no place in the new Iraq. He indicated that the new 
political process can include any Ba'athist who has not 
committed crimes against the Iraqi people. Ba'athist 
ideology is very dangerous and for three-and-a half decades 
this party adopted a violent policy that tyrannized the 
Iraqi people and committed massacres. At the same time, it 
waged wars on its neighbors and those wars led to the 
devastation of the country.There are some groups in Iraq 
trying to reestablish the Ba'ath Party under new pretexts 
and names. They claim that it is not necessary to single out 
the Ba'ath Party in the draft constitution because that will 
damage attempts at national reconciliation. However, we must 
not forget what this party did to our people and thus we 
have to insist on and continue eradicating it to save Iraq 
from its evil." 
 
B. "The People's Word Will Be the Decisive Judgment" 
(Baghdad, affiliated with the Iraqi National Accord led by 
Iyad Allawi, published this back-page editorial by Abdul 
Karim Al-Khazraji) 
 
"The Iraqi draft constitution was made by humans and it was 
written according to different viewpoints. However, these 
viewpoints do not necessarily represent the opinions of all 
Iraqis. Perhaps those who drafted that constitution 
represent their sects or political parties' opinions and 
attitudes. We must encourage political dialogue and 
conversation in order to make Iraq progress toward a 
democratic regime. The current constitution is written by 
humans and it can be modified in the future. It is true that 
this constitution does not represent the ambitions of all 
Iraq's people and there are many criticisms and reservations 
about the text. In fact, there is no consensus on this 
constitution. However, the Iraqi people will have their 
final word on referendum day. They will make their decisions 
without pressure or influence." 
 
C. "Before it's too Late" 
(As-Sabah, independent, published this front-page editorial 
by Jum'a Al-Hilfi) 
 
"The Ba'athist regime dealt with its opponents by fire and 
without any mercy even with their families. That regime 
didn't accomplish any victories for Iraq, Iraqis, or for the 
Arab nation through its suspect wars, but on the contrary it 
propagated many disasters. The British-American occupation 
in 2003 was a logical result of the Ba'athists foolish 
policies. After all that, Ba'ath supporters should have been 
grateful to God for not being chased and buried as they did 
to others in the past. 
 
Those who raised the tyrant's photo in Ba'quba and Tikrit 
cannot be considered brave or ordinary men because they've 
stirred up resentment against millions of Iraqis. The PM Al- 
Ja'afari was clear two days ago in replying to those people 
by reminding them that there will be no return for the 
Ba'ath Party. Therefore, let the reasonable people of 
Ba'quba and Tikrit advise the ignorant to reconsider their 
behavior before it's too late." 
D. "The American Shifts" 
(Al-Ittihad, pro coalition, affiliated with the PUK led by 
Talabani) published this page-five editorial by Faryad 
Rawanduzi (Editor-in-Chief and TNA member) 
 
"The U.S. Embassy tried to produce a constitution that 
hinges on moderate Islam, in an effort to isolate extremist 
Islam which is the enemy of the government and the people of 
United States. But it has not succeeded in implementing this 
policy in the draft constitution process because it didn't 
have a fixed policy vis--vis religious groups. 
 
The U.S. Embassy was against Al-Sadr's group and Sunnis 
religious groups, its policy turned against Sunnis (in the 
Fallujah battles), then they went back to them (Saleh Al- 
Mutlag).  Later there were Bush's warnings to the political 
Sunni groups while at the same time he advocated for the 
Kurds and Sh'ia. So, the Sunnis left the political process 
at the last moment when they realized that Zalmay Khalilzad 
might change his policy towards them. 
 
The constant shifting that the U.S. Embassy followed with 
opponents of the American role in Iraq has weakened the 
policy itself. Religious groups believed that continued 
opposition toward the Americans would yield benefits and 
concessions from the Americans. So, American policy needed 
to accept those groups after the fall of Saddam. The United 
States needs to abandon this policy and it needs permanent 
and real Sunni political friends who believe in democracy, 
even if they opposing the U.S. And it doesn't need temporary 
friends who don't understand the democracy which Americans 
shed their blood for." 
 
E. "Pie in the Sky?" 
 (Az-Zaman published this back-page editorial by Fateh Abdul 
Salam) 
 
"There are so many good articles in the draft constitution 
that support human rights. They await the referendum but the 
surprising thing is that no one cares about the civil war 
that rages daily and violates the religious and human rights 
of Iraqis. 
 
The constitution needs goodwill and hard efforts from all 
Iraqis to succeed. The constitution needs a balanced and 
organized campaign to explain all the facts and fallacies 
about the constitution. When the draft constitution was 
announced, the American ambassador said the Iraqi 
constitution was the most evolved constitution in the 
Islamic world that was much less than the truth. 
The truth is that there are so many articles in the draft 
constitution that are similar to Eden, the paradise that God 
promised for the worthy and good. The problem is, will the 
Iraqi government be able to commit to the constitution's 
articles and work with them? Iraqis want a realistic draft 
constitution that deals with the real needs of Iraqis. We do 
not want pie in the sky or pipe dreams." 
 
Khalilzad