US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3638

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003638 
 
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 September 5, 
2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------ 
 
A. "Unjustifiable Fear" (Al-Bayyan, 9/5) 
B. "Preventing Contradictions and Overstatements" (Al-Iraq, 
9/5) 
C. "Are We Facing A Constitutional Crisis?" (Az-Zaman, 9/5) 
D. "Is the Law Better Than the Constitution?" (Al-Adala, 
9/5) 
 E. "The Story of the Guy Othman" (Az-Zaman, 9/4) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "Unjustifiable Fear" 
(Al-Bayyan, affiliated with the Islamic Ad-Dawa Party led by 
Al-Ja'afari, published this page-four column by Zainab Al- 
Khafaji) 
 
"Some Arab and other countries have dealt with Iraq's 
political process negatively for a variety of reasons; 
perhaps, they have a political agenda or goal. The Gulf 
Cooperation Council had concerns over the Iraqi 
constitution's article that states, `Arab people in Iraq are 
part of the Arab nation'. I think that this article was 
created because Iraq is composed of multiple ethnic and 
religious groups and this article confirms this fact. 
Therefore, those countries have no right to be concerned 
about this article because Iraq drafted its constitution 
according to its domestic political, economic, social, 
religious, demographic and geographic considerations. Iraq 
did not draft its constitution according to narrow 
religious, nationalist or sectarian interests that may 
weaken the country's unity. It is unfair for those countries 
to think that Iraq's Arabism is endangered by virtue of this 
article. In fact, this article strengthens national unity 
and solidarity. In addition, this article will ensure 
equality of rights and encourage mutual respect among 
different Iraqi sects and ethnicities." 
 
B. "Preventing Contradictions and Overstatements" 
(Al-Iraq independent, daily published this front-page 
editorial about the constitution) 
 
"We anticipated there would be no harmony in drafting the 
constitution and we were afraid that this would lead to a 
host of disagreements on many of the constitution's 
articles. However, the draft constitution was approved in 
spite of continued disagreements among Iraqi politicians 
whose conflicting statements on this issue are still in 
dispute at this very moment. We've noticed that Iraqi 
politicians have held meetings and talks in order to end any 
disagreement over the constitution. But, they've been 
confounded and unable to reach a solution. As a result, the 
contentious issues are still unresolved. Nevertheless, we 
think that announcing the completion of the constitution 
(even after the deadline) would be a step in the right 
direction. Furthermore, we believe that the Iraqi people 
will have their final say during the referendum. Indeed, all 
we care about is the Iraqi people who endure danger and 
crises daily. We have to restructure the new Iraq as soon as 
our constitution is announced. All Iraqi people must 
participate in the referendum and the upcoming elections. 
This is an historic responsibility that we must take part in 
and never forget how important it is for all Iraqi sects to 
be participants in the political process." 
 
C. "Are We Facing A Constitutional Crisis?" 
(Najm Ubaid Abu Al-Hail wrote the following, page-seven 
editorial in Az-Zaman, independent, anti coalition about the 
constitution) 
 
"The TAL mandated that there must be one committee 
responsible for drafting the constitution, and the National 
Assembly selected that committee to prepare the drafting of 
the constitution. However, there were some issues and 
disagreements among the constitutional committee's members 
such as federalism, the quota of women's representation and 
the role of religion in government. Without a doubt, the 
National Assembly is the only authority that can induct 
members onto the constitutional committee. In fact, the 
government has dealt flexibly with the issue of election 
boycotters. But, we see that the UIA (United Iraqi 
Alliance), Kurdish alliance and the boycotters insist on 
their demands. So, do we face a cul-de-sac? I think that we 
are not facing a dead end because the constitutional 
committee submitted the constitution to the National 
Assembly, which must discuss it and then put it to a vote. 
Thus, if the majority of assembly members have one opinion, 
it could be approved. I believe that this constitution is 
not the final draft because the National Assembly can amend 
it anytime. In addition, there will be a referendum which 
will be the decisive day for accepting or rejecting the 
constitution." 
 
D. "Is the Law Better Than the Constitution?" 
(Al-Adala, affiliated with SCIRI, published a page-four 
editorial by Ali Khalif about the constitution) 
 
"There are some people in Iraq who pretend to fight 
sectarianism while they are the real ones calling for 
sectarianism. The Iraqi people opposed the TAL, and there 
are some groups that consider it illegal because it was 
written under occupation. Other groups had reservations 
about it and they hoped that it would be amended in the 
future. The Iraqi people were able to hold elections and 
establish a National Assembly that established a committee 
to draft a constitution for the country; all Iraqis were 
represented in the constitutional committee, even those who 
boycotted the elections. This constitution will nullify all 
Bremer's decisions and thus it will represent the Iraqi 
people's willpower. We ask those who reject the new 
constitution to think twice about this issue because having 
an Iraqi drafted constitution is better than having a law 
that is accused of being American. This new constitution can 
be amended in the future because a nation that was able to 
nullify the TAL and draft a new constitution is able to 
amend it. Those, who want to reject the constitution because 
some of its articles do not suit them, want to accept the 
TAL that was totally rejected by them. This indicates that 
we are going to be controlled by an occupation-drafted law 
as those who reject the current constitution claim. If they 
think that they can win the upcoming elections then we must 
wait for the upcoming elections to see if they win or lose. 
The constitution must be separate from any attitude that 
cannot benefit Iraq's higher interest." 
 
E. "The Story of the Guy Othman" 
(Az-Zaman, independent, anti coalition, published this page- 
five editorial by Assad al-Hilali about the bridge stampede) 
 
"Why do the hate mongers appeal to and bet on turmoil when 
our country and people have millions of Othmans? How can 
they believe that they are capable of driving the country 
toward civil war when the first ones who came to the rescue 
of the Shi'a pilgrims during their disaster were the Sunni 
people of Adhamyia who gave their lives to save those whom 
they could? 
 
Here is a story from Adhamyia: 
 
Let me tell you the story of Othman, a young good-hearted 
guy who lived on the island of Waq Waq and felt depressed 
about what was going on in his country and the evil actions 
of those intent on dividing it. He listened to what others 
were saying about a civil war that might take place between 
the different segments of his people who, for a long time, 
had been living in peace despite their ethnic and sectarian 
differences. 
 
Some of his colleagues thought that Othman might become a 
leader of an armed group if civil war broke out, but they 
were surprised when they realized that he would become the 
leader of a group of young guys from his neighborhood who 
desperately struggled to save people who had been exposed to 
a disaster of a mass proportions--where hundreds of innocent 
women and children died. 
 
Evil people intimidated the victims by spreading rumors. The 
government's neglect coupled with the chaos propagated by 
the security forces only served to increase the scale of the 
disaster resulting in so many deaths. Seditious elements 
attempted to poison Othman's mind by trying to delude him 
into thinking that the victims were actually his enemies but 
Othman dismissed that when he saw bodies fighting death in 
the river. He began thinking about them, recognizing their 
humanity and their similarities to him. He saw common 
features, the same language, and recognized they were the 
same as him. He began crying out for help and appealing to 
God to save their souls. 
 
Othman remembered that he was a friend to so many of them 
and that they shared the same childhood experiences and 
playgrounds. So what changed over the last three years to 
cause strangers to plant hatred and evil and label some 
infidels? Haven't we been friends and brothers for a long 
time he thought? This is what he was thinking when he began 
saving lives of those drowning the in river-one after 
another he saved from inevitable death. He went to save yet 
another but this time he couldn't resist being pushed, 
pulled, and crushed by the flow and force of the water. The 
young Othman felt exhausted but the river was still full of 
bodies struggling for life. He started to save the ones who 
were still alive and began with the children. He challenged 
his numb arms and legs but when he was in the middle of the 
river, in deep water, an old man who was trying desperately 
to cling to Othman's body (as he swam toward shore) repeated 
the words, "La Illah Illa Allah, Muhammad Rasoulu Allah" 
(There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet) which 
Othman recognized as the testimony Muslims utter when close 
to death. 
 
He started watching the stillness of death in the eyes of 
the old man, and tried and tried in a last ditch effort to 
save this drowning man, but it was useless. The deep waters 
countered this effort dragging both of them under--the last 
thing they both said was the Shahadah [the testimony]. 
 
Evil people can no longer bet on the dissolution of Iraq. 
Stories like this from Adhamiya, or about the people of 
Fallujah who were among the first to send support to help 
save their fellow Iraqis, should serve to remind terrorists 
that they should not hinge their bets on dividing members of 
one family whose origins both history and time recognize as 
the people of Mesopotamia." 
 
(Translator's comment: This seemingly allegorical editorial 
is based on the heroic actions of a 25 year-old Iraqi Sunni, 
Othman al-Obeidi, who rescued six people (all Shi'a) from 
the river during the bridge stampede last week. Mr. Al- 
Obeidi was posthumously honored by the Iraqi government, 
which bestowed upon him civil servant status entitling his 
family to pension benefits. There is currently talk about 
erecting a statue to honor his sacrifice and heroism.) 
 
Khalilzad