US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3660

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003660 
 
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: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - September 6, 2005 
 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major 
editorial theme of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on 
September 6, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------ 
 
A. "Sunni Arab Papers on Iraq's Constitution"  (Iraq4all 
News, 9/6) 
B. "A Remarkable Though Twisted Improvement" (Al-Bayan, 9/6) 
C. "The Constitution & Privatization of Iraq" (Iraq4all 
News, 9/6) 
D. "To the Drafters of the Constitution" (Iraqi Home, 9/6) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "Sunni Arab Papers on Iraq's Constitution" 
(Editorial by Yacoub Jaber Iraq4all News - 
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=9677) 
 
"The ones who welcome approval of Iraq's constitution will 
be deeply disappointed in mid-October when Iraqis vote on 
the constitution. Sunni Arab, with some of Shiite 
supporters, will certainly vote against the constitution in 
at least three Iraqi provinces and they will turn it into a 
meaningless document that should be modified to gain 
unanimous agreement and attain relevance. 
 
"Sunni Arabs form the majority in four provinces and they 
will be persistent in rejecting a constitution which is 
practically dedicated to the actual division of Iraq. If 
that won't happen, and it's unlikely, Sunni Arabs will join 
the resistance to fight those who adopted the constitution 
and the occupation. Then conditions in Iraq will seriously 
deteriorate. 
 
"The constitution which was intended to be a tool to 
strengthen stability will turn into a tool for killing and 
propagating violence to an extent Iraq hasn't witnessed 
since the American invasion. 
 
"It's not difficult to understand the reasons that make 
Sunni Arabs vote against the constitution or joining the 
resistance because this constitution was drafted by people 
opposing Sunni Arabs. The Americans with flagrant and tacit 
instigation wanted to deprive Sunni Arabs from wealth and 
power. What will remain for Sunni Arabs if the North with 
its Kurdish inhabitants and South with its oil and Shiite 
inhabitants separate? What they are going to do in the arid, 
resource devoid center when others will manipulate Iraq's 
destinies and domestic and foreign policies? It's obvious 
now that the Kurds and Shiites will exact retaliation 
against the Sunni Arabs who ruled Iraq for decades. 
 
"It's normal that Sunni Arabs resorted to a resistance 
against federalism which they consider a disaster. If Sunni 
Arabs vote against the constitution then they will strike 
out against U.S. schemes--if they cancel the constitution 
which the U.S wants to become a victory slogan that it could 
raise in front of the opposition and naysayers. We all hope 
Sunni Arab resistance to the constitution won't transcend 
the peaceful resistance demonstrated through voting. Perhaps 
the parliament still has time to make radical modifications 
to the constitution to take into consideration some Sunni 
Arab demands to establish peace and calm for Iraqis." 
 
B. "A Remarkable Though Twisted Improvement" 
(Editorial by Al-Bayan 
http://www.albayan.ae/servlet/Satellite?cid=1 125289799432&pa 
gename=Albayan%2FArticle%2FFullDetail&c=Artic le) 
 
"According to reports of well informed sources; the final 
agreement among concerned parties was to alter the article 
regarding Iraqi identity in draft constitution. The original 
article stated "Iraqi Arabs are part of the Arab world," 
i.e. Iraq as a country isn't an Arab country. The new 
article became, "Iraq is part of the Arab and Islamic 
world." 
 
"This change is a step forward, though a twisted one, in the 
criteria of the current conditions and situations in Iraq. 
It gives an Arab identity to the whole country with its Arab 
and Kurdish inhabitants. This will save Iraq from future 
division if anyone thinks of trying to separate the country. 
 
"Guaranteeing Iraq's unity in a constitutional document 
comprises the first solid step in this mission. In addition 
to this, agreement on identity could assist in creating 
tighter knit societies that might offer some concessions on 
other contentious points, especially the issue of 
federalism. Salvation in Iraq depends on agreement and 
consensus among Iraqis in this crucial moment in its 
history." 
 
C. "The Constitution & Privatization of Iraq" 
(Editorial by Hameed Al-Sadoon, Iraq4all News 
http://iraq4all.org) 
 
"No one disagrees about the importance of the constitution 
of any nation being a social contract to deal with the 
present and future, which should include all people by 
`protecting the country's land, people, and sovereignty,' 
but even this simple phrase is no where to be found in our 
draft constitution. 
 
"Any reading of the draft will reveal its intention to trash 
the identity and history of Iraq, sending it back centuries. 
The proposed constitution aims to transfer Iraq into a state 
with only one society with Arab allegiance which represents 
an invitation to Iraq's minorities to find another entity or 
country to protect their interests. 
 
"What the Iraqi constitutional committee has finally reached 
is nothing more than privatizing the political, social, and 
humanitarian segments of Iraq, and an urge for others to 
follow the same path under the supervision and encouragement 
of occupation. 
Subjects such as federalism, national allegiance, and 
natural resources shouldn't be solved in a hasty manner 
based on a U.S. agenda to meet Washington's deadlines, but 
should be discussed in a way that includes the participation 
and agreement of all. 
 
"Those who dream of achieving federalism the Swiss way 
overlook generations of history acquired only after much 
blood was shed among them. Thank God this has been averted 
by our people where no religious, sectarian, or racial 
massacres have ever occurred in our history. 
 
"The draft constitution represents a recipe for differences 
and not agreements. So October 15th in these critical times 
is an invitation for dividing Iraq under many names, all of 
which come with the occupation's tanks." 
 
D. "To the Drafters of the Constitution" 
(Editorial by Ali Al-Butaihi, Iraqi Home 
http://www.iraqihome.com) 
 
"Has the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Musa, 
become part of Iraqi society? We need to understand this. 
And why should Iraqis concede what they have agreed upon to 
a foreigner such as the Egyptian, Amr Musa. And what does 
the Arab League have to do with the Iraqi constitution, why 
doesn't the head of the Islamic conference interfere with 
the draft claiming Islam has been compromised in Iraq and 
that Islamic identity is under threat since no reference was 
made regarding Iraq being a founding member of the Islamic 
conference. 
 
"And shouldn't the constitution's drafters, and only them, 
come to agreement regarding what's Iraqi? And without the 
Arab League, foreigners, Amr Musa, or the Egyptians who are 
surviving on Iraqi blood and sending all of their unemployed 
to Iraq. 
 
"And who gave the constitutional committee members the right 
to draft a constitution according to Egyptian desires and 
those of other Arab countries exporting terrorism to Iraq, 
and benefiting from the destruction of this country while 
murdering Iraqis? Weren't Egyptians the main beneficiaries 
of Iraqis dying in the war with Iran, when Saddam wouldn't 
have been able to launch such a war without millions of 
Egyptians coming into the country and living on its natural 
resources, marrying Iraqi women, and committing all sorts of 
crimes including rape? 
 
"Countries memberships in international associations aren't 
considered legitimate without a referendum. When European 
countries aspire to join the European Union they hold a 
referendum to gain the approval of their people, so who 
solicited Iraqi's opinions in joining the Arab League?  This 
membership is illegitimate since no one took Iraqis' opinion 
on the subject. 
 
"Musa should speak out frankly with no shame, he wants to 
know how much Iraqi oil will end up in Egypt, just how many 
unemployed Egyptians will be sent to Iraq, and how many 
Iraqi women will marry Egyptians and bestow Iraqi 
nationality to their children. 
 
"What have we gained from the Arab League other than the 
Ba'ath party that dug mass graves for Iraqis (especially the 
Shiites)? What have we gained beside extremist groups such 
as the likes of Zarqawi and others? What have we gained 
other than destruction? 
What have we gained other than Iraqi wives abandoned by 
Egyptian husbands, human body part dealers, drug dealers, 
and corruption through the oil for food program? 
 
"May God save Iraqis from the plots of Egyptians, 
Palestinians, Iranians, Turks, and other foreigners leading 
suicide attacks and murders such as bin-Laden, Al-Zarqawi, 
Al-Dhwahiri, and others . Amen." 
 
Khalilzad