US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3688

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003688 
 
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 7, 
2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "A Dead Horse in the Constitutional Race" (Al-Ittihad, 
9/7) 
B. "The Second Copy and the Political Front" (Al-Bayyan, 
9/7) 
C. "That Is Enough.Arabs" (Ad-Dustoor, 9/7) 
D. "The Sheep and the Confession" (Az-Zaman 9/7) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "A Dead Horse in the Constitutional Race" 
(Al-Ittihad, affiliated with PUK led by Jalal Talabani, 
published this page-five editorial by Faryad Rawanduzi) 
 
"Sati' Al-Husari established the first nationalist and 
dictatorial educational system in Iraq. The Iraqi 
educational sector is still suffering from that policy which 
marginalized both the Kurds and Shiites. On the other hand, 
Clovis Maksoud (I mean the former Arab League Ambassador to 
the United Nations) contends that everyone who was exposed 
to Arab culture, thoughts, science, and literature is an 
Arab even if they didn't possess Arab nationality. Moreover, 
Michel Aflaq, [a Christian] the Ba'ath Party founder, wrote 
in his book, In the Memory of the Arab Prophet, "It is 
possible to use Islam and the Qu'ran, which were written in 
Arabic, in a style to blend all other nationalities in the 
Arab Homeland into the crucible of the Arab nation. Khair 
Allah Talfah, Saddam's father-in-law, said in a symposium 
entitled, `I believe that the Qu'ran is Arabic' (held in 
Mosul in the seventies) that `Everyone who reads the Qu'ran 
and prays in Arabic is an Arab whether or not he or she 
accepts it.' Nowadays, it seems that the Sunni negotiators 
want to repeat the above-mentioned policies which attempt to 
marginalize the Kurds and Shiites in Iraq under the pretexts 
of an Arab identity. Furthermore, it looks like Amr Musa, 
who was taught in the schools of Aflaq and Al-Husari, thinks 
that the Arab League is the only authority that can define 
Iraq's national identity. He keeps forgetting that the Iraqi 
people are the only authority that can decide their future. 
We understand that to reach an agreement with the Sunnis, 
over the constitution, it was necessary to make the 
political process succeed. However, it was a big mistake and 
dangerous to accept their ideologies because Iraq's 
constitution and regime must not be based on the same former 
philosophies and policies that destroyed the country. The 
Americans made a big mistake when they supported one group 
of Sunni Arabs and ignored other groups who do not belong to 
or have the same ideology of Aflaq and Amr Musa. The current 
Sunni negotiators in the constitutional process seized the 
opportunity through their unanticipated participation in the 
constitutional and political process. They seized this 
chance to ride a dead horse. They hope to win control of 
Iraq again and marginalize the Kurds and Shiites who have 
been oppressed since 1921." 
 
B. "The Second Copy and the Political Front" 
(Zainab Al-Khafaji opined in Al-Bayyan, affiliated with the 
Islamic Ad-Da'wa Party led by Al-Ja'afari, this page-four 
editorial about the constitution) 
 
"I think that the current discussions between the political 
blocs of the National Assembly and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay 
Khalilzad concerning the second version of the draft 
constitution that will be put to vote by the Iraqi people 
represent a good chance for these parties to review their 
attitudes. This step is very important because there are 
some groups threatening to boycott the referendum and I 
think that such a boycott will not serve the current 
discussions. These groups that want to reject the 
constitution are trying to foment popular discontent toward 
the constitution without having any justifiable reasons. It 
seems that these groups want to encourage dissent amongst 
the various political parties. It is weird that these groups 
make use of every talk or discussion to hinder the whole 
constitutional and political process. The second version of 
the draft constitution, which is currently being amended by 
political parties, does not necessitate the alteration of 
the constitution's primary articles. All political blocs 
have agreed to the main articles therefore they needn't be 
amended. The current constitutional process requires 
fruitful political dialogue rather than futile dialogue." 
 
C. "That Is Enough.Arabs" 
(Bassem Al-Sheikh wrote this front-page editorial in Ad- 
Dustoor, no bias, independent) 
 
"Iraqis' patience towards their Arab brothers has reached 
its limit. President Talabani's appeal to the Arabs to 
restore diplomatic representation was filled with pain and 
bitterness, and when time elapsed without any action this 
pain transformed into an insult toward Iraqis. This account 
of Iraqi/pan-Arab relations has surfaced because of the 
Arabs' lack of concern for Iraq. The Arabs have failed to 
understand that the changes in Iraq are due to logical 
reasons, even if change was accompanied by occupation. Arab 
regimes have taken tentative stances toward Iraq, in way 
that demonstrates the belief that any relations with Iraq 
would be equated with support for the occupation and 
coalition forces.Iraqis regard Arab neglect (both official 
and on the part of the people) and dismissal of their plight 
as something that only increases their suffering at a time 
when Iraqis are already suffering horribly. The initial 
optimism of the Iraqi leadership towards the Arab world has 
been deflated-Iraqis waited and hoped for actions and 
results from an Arab summit or a regional conference but 
instead wasted a lot time for nothing more than promises. 
The bigger problem is that Iraq's leadership hasn't yet 
learned its lesson; they are still waiting for the Arabs and 
haven't learned from the past that Arab summits have never 
resolved any Arab problems.. The tone of President 
Talabani's statement, which elicited a lot of Arab (and 
international) reactions, addressed two messages: the first 
was that Arabs are uncooperative and their pushy stance 
toward Iraq was against its will; and second, Iraqis have 
lost hope and faith in the Arabs who have only added to 
Iraq's burden rather than sharing it and helping to end our 
suffering. The President's statement won't affect the Arabs, 
who share secret channels among themselves, because they may 
have different skins but they have the same metal." 
 
D. "The Sheep and the Confession" 
(Az-Zaman, independent, recently anti-coalition and printed 
in London and Baghdad, published this back-page editorial by 
Fateh Abdul-Salam) 
 
 "The Iraqi government is furious with Arab countries that 
haven't sent ambassadors or high-level high level diplomatic 
representation to Iraq. This is how Arab countries 
officially acknowledge the legitimacy of the Iraqi 
government. No Arab leaders or even their ministers have 
visited Baghdad--not even as a courtesy. At this point all 
countries are equal, those who were against the war in Iraq 
and those who supported it, such as Kuwait.and they are 
still insisting that Baghdad is not secure enough to receive 
the Kuwaiti ambassador but they thought differently when 
they hosted American troops and opened their roads to 
American tanks allowing them to crush Iraqis bodies and 
invade our country destroying the infrastructure and opening 
our doors to terrorism; they did not take those consequences 
into consideration. Now the Americans are suffering from 
Iraq's latest political burden and the decision on the draft 
constitution that might lead to further instability in Iraq. 
We do not want to open closed doors with Kuwait and condone 
their shameful attitude towards Iraq and all Iraqis. They 
promised to send their ambassador and their ministers but 
they did not fulfill their promises, they supported the 
Americans against Iraq to exact their private revenge; they 
were planning to topple Saddam and his regime and it's clear 
they do not care about Iraqis. Other Arabs are no better 
than Kuwaitis, but the Kuwaiti's political hypocrisy is very 
clear. Geographically they are near and politically they are 
distant-they have worked against Iraq. All Arabs should be 
standing by Iraq's side backing the government instead of 
boycotting it. The simple fact about the Arabs is that they 
don't recognize the legitimacy of the new Iraqi government 
or of Iraq's new era. They are not ready to suffer the way 
Iraqis are now suffering. The Americans, amid their natural 
and political disasters, should remember to prod Arab 
countries to send their ambassadors to Baghdad. This way 
they will redeem their honor." 
 
SATTERFIELD