US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3732

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003732 
 
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 11, 2005 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major 
editorial theme of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on 
September 11, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------ 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------ 
 
A. "A Day for Men and A Day for Women" (Independent Iraqi 
News Agency, 9/11) 
B. "A Brave Jordanian Step" (Al-Jeeran, 9/11) 
C. "Government for God's Sake? The Death Penalty and Not 
Life Sentences for Terrorists" (Al-Nahrain, 9/11) 
 
--------------------------------------- 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
 
A. "A Day for Men and A Day for Women" 
(Editorial by Kazum Al-Muqdadi - Independent Iraqi News 
Agency - www.iraq-ina.com) 
 
"When the Iraqi government announced, in a statement, the 
adoption of  the odd-even license system in and around 
Baghdad, the justification presented by our wise leaders was 
to lessen the suffering of Iraqis who are facing traffic 
jams, decision jams, and recommendation jams . to the extent 
that Iraqis have become a government testing ground. 
 
"The problem is that every decision results in the suffering 
of citizens while officials don't share any of the burden. 
Citizens have started to question any new decision, even if 
these decisions have come to serve their interests. I've 
heard people saying that decisions aimed at solving the fuel 
crisis and traffic jams, were actually issued to ease the 
flow of officials' convoys, and I've heard them question why 
barricades weren't lifted, bridges weren't opened, 
occupation tanks weren't pulled out of cities, and official 
convoys weren't reduced in size after reaching a state where 
dozens of cars escort government officials with no license 
plates, and no acknowledgment of the authority of the 
traffic police. 
 
"Most likely, all decisions come to serve government 
officials at the expense of  average citizens, where no heed 
is given to the mother that has to accompany her children on 
their way to school everyday, nor the university professor 
who has to reach his work place, or the teacher who has to 
reach his students, or the doctor . the engineer . the 
shopkeeper. 
 
"We've seen how the Ministry of Oil has fallen into the trap 
of the odd-even system, and today the whole government has 
fallen into the same trap again and I'm afraid that our 
government might be considering allocating our `wonderful' 
days according to gender . a day for men, and another for 
women, and our restaurants . a day for chicken, and another 
for rice, a day for ice cream, and another for fruit juice . 
Perhaps government organizations will also have their 
workdays divided into days for men and others for women. 
I've seen some singers refuse to be likened to others, and I 
believe our government follows the same trend and refuses to 
be likened to other governments in the world." 
 
B. "A Brave Jordanian Step" 
(Editorial by Ali Al-Shalah - Al-Jeeran - www.aljeran.net) 
 
"It seems the historic step taken by King Abdullah of Jordan 
to send his Prime Minister Adnan Al-Badran to Baghdad has 
marked a turning point in Iraqi-Arab relations at a time 
when Iraqi calls for help left us wondering why the Arabs 
have forsaken their Iraqi brethren who have always been a 
cornerstone of Arab and Islamic civilization. 
 
"Arab brothers justified this absence by citing the 
occupation, saying they didn't wish to support it. Iraqis 
themselves never asked for support for the occupation, but 
it is absolutely unacceptable for Arabs to behave as if 
every Iraqi were working for the occupation, besides, it's 
not like Arabs themselves prepared to liberate Iraq from the 
regime of mass graves and chemical weapons and were 
prevented from assisting by Iraqis; or that the U.S. based 
its invasion of Iraq on Iraqi opinion and support. 
 
"The joy that prevailed after toppling Saddam's occupation 
wasn't in support of the U.S. occupation, and Iraqis have 
their own agenda to rid the country of occupation after the 
defeat of terrorism. As Iraqis stand in the face of 
terrorism they are actually standing up for every house, 
man, woman, and child in the Arab homeland, and Arabs when 
witnessing the Iraqi army and police, should remember that 
their sacrifices will prevent a Zarqawi or his likeness from 
reaching their homeland. 
 
"Resisting occupation - my dear Arab brothers- is through 
taking actions that would speed its departure, not provide 
it with additional excuses to maintain its presence through 
turning Iraq into a blood bath. Life goes on in Iraq and 
every crime committed and every day that passes is a day 
that Iraq is closer to salvation. At the end of the day that 
salvation will be for all neighboring and friendly nations. 
 
"The arrival of Arab delegations in Baghdad is a strong 
message that should continue at the highest levels to 
complement the already wonderful efforts presented by the 
Emirates, Kuwaitis, Bahrainis, and others. Baghdad needs to 
see Arab ambassadors acquitting Arab brothers from crimes 
committed against Iraqis and mending deep wounds, because we 
all believe that nothing can weaken historical and 
geographical bonds. God save Iraqis and Arabs from all harm 
and occupation, and a welcome to Ambassador Al-Badran in 
Baghdad." 
 
C. "Government for God's Sake? The Death Penalty and Not 
Life Sentences for Terrorists" 
(Editorial by Sarmed Aqrawi, Al-Nahrain, The Two Rivers, 
http://www.nahrain.com/d/news/05/09/11/nhr091 1f.html) 
 
"In the United States of America (which statistically is the 
country with the highest crime rate in the world due to the 
availability and legal mechanisms for gun ownership) there 
are more than three millions prisoners. The death penalty 
isn't carried out through hanging or shootings but through 
lethal injections or the electric chair because those two 
methods are more humane than others. 
 
"The average annual cost of each prisoner (with three meals 
a day and medical care) is $50,000. Gangs inside American 
prisons are many and the most dangerous gangs are the 
religious ones. Muslim detainees constitute the norm in 
American prisons and they are susceptible to influence from 
extremists who may try to recruit them when they're released 
from prison. The most important thing in Middle East 
prisons, in general, is the executions--if criminals repent 
they may become like Al-Zarqawi, from a thief to a 
politician, to a defender of the faith (Mujahid). 
 
"A Salafi sheikh appeared on a Saudi satellite channel and 
narrated the following story: `Listen carefully O government 
and National Assembly. A Saudi extremist was jailed for his 
actions and I as a sheikh visited him in prison, I used to 
see him often as he drew tanks and bombs on the walls of his 
cell. After he served his sentence he left the prison and I 
met him in a mosques and I asked him, `are you still 
following the philosophy of Jihad, war and killing?' He 
answered, `No' and said, `Sheikh that was from a reckless 
youth.' After two weeks I heard his name announced on T.V. 
he was involved in killing an officer or group of policemen 
in a Saudi city. There is nothing useful you can do with 
those except execute them, you hear, execute them. Listen 
elected Iraqi government, listen.' 
 
"O life sentence government, your decision will fill Iraq's 
prisons with hundreds or perhaps thousands of Afghan Arabs. 
Thousands of new extremists will emerge and you are not up 
to it, Americans are not up to it either. 
 
"So if you are Egyptian, Afghan, Syrian or Tunisian or 
others who are starving then I would announce Jihad against 
the U.S.A, travel to Iraq to support my ideological brothers 
only to be caught by the Iraqi justice and be put in prison 
for a period of time with a free residency, three meals, 
medical insurance, access to sports, T.V (to watch the 
infidel's satellite channels that support Jihad-all so that 
I would not forget Jihad when I leave prison), Qur'anic 
recitation lessons, and then perhaps an Iraqi Mujahida 
(female Mujahid) will fall in love with me and my children 
will become Iraqis according to the new constitution? This 
is a great blessing of Jihad! I come to Iraq to kill Iraqis, 
set fire and destroy Iraq's wealth, Iraqis honor me with 
free residency, food and medical insurance only to get 
married to an Iraqi to let my children enjoy Iraq's fortunes 
which I come to waste. 
 
"Wake up government; wake up people for there isn't but 
death sentence for those bastards." 
 
SATTERFIELD