US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3733

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003733 
 
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, TAL 
AFAR; BAGHDAD 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major 
editorial theme of the daily newspapers on September 11, 
2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------ 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------ 
 
A. "The Constitution, A Step Forward" (Al-Adala, 9/11) 
B. "On the Threshold of Tal Afar" (Al-Bayyan, 9/11) 
C. "The Last Roll of the Constitutional Dice" (Al-Ittihad, 
9/11) 
D. "Agreement on the Constitution" (Al-Fourat, 9/11) 
E. "The Constitution and the Guarantees" (Ad-Dustoor, 9/11) 
F. "No Waiting for An SOS" (Al-Adala, 9/11) 
 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
--------------------------------------- 
 
A. "The Constitution, A Step Forward" 
(Al-Adala Newspaper, affiliated with SCIRI, published this 
page 14 editorial by Adnan Hardan) 
 
"The fruit bearing tree is felled with a stone as the 
proverb says, and here they are now hunting in wastewater. 
They are trying to put impediments in front of any new step 
the new Iraq is trying to take forward. These hindrance are 
in the form of vicious actions based on a return to the era 
of dictatorships. Their members are hard at work proving 
Machiavelli's theory that the end justifies the means, and 
attempting to sow the seeds of sectarianism and foment 
sedition among members of one family who all share the same 
house. More than this they are destroying everything in a 
most brutal way, killing the innocent wherever and whoever 
they are. 
 
"The most fruitful step for Iraqis, following the January 
election, is the constitution. A document has been absent 
from the people of Iraq for the last 35 years; laws were 
made one day and then canceled the next. Exemptions were 
issued for friends and relatives (e.g. the law exempting 
relatives of the former regime from military service) while 
the destitute were sentenced to death. In the fading light 
of dictatorship, the path toward freedom is lit and despite 
differences and healthy debates over the constitution the 
voice of the people will cry out during the coming 
referendum to ensure the continuity of the democratic 
process." 
 
B. "On the Threshold of Tal Afar" 
(Al-Bayyan, affiliated with the Islamic Ad-Dawa Party led by 
Al-Ja'afari, published this page-three column by Salim 
Rasoul about military operations in Tal Afar) 
 
"Yesterday, I heard from citizens of Tal Afar, who left 
their city to save their lives, how terrorists desecrated 
the area and targeted all sects in the city. This proves 
that Ba'athist terror does not belong to any nationality, 
sect or religion. In spite of this tragedy in Tal Afar, the 
Iraqi people continued helping their brothers. For instance, 
citizens of Karbala and Najaf provided displaced citizens of 
Tal Afar with shelter and this indicates how Iraqis are 
united in disasters. 
 
"A military expert said that Tal Afar is suffering from a 
deterioration in its security situation because it is a 
border town. Everyone knows that terrorists in Tal Afar 
allege to be part of the resistance. However, it has become 
very clear that what was happening in Tal Afar has nothing 
to do with resistance. Citizens of Tal Afar suffered from 
killings, beheading, looting and other crimes and I think 
such acts cannot be described as resistance against the 
occupation. Today, none of the Iraqi people accept such 
statements and Iraqis know exactly who is behind such calls. 
Those who issue such statements want to disrupt the progress 
of the political process in Iraq so that they can control 
the country again in the name of killing and destruction. We 
will no longer accept those calls that provoke terror." 
 
C. "The Last Roll of the Constitutional Dice" 
(Al-Ittihad, affiliated with the PUK led by Talabani, 
published this page-two editorial by Faryad Rawanduzi on 
Sunni attempts to reject the constitution) 
 
"Will the Sunni groups that oppose the constitution be able 
to reject it in the upcoming referendum? We know that in 
politics everything is possible. But, for instance, if the 
Shiites wanted to reject this constitution, the result would 
be very clear and I think there would be no need to hold a 
referendum. If we look at three Shiite provinces in the 
south of Iraq, we will see that they are sufficient to 
reject the constitution. The same thing can be applied to 
the Kurds. Concerning the Sunnis, there are four provinces 
where Sunnis are the majority. The first is Diyala province, 
which could be a weak card which Sunnis cannot bank on 
because there are Shiites, Kurds and Turkmen living in this 
province. 
"Those three groups will absolutely accept the constitution. 
The second province is Salah Ad-Din (Tikrit), which also 
cannot be considered a stronghold because there are Shiites, 
Kurds and Turkmen (the majority of whom are Shiites) who 
live in this province. In Ninewa (Mosul), thousands of Kurds 
have left the city because of intimidation by Sunni 
terrorist groups and they fled to Kurdish areas outside of 
the city of Mosul. If those Kurds are not able to 
participate in the referendum and all the Sunni Arabs in 
Mosul do, then Ninewa could reach the 67% ratio and reject 
the constitution. On the other hand, if all the Kurds, 
Turkmen and Christians are able to participate in the 
referendum, it will be difficult for the Sunnis in Mosul to 
reach the 67% needed to defeat it... 
 
"Al-Anbar (Ramadi) will be the last province and it does not 
contain any ethnic or sectarian diversities. Therefore, all 
indications are that this province will reject the 
constitution. This is because the Association of Muslim 
Scholars and the Sunni groups that are loyal to Saddam will 
stand against the constitution. 
 
"It seems that those who want to reject the constitution 
will not be able to gather the 67% total in three provinces 
as dictated by  paragraph C of Article 61 of the TAL. The 
current Sunni groups that negotiate in the constitutional 
process know this fact and will try their best efforts to 
hinder the birth of this constitution. For this reason, they 
are trying to roll doubles in the constitutional dice game 
so that they can get out of this crisis." 
 
D. "Agreement on the Constitution" 
(Al-Fourat, independent, anti-coalition, published this page- 
three editorial by Abdul Zahra Al-Talkani on the upcoming 
referendum) 
 
"Disagreement is normal everywhere and nobody can guarantee 
that there are people who can agree with each other in any 
country. A plurality of viewpoints is a healthy matter 
because it develops and promotes these points of view. Thus, 
the Iraqi people will not unanimously accept the 
constitution. Only constitutions that were drafted by 
tyrants had 100% of votes because dictators forced people to 
accept their constitutions and when people went to vote they 
were afraid the security forces might punish them for 
rejecting that constitution. 
 
"The Iraqi constitution has witnessed many stages since its 
birth and this constitution was  accepted by 95% of the 
Iraqi people. The disagreement is only over a few issues. 
However, these issues are very important because they deal 
with the country's destiny. We must focus our future 
dialogue on the rejection or acceptance of this 
constitution. This constitution was drafted while mortar 
rounds were falling on the constitutional committee's 
headquarters. This constitution was written after many 
Iraqis sacrificed their lives for it. On the other hand, 
some Iraqis consider this constitution to be an imperfect 
document that requires amendment. If we explore this 
constitution, we will find that it enshrines many important 
issues that will guarantee the rights of Iraqi people for 
hundreds of years. In addition, the constitutional 
committee, which drafted this constitution, made efforts to 
craft it in a way that satisfies all Iraqis. However, we 
know that the Iraqi people are difficult to please. But, I 
am sure that Iraqis will reach an agreement on the 
constitution and we will be waiting for the coming days to 
see the results." 
 
E. "The Constitution and the Guarantees" 
(Ad-Dustoor, independent, published this front-page 
editorial by Bassim Al-Sheikh about the constitution) 
 
"There is an insistent question that cannot be ignored about 
the constitution that was submitted to the National Assembly 
and will be put to vote in mid-October. The question is, who 
will insure that all of the good principles and legislation 
in the draft constitution will be implemented? What are the 
true guarantees and criteria for real justice and equality? 
Who will stand against those who do not want to implement 
the constitution and those who work against it? Who will 
ensure that there will be no revolutions or coup d'etats 
against the authority of the constitution? 
 
"Moreover, the legislative, judicial and the executive 
branches will not be able to protect the constitution 
because they all will be under threat if a certain group 
plans for a coup and then controls them. However, only the 
Iraqi people can answer these questions. They will protect 
the constitution by ratifying it in the upcoming referendum. 
Here, lays the real power of the nation, if the populace has 
an opportunity to be educated and become more conversant 
about the constitution and more aware of how important it is 
to have constitutional rights than this is the difference 
between modernity and illiteracy-- between democracy and 
dictatorship and between slavery and freedom. When people 
understand these facts, then no one will dare abuse those 
rights for any possible reason." 
 
F. "No Waiting for An SOS" 
(Al-Adala, affiliated with the Supreme Council for an 
Islamic Revolution in Iraq - SCIRI, published this page- 
three editorial by Dr. Ali Khaleef) 
 
"The   Iraqi   government  has  done  well  by   intervening 
militarily  in  Tal Afar to rid the city of  terrorists  who 
have occupied it, started to kill its innocent citizens, and 
commit genocide against the people who live in that peaceful 
area.  However,  this operation should have  been  conducted 
before.  The Iraqi government is responsible for  all  Iraqi 
land  and  all Iraqis should protect their people  and  land 
without waiting for an SOS. 
 
"They  should  eliminate terrorists throughout  Iraq.  Those 
criminals killed our people solely because they belonged  to 
different  sects  or religions. The same  thing  happens  in 
Baghdad;  there  are  many families who have  begun  leaving 
their  homes  in  the Al-Doura area because terrorists  have 
intimidated  them and therefore they cannot live  peacefully 
any longer. 
 
"We do not want to create another Tal Afar in Baghdad or  in 
any other area in Iraq. Instead, we want to see the rule  of 
law  spread and security cover the entire country.  Everyday 
we hear and see intimidation against people and we know that 
there  are groups trying to foster and support terrorism  in 
Iraq.  I  think those are more dangerous than the terrorists 
themselves  because  they  provide  shelter  and  cover  for 
terrorists  who kill innocent people. I am sure  that  those 
who  conduct  killings and kidnappings in  Baghdad  are  not 
necessarily  residents  of the city but  instead  come  from 
outside  Baghdad. Indeed, our problem is those  who  support 
terrorists; the government must enact quick measures against 
anyone trying to terrorize innocent citizens so that we will 
not hear another SOS like the one heard in Tal Afar." 
 
SATTERFIELD