US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4127

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004127 
 
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, Parliament, Sunni Arab 
SUBJECT: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - October 5, 2005 
 
SUMMARY: Discussions of the referendum, the Iraqi Interior 
Minister's statements, and frustration with Sunni Arabs were 
the major editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language 
websites on October 5, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------- 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A.   "A Movie Theater" (Iraq 4 All News, 10/5) 
B. "To the Minister of Interior: Iraq's Interests Should 
Come First" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 10/5) 
C. "The End of Iraq's Unity" (Nahrain, 10/5) 
D. "It's Neither the Right Time, Nor the Right Place" 
(Independent Iraqi News Agency, 10/5) 
 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. "A Movie Theater" 
(Editorial by Fatih Abdul Salam - Iraq 4 All News - 
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=10213 ) 
 
"I have always wondered about many questions concerning the 
same basic idea, which might seem too late to consider. But 
in Iraq, where crises interact, there is no harm in 
broaching an idea late, as long as it concerns the most 
significant political issue in the country. These above- 
mentioned questions center on the following: 
 
"The parliament is transitional, the government 
transitional, the presidency transitional, resolutions 
transitional, and everyone is waiting for elections to 
provide a permanent parliament and government. How can we 
demand that a transitional period must result in a permanent 
constitution? Why can't Iraq be patient enough to wait two 
more months when a permanent parliament will follow from the 
elections, and then we can start drafting a permanent 
constitution? Besides, who can point out one Iraqi outside 
of the political scene who respects any sacred date that 
politicians usually worship? 
 
"Another question: Why do we describe the constitution as 
permanent instead of using the mere phrase `the Iraqi 
constitution' since nothing written in the document is 
permanent, and everything could be subject to modification? 
 
"Politicians should take a minute to think about answers to 
the questions they do not like, because these answers could 
be the means for alleviating tension and reconnecting broken 
bonds among sectors of society that feel cut off from the 
new life. Some try to portray this as a life where access is 
granted to those with reservations only, as if we were at a 
theater . maybe we are." 
 
B. "To the Minister of Interior: Iraq's Interests Should 
Come First" 
(Editorial by Muaid Abdul Satar - Sawt Al-Iraq - "Voice of 
Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles- 
iraq/nieuws.php?id=16781 ) 
 
"The statements of the Iraqi Interior Minister, Baqir Jabr 
Al-Zubaidi, have created widespread discontent among Arab 
media outlets and Arab politicians in Saudi Arabia and other 
Arab countries. If anyone is searching for political hot 
topics, then the minister's statements are the best sources. 
Additionally, anyone seeking to offend Iraq's neighbors will 
find a great deal of help in the minister's statements. I 
cannot understand how the minister lost his temper and spoke 
such severe words that undermine the people of a neighboring 
country, especially since the most important qualities 
required of a minister are to demonstrate wisdom and 
courtesy. 
 
"I felt sorry for our respectable minister. It never 
occurred to me that he would be capable of offending a 
neighboring country with such words. The minister would have 
been better off inviting the Saudi minister to his ministry, 
or even to his home, and demonstrating to him through calm 
discussion, the consequences of his [the Saudi minister's] 
statements. He could let the Saudi minister in on facts 
about which he is unaware, in order to dispel any fears. If 
the minister cannot follow these rules, then he should not 
have been appointed as a minister; maybe another job would 
have been more suitable. Ministries follow rules, and these 
rules should be observed. 
 
"It might be a little harsh if I were to demand that the 
National Assembly summon the minister for questioning and 
demand an apology for such statements. But I would like to 
say that political parties should reconsider their nominees 
for government posts because our nation can no longer bear 
the consequences of additional mistakes. I am trying to 
imagine what the situation would be like if our minister of 
interior would attend a meeting of interior ministers in 
Riyadh or Jeddah, or even if the minister wanted to go on 
pilgrimage to Mecca. 
 
"Mistakes at senior posts have serious repercussions, with 
national and personal consequences. That is why ministers 
are cautioned not to offend anyone, even their 
opponents-except for former regime ministers who had their 
own rules to follow, and hopefully that era has ended." 
 
C. "The End of Iraq's Unity" 
(Editorial by Baha'a Sabeeh Al Faili - Nahrain - "Two 
Rivers" - 
http://www.nahrain.com/d/news/05/10/04/nhr010 4z.html ) 
 
"There is not a clear understanding of Sunni demands for 
changes or reforms in writing the constitution. When I heard 
such demands I thought I was listening to a joke. I cannot 
imagine a criminal asking a judge in a courtroom to change 
his verdict, but it is possible for the judge to set 
conditions based on which the criminal can be set free. 
 
"The brothers of Sunni Arabs destroyed all ties with other 
Iraqis when they allied with Saddam and allowed themselves 
to be weapons that Saddam used to hit the people. I do not 
believe they can deny that they harbor terrorists coming 
from overseas. Many Ba'athist terrorists and infidels are 
among them; hence, the equation cannot be solved the way 
they want. 
 
"They ought to listen to and implement our conditions if 
they really want to stay with us! We will not stay with 
them! .Our conditions are logical and we have the right to 
demand them to keep our people safe. Our conditions are: 
 
"1). Brothers of Sunnis Arab should no longer look at other 
Iraqi people arrogantly. 
"2). They should turn in all the terrorists who harbored 
them. 
"3). They should turn in the Ba'athists who committed crimes 
against Iraqi people. 
"4). They should not demand cancellation of the law that 
excludes Ba'athists. 
"5). They should vote for the constitution. 
 
"Those are the conditions that should be met so we can think 
about forgiving the damned past and granting them another 
chance, because we are at a crossroads and we might never 
meet again." 
 
D. "It's Neither the Right Time, Nor the Right Place" 
(Editorial by Ja'afar Mohammed Ahmed - Independent Iraqi 
News Agency - http://www.normal.iraq- 
ina.com/showarticles.php?id=1442 ) 
 
"The emerging differences among Iraqi leaders and the public 
statements that strongly criticize Saudi Arabia are 
inappropriate-inappropriate at this time, in this place, 
inappropriate for Iraq and for its peoples' interests. We 
are at the threshold of a referendum battle and the start of 
the former Iraqi president's trial. The number of suicide 
operations has escalated and there are fierce military 
attacks launched by the American occupation forces in 
Western Iraq. 
 
"The outburst of the crisis between Iraqi president Jalal 
Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Al Ja'fari was expected 
because of `hidden differences' between them since the time 
when the interim government was formed. But what attracted 
our attention was that the escalation of these differences 
took place at a very critical time for the two parties-less 
than two weeks before the constitutional referendum. 
 
"The exciting thing is that during a meeting attended by 
Talabani, Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barazani, and 
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad in Salahuddin 
province, President Talabani explicitly accused the Prime 
Minister of violating articles of the agreement between the 
Kurdish List and the United Iraqi Alliance. The parliament 
did well when they decided to solve the crisis by hosting 
Talabani and Ja'fari in a candid and transparent session to 
reach a solution that would satisfy all parties. 
 
"The Iraqi escalation vis--vis Saudi Arabia following 
Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal's warnings of external 
interference in Iraq was not good timing. It was a strongly 
worded critique by Interior Minister Bayan Jabr Solag 
against Saudi Arabia. It would not be said to a true 
neighboring country that cares about maintaining Iraq's Arab 
identity, unity, and stability. Unfortunately, the criticism 
coincided with the Committee of Arab Ministers meeting that 
was supposed to set a strategy to support and rebuild Iraq. 
 
"Iraq now is facing the threat of civil war and sectarian 
discord; its people are living a troubled fate and they need 
the support of their brothers in this period." 
 
KHALILZAD