US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4138

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004138 
 
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, Terrorism, Elections, BAGHDAD 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, CONSTITUTION, 
ELECTIONS, TERRORISM, IRAQI FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ARAB LEAGUE; 
BAGHDAD 
 
 
SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution, Elections, 
Terrorism, Iraqi Foreign Affairs, and the Arab League were 
the major editorial themes of the daily newspapers on 
October 6, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
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A. "This Morning" (Al-Sabah Al-Jadeed, 10/6) 
B. "Has the Arab Solution Come Too Late?" (Al-Fourat, 10/6) 
C. "Satellite News Channels and their Polls" (Al-Ittihad, 
10/6) 
D. "The Arabs' Attitudes Toward Iraq" (Al-Dawa, 10/6) 
E. "Ramadan and Terrorism" (Al-Adala, 10/6) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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A. "This Morning" 
Al-Sabah Al-Jadeed, independent, published this front-page 
editorial by Ismael Zayyer: 
 
"We have two main problems in Iraq today. The first is that 
we do not have good contact with the rest of the world, and 
in particular the Arab world, because the entire world has 
failed to understand the extent of our suffering under the 
former regime. The world does not comprehend the depth of 
our wounds and pain. Simply put, we do not have clear 
relationships with others because the dynamics of these 
relationships remain unclear. 
 
"The second problem is that we have some political parties 
that are able to dominate the whole political process-- 
parties and movements that are entirely disparate. But, they 
united their efforts for the sake of one goal that was to 
end dictatorship in Iraq. This goal caused us, as Iraqis, to 
establish an alliance with the Americans in spite of our 
differing interests and opinions on how to achieve the 
objective and topple Saddam's regime. Though it seems that 
the Iraqi people have disagreements about everything, they 
agreed to one thing and that was opposing Saddam. 
 
"We have not paid more attention to our objections with the 
U.S. because our national interests were more important than 
everything else. However, we still lack the initiative to 
remove the obstacles that are barriers to democracy. If we 
want to achieve our objectives we have to quickly convene an 
inclusive national initiative to unify this country." 
 
B. "Has the Arab Solution Come Too Late?" 
Al-Fourat, independent, anti-coalition published this page- 
two editorial by Mohammed Hannon: 
 
"Iraqi political players were surprised by a late initiative 
from the Arab League, launched from Riyadh after a visit by 
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq [Zalmay] Khalilzad during an 
intensive initiative that included Arab and international 
factions, included to save the U.S. operation in Iraq from 
crisis. We realize that the Arabs have political influence 
in Iraq but they have waited, carelessly, to see who the 
winner would be while Iraqis shed their blood on a daily 
basis. Although, we believe the Arab initiative has come 
late we nevertheless consider it important to unify Iraq 
under the Arab tent. 
 
"We want this initiative to be effective for all Iraqis 
without regard to sect or religious denomination in order to 
allow everyone the opportunity to speak about their 
interests. We believe that Iraqis are capable of solving 
their problems without force. They will also become involved 
with all Arab and international political entities if they 
find it benefits national reconciliation. They realize now 
that this reconciliation is important, especially if it 
comes through an Arab initiative because Arabs know better 
than anyone else that it is impossible for Iraq to deny its 
Arab principals and origins." 
 
C. "Satellite News Channels and their Polls" 
Al-Ittihad, pro coalition, affiliated with the PUK led by 
Jalal Al-Talabani, published this page-three column by Abdul 
Hadi Mahdi: 
 
"Large numbers of newspapers, magazines and other media 
organizations have appeared in Iraq following long decades 
of dictatorship where the media subordinated itself to the 
government's direction and instructions which were aimed 
solely at supporting the regime and perpetuating its 
policies. This policy led to control over the Iraqi media 
and prohibited them from exercising freedom and creativity 
which led to Iraqi mistrust of the local media. But when the 
winds of change blew into Iraq in April 2003, the Iraqi 
media woke up. The picture of the Iraqi media is totally 
different from what it was in the past, it now belongs to 
the people of Iraq who guide the media-in the interests of 
the people. 
 
"A few days ago, one of the new Iraqi satellite news 
channels, which has not yet commenced official broadcast, 
conducted a poll on federalism. No one opposes polls, but at 
the same time they are double edged swords and those 
conducting them should base them on proven scientific 
methods before announcing the results. 
 
"The satellite news channel that I mentioned above, asked 
one question in its poll: `Will Federalism divide Iraq?' 
These channels create the possibilities for many types of 
results based on the manner and structure of their 
questions. Those running the stations may have agendas for 
posing certain types of questions, or perhaps their 
owners/investors impose their will, or it's possible the 
people implementing the polls are technically ignorant and 
have no background in the subject matter (i.e. federalism). 
 
"Iraqis won't accept the division of Iraq, and there is very 
big difference between dividing the country and federalism 
and those running satellite channels realize this. 
Federalism will become a reality in Iraq because it's 
included in the first article of the constitution which 
says, `The Republic of Iraq is an independent, sovereign 
nation, and the system of rule in it is a democratic, 
federal, representative (parliamentary) republic.' Therefore 
we need to disseminate these principles and make citizens 
aware of them-the media should assume responsibility for 
this. Actually, those who saw this poll wished that the 
channel would review its methodology so it can properly 
perform its role in the new Iraq." 
 
D. "The Arabs' Attitudes Toward Iraq" 
Al-Dawa, affiliated with Islamic Al-Dawa Party, led by Al- 
Anzi, published this back-page editorial by Haitham Al- 
Fraiji: 
 
"The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saud Al-Faisal, 
declared that the U.S. has divided Iraq and it handed it to 
Iran. This statement is unrealistic and for this reason we 
demand that Al-Faisal explain to us what he means by 
division. Does the removal of the dictator mean division? 
Why were Arab countries, and especially Saudi Arabia, silent 
about Saddam's crimes and tyranny? We all know that those 
countries assisted Saddam in hiding facts and also helped 
him crush the 1991 intifadah in the north and south of Iraq. 
However, the [predominately Sunni] `white cities' did not 
participate in that intifadah and now these cities represent 
a source for terrorism. 
 
"Perhaps, these cities provide terrorism through media 
coverage, logistics and weapons. [Middle] Eastern regimes 
generally suffer from a problem called democracy because it 
destroys their dreams and causes rulers to live in a state 
of permanent worry. It seems that the lights of freedom have 
started to reach dictatorial regimes and for this reason 
these regimes have begun to fight the lights that shine from 
Iraq. Al-Faisal's words indicate that such statements aim to 
divide Iraqis and incite them to fight one another. We 
cannot remain silent about terrorism that comes from Saudi 
Arabia, Jordan, and Syria. We all know that the Gulf States' 
money is being paid to support global terrorism. 
 
"We haven't heard of any Iraqis blowing themselves up in car 
bombs near a school in Saudi Arabia or other Gulf states. 
However, we know that these countries support and fund 
terrorism. In any case, the Iraqi people will never forget 
their wounds nor will they ever forget those who incited 
sedition amongst Iraqis. I do not know how the U.S. handed 
Iraq to Iran. Are the Iranian forces settled in the south 
and center of Iraq and have they started to openly control 
those areas? I just want to ask Al-Faisal, can he interfere 
in Qatar, UAE, Oman or Yemen's internal affairs; those 
countries publicly welcome diplomatic relations with Israel 
without any embarrassment. Can he say Israel occupied Egypt, 
Jordan or other Arab countries when it opened embassies in 
their capitals? I think this a double-faced policy that 
represents tyranny and oppression." 
 
E. "Ramadan and Terrorism" 
Al-Adala, affiliated with SCIRI led by Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, 
published this page-three editorial by Dr. Ali Khalif: 
 
"The holy month of Ramadan has come while Iraqis are 
experiencing democracy and looking forward to participate in 
the referendum. Without a doubt, those who espose Islam and 
at the same time kill our people every day, are not 
believers. If they were really Muslims they would not have 
killed humans during this holy month. 
 
"At the beginning of this month, terrorists waged terrorist 
attacks in different areas in Iraq and those attacks led to 
the spilling of sacred blood and the killing of innocent 
Iraqis. We want to know why those killers have targeted 
innocent Iraqis during this holy month. In fact, Ramadan has 
stigmatized the crimes of those killers. In addition, this 
holy month will witness the referendum which the Iraqi 
people have been waiting for in order to defeat terrorists 
and their supporters. 
 
"Terrorists have two choices. Either they'll increase their 
attacks or they'll announce defeat in front of the Iraqi 
people. Terrorists will definitely resort to the first 
option. However, they are about to be defeated especially in 
light of the successes of the Iraqi security forces which 
were able to strike at the hiding places of terrorists and 
eliminate their safe-havens. I am sure that within a few 
days, and after the approval of the new Iraqi constitution 
in this holy month, we will see the lights of hope 
illuminated in our country. We know that terrorists do not 
care about the holiness of this month or the sacredness of 
the human soul. But, we were astonished to see some groups 
and associations that still have ambiguous stances toward 
terrorism. Those groups try to describe terrorists and 
terrorist operations with strange names and have remained 
silent--they fail to call terrorists criminal killers." 
 
KHALILZAD