US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4222

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004222 
 
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 - October 13, 2005 
 
 
SUMMARY: Discussions of the constitutional referendum and 
reasons for voting `yes' or `no' are the major editorial 
themes of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on October 13, 
2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------- 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A.   "Why We Say `Yes" to the Constitution" (Al-Sawt Al- 
  Iraq, 10/13) 
B. "The Zionist Constitution, Playing with Iraqis' Feelings" 
(Kitabat, 10/13) 
 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. "Why We Say `Yes" to the Constitution" 
(Editorial by Majed Lafta Al-Ubaidi - Al-Sawt Al-Iraq - "The 
Voice of Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/ ) 
 
"Since the draft constitution was published in media 
outlets, many forums and discussions were convened to study 
it. These discussions were conducted by a combination of 
different Iraqi political and social groups that want to say 
`yes' to the constitution and groups that want to say `no' 
to the constitution. Dozens of symposia and meetings were 
held to bring consensus to the constitution. Politicians 
were able to reach a compromise by agreeing to enable the 
next National Assembly the ability to amend the constitution 
four months after the upcoming parliamentary elections on 
December 15. 
 
"Those amendments to the constitution were passed on 
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 by the National Assembly. 
However, they have not convinced the groups that reject 
participation in the peaceful political process to take part 
in the referendum and say `yes' to the constitution. These 
groups claim that this constitution is sectarian because it 
was drafted under the occupation. In addition, they say that 
current Iraqi politicians do not want to achieve real 
national reconciliation because they do not negotiate with 
the so called `national resistance,' which is in fact a 
radical, nationalist, Ba'athist and Salafist set of groups. 
If we look at the statements of Jawad Al-Khalessi, Saleh Al- 
Mutlag, Harith Al-Dhari and other groups that bet on the 
return of dictatorship, we would see that they use terrorism 
as a tool to politically apply pressure to disrupt the 
political process and disseminate chaos and destabilization 
in the country. 
 
"The wiser of the Iraqi political groups consider the 
current political process solid and expect that the 
constitution will pass. If we say `yes' to the constitution 
it means that we will prevent the return of dictatorship, 
which can be restored in a new way through implementing an 
Iranian experiment, a nationalist state or a military 
dictatorship. Those clever groups realize that this move 
will be the key to restore independence and will set the 
stage for the withdrawal of the occupiers. We all know that 
the whole political process was orchestrated under the 
protection of those occupiers. However, the constitution was 
written by the hands of patriotic Iraqis in spite of their 
divergent viewpoints. Voting for the constitution means that 
we will vote for democratic progress in the new Iraq. Those 
who call for rejecting the constitution will lose in the end 
because they support terrorism and chaos." 
 
B. "The Zionist Constitution, Playing with Iraqis' Feelings" 
(Editorial by Abed Al-Jubouri - Kitabat - "Writings" - 
http://www.kitabat.com/i9012.htm ) 
 
"There are two days until the referendum on the Zionist 
constitution that was basically designed by Noah Feldman, a 
thirty-six year old American citizen born of a Jewish 
mother. This constitution was submitted to fifty-five 
members [constitutional committee members] and fifteen weak 
ones [Sunnis], who formed a completely weak drafting 
committee. 
 
"Statements flowed between agreement and disagreement until 
it [the constitution] became a muddled vision for the simple 
Iraqi citizen who could not distinguish anything, as he did 
not receive any version of the constitution until today. It 
was claimed that five million copies had been distributed 
with food rations. However, since the citizens did not 
receive their ration shares, which they care about much more 
than the constitution, they did not get their copies of the 
constitution. 
 
"All people look forward to the patriotic powers that reject 
the occupation and they wait for a clear, frank statement 
demanding that Iraqis completely boycott the referendum and 
prevent its legalization. Legalization might give it 
justification for the division of Iraq and its people in the 
future. These groups issuing statements and speeches 
frustrate us; they showed us that they are clearly divided. 
It was that traitor, Mohsen Abdulhamid [leader of the Iraqi 
Islamic Party], whose party agreed on the U.S.-Zionist 
agendas in a meeting headed by the U.S. Ambassador, 
Khalilzad. They announced the agreement on the fake 
document. 
 
"The National Dialogue Council and two other patriotic 
parties remained silent regarding today's meeting. We 
understand the American-Israeli threats and pressures on 
those silent powers who reject a new Sykes-Picot for Iraq 
[refers to the 1916 agreement between Great Britain and 
France to divide the territory previously under the control 
of the Ottoman Empire into their own spheres of influence]. 
But they should announce publicly and before God that they 
are unable to represent the group on whose behalf they 
speak, or announce courageously their complete withdrawal 
from this sinful process in order to prove themselves not 
guilty in the historical records. 
 
"All bets on the Al-Sadr trend have failed; we thought that 
this trend would be truly patriotic and capable of handling 
any national responsibility. There is nothing left for these 
poor people except relying on themselves and boycotting the 
referendum, as we hope." 
 
 
KHALILZAD