US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4273

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004273 
 
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, Elections 
SUBJECT: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - October 17, 2005 
 
SUMMARY: Discussions of the constitutional referendum, 
problems with the IECI, and electoral bribery were the major 
editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on 
October 17, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------- 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A.   "What Happened Has Happened . We Should Look Forward" 
  (Iraq 4 All News, 10/17) 
B. "Iraqi Referendum . Facts and Guidance" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 
10/17) 
C. "IECI Objects to Americans' Behavior, But." (Independent 
Iraqi News Agency, 10/17) 
D. "Nagham Al-Timimi, Oman Channel Correspondent! Who Is 
Responsible for Suing Her?" (Watan Lil Jamee, 10/17) 
 
SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. "What Happened Has Happened . We Should Look Forward" 
(Editorial by Fatih Abdul Salam - Iraq 4 All News - 
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=10349 ) 
 
"Mistakes, and even sins, were committed during the 
constitutional referendum, starting with forging the number 
of registered voters in certain locations and ending with 
voters not being able to reach polling stations in some 
locations. There were delays in opening [polling] stations; 
militias who stole ballot boxes in rural areas; and failures 
to inform citizens of the constitution's contents because 
draft copies were delivered only days before the 
referendum-and this is on top of the high percentage of 
illiteracy among Iraqis. This forced many people to cling to 
bits and pieces of the draft that do not reveal the true 
meaning of the script and how it affects the country's 
future. 
 
"We expected to benefit from the experience we gained after 
the flaws of the previous election; but we did not, which 
indicates the possibility that this experience will not be 
used in the future when elections are held in December. 
Political processes require the government to remain open- 
minded regarding all Iraqi regions and rural areas. The 
government must be fully aware of details, and listen and 
immediately reply to complaints. It is not possible to rely 
entirely on the mechanisms of electoral commissions. 
 
"The new test is coming, so have we prepared for it? Will we 
resume from where we left off, or will we start from 
scratch?" 
 
B. "Iraqi Referendum . Facts and Guidance" 
(From Al-Ittihad, published on Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice of 
Iraq" http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles- 
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17539 ) 
 
"The first simple lesson in democracy that should be 
understood by all those concerned with the Iraqi situation 
is to respect the opinion of the majority regardless of how 
much they disagree with it. This fact, as simple as it may 
be, will determine the features of Iraq's future after final 
results of the referendum are announced. Those who boycotted 
the process, those who voted `no,' and those who supported 
the draft constitution are required to respect the result 
and make use of it as they build toward the next set of 
significant political events, including parliamentary 
elections, formation of the government, and preparing for a 
new permanent political stage. 
 
"Even though the referendum results are not yet known, what 
happened on that day offers many points that should be 
reflected upon thoroughly. First, the day of the referendum 
was the calmest in Iraq for months; those betting on rivers 
of blood flowing through streets and terrorists 
demonstrating scenes of violence that fail to distinguish 
between women, children, elderly people, and those trying to 
make a living for their families, were disappointed. This 
indicates a very important fact: all Iraqis have had enough 
of deteriorating conditions; they decided to cling to the 
hope embedded within the constitution, even if points of 
difference remain. It also indicates that terrorists failed 
to fulfill their self-endorsed image that they are larger 
than [forces trying to] contain them, and that security and 
public awareness can put an end to their destructive action. 
 
"Information is leaking from certain regions indicating that 
the constitution will be approved and that two-thirds of 
Iraqis eligible to vote turned out on polling day; 
regardless, those who opposed the constitution during the 
drafting process and those who supported the draft with or 
without reservations should all prepare themselves to absorb 
the first lesson of democracy: to respect the result and, 
most of all, to prepare to participate in the political 
process. After the final results are announced, there will 
be no place for those trying to turn back the clock." 
 
C. "IECI Objects to Americans' Behavior, But." 
(Editorial by Serdar Kawani - Independent Iraqi News Agency 
- http://www.normal.iraq-ina.com/showarticles.p hp?id=1487 ) 
 
"I read a piece of news titled: `IECI objects to Americans' 
behavior.' I was surprised at this news because I noticed 
the Commission itself violates election laws. The Commission 
has authority over Americans and demands [they] `hand over 
video and photography equipment to the Commission.' A 
commander of U.S. forces sent a formal apology. 
 
"But when the Irbil Education Directorate refused to hand 
over a set of school's keys to the Commission, the 
Commission could not force the Directorate to abide by the 
law. Instead, the Commission carried out the Irbil Education 
Directorate's demands.They violated election laws, including 
Article 15, Item B. The judges and lawyers [associated with 
the Electoral Commission] were replaced with the schools' 
headmasters even though the judges and lawyers participated 
in courses to work as [referendum] coordinators. As a result 
of these violations, the referendum process and the Irbil 
bureau of the Election Commission were vulnerable to many 
problems in managing polling centers. 
 
"When I told the head of the Irbil Bureau: `Go ahead sir, 
solve all these problems,' he answered: `What can I do?' I 
told him that this decision will cause many problems.Isn't 
it surprising that the commission has power over U.S forces, 
and yet it cannot decide to execute election laws and 
implement its decisions? Or is there something behind the 
scenes? The elections and referendum processes were 
fulfilled so Iraq can achieve a state of law and 
institutions. 
 
"How is that the Supreme Independence Commission?" 
 
D. "Nagham Al-Timimi, Oman Channel Correspondent! Who Is 
Responsible for Suing Her?" 
(Editorial by Widad Fakher - Watan Lil Jamee - "Homeland for 
All" - 
http://www.wattan4all.com/viewarticle.php?id= 5910&pg=article 
s ) 
 
"Arabic prostitution channels have crossed their boundaries, 
especially since the fall of the idol of Auja [Auja refers 
to the birthplace of Saddam Hussein] on 9 September (sic) 
[April] 2003. There is no ministerial or legal authority to 
hold them [the channels] accountable. One of the Arabic 
prostitution channels is Al-Jazeera; its real owner, Donald 
Rumsfeld, American Secretary of Defense, drew a red line 
that the Iraqi government cannot cross. Al-Jazeera takes 
cover behind the largest American bases in the world: Al- 
`Adiad and Al-Siliya in Qatar, both `guarded' by the 
Americans. The second [channel] is.Al-Arabiya, headed by a 
Saudi journalist and the former editor-in-chief of the Saudi 
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid. 
 
"Today, on 15 October 2005, a correspondent of a television 
channel asked some Iraqi citizens to stand in front of her 
camera after they received $5 to shout `no' to the 
constitution during the Iraqis' referendum and festive 
carnival. The electronic Elaph newspaper published this 
piece of news the same day and.disclosed the journalist and 
her criminal act. Nagham Al-Timimi claimed she practiced her 
democratic right by instigating people to say `no' to the 
constitution in exchange for a bribe. The news segment was: 
`commission member Hamdiya Al-Husseini said the level of 
participation was average all in all. she clarifies that a 
journalist who is working for an Arab channel gave $5 for 
every person who said `no,' the monitors were informed.' But 
she did not mention the journalist's identity or the 
channels she works for. However, media sources said Oman 
Sultanate satellite channel correspondent, Nagham Al-Timimi, 
was seen in front of an electoral center in Baghdad asking a 
woman who voted `yes' to the constitution to stand in front 
of her camera and shout `no' in exchange for $5. Then one of 
the [election] monitors saw her, so he stopped her and asked 
why she did this. She replied that she was practicing her 
`democratic' right. The monitor demanded that she remain 
where she was as he went to get guards to explain the issue; 
when he returned with police, they found that she had 
escaped with her crew. 
 
"This correspondent's action can be described as criminal, 
starting from the bribe, forgery, and betrayal of press 
duty-which requires legitimacy in conveying news and 
absolute fairness. We ask the IECI, MOI, security forces, 
and national security advisors to tell us what they are 
going to do about that correspondent, especially since a 
referendum monitor was a witness and was supposed to spit on 
her face in front of her camera instead of filing a 
complaint. 
 
"Millions of Iraqis and I are waiting to see what the Iraqi 
authorities will do, especially because the correspondent is 
Iraqi-what a shame! She claims she is from Timimi tribe?" 
 
KHALILZAD