US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4297

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 004297 
 
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 18, 2005 
 
SUMMARY: Discussions of the strengths and weaknesses of the 
constitution, and the desire to try former regime members 
were the major editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language 
websites on October 18, 2005. END SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
A.   "The Iraqi Constitution and Another Incomplete Mission" 
  (Iraq 4 All News, 10/18) 
B. "Constitution without Agreement" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 10/18) 
C. "Everyone Who Says No to the Constitution Will Be 
Ashamed" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 10/17) 
D. "This Is the Best Compensation for Iraqis" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 
10/18) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
A. "The Iraqi Constitution and Another Incomplete Mission" 
(Editorial by Abdul Wahab Bader Khan - Iraq 4 All News - 
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=10367 ) 
 
"The `new' Iraq does not need a constitution that documents 
power-sharing among parties that emerged from occupation and 
invasion; it needs a simpler constitution that emphasizes 
the common factors shared by all components of society. Only 
this type of constitution would be a unifying factor for 
Iraq. In the current document, Iraq is mentioned repeatedly 
as a torn entity, reflecting the country's present more than 
its future. What is worse is that one of the powerful 
parties overlooks its responsibility to rebuild Iraq, and 
instead only acknowledges its narrow interests. 
 
"Reality is stronger than any script. What is witnessed on 
the ground is stronger than all the discussions that took 
place during the months of the constitutional process. There 
is another constitution that has been established on the 
ground and it will be the one implemented-but without any 
referendum; it is the constitution that was formed during 
the governing council, the transitional government, and the 
following transitional government through militia-type 
thinking, through corruption, and through opening doors of 
chaos, which is welcomed by terrorists as a gift that 
permits further bloodshed. 
 
"The referendum that was carried out is expected to yield a 
`positive' result; it serves the American agenda at the 
desired time-without any delays. President Bush will be able 
to claim today or tomorrow that `another victory' has been 
achieved in Iraq. But Americans are no longer in the mood to 
hail such triumphs. The only thing concerning them about the 
Iraqi constitution is the possibility of withdrawing troops. 
As for the rosy dream portrayed by their president of a 
quiet and clean occupation that provides the opportunity to 
export democracy: this dream has died with time. 
 
"The only concern for us is Iraq and Iraqis. Have they 
actually taken a step towards stability? There is no doubt 
that a constitution is an essential step in the process of 
building a state, but what state? And what constitution? 
Since no agreement was reached, all that was hoped for 
through the constitution has been postponed. 
 
"It will soon be clear that problems were not embedded 
within the constitution, but within the practices and 
implementations of scripts. These practices that were 
inspired by militias have been modified to become the basis 
of a state in which narrow interests prevail. I believe that 
fair `distribution of wealth' will be a good example to 
demonstrate that all constitutional items are nothing more 
than writing in the sand." 
 
B. "Constitution without Agreement" 
(Editorial by Hisham Al-Qorawi - Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice 
of Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles- 
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17610 ) 
 
"A number of analysts believe that the constitution 
supported by most of the National Assembly members will fail 
to achieve any of the Bush administration's significant 
goals, as this draft has failed to achieve the national 
accord sought by different [factions] in Iraq. 
 
"This assumption is not based on the content of the draft, 
but on reactions expressed by the main Iraqi factions, and 
especially the Sunni Arabs. It is true that the draft 
prevents the formation of an Islamic state that was feared 
by many; it is also true that the draft avoided glorifying 
Shiite clerics and provided Sunnis with a basis to prevent 
any type of Shiite or Kurdish suppression against them. But 
if the insurgency that almost drove Iraq to a state of 
paralysis were to end, then Sunnis, who form the basis of 
the insurgency, should view the constitution as a wise and 
tolerant document that guarantees them a safe home in Iraq. 
 
"The fact is that most Sunnis see the constitution, in its 
current form, as a document that would tear Iraq apart and 
result in Iran taking over most of the southern region, thus 
impoverishing the Sunnis economically as Shiites and Kurds 
grow to dominate oil and gas resources. They also see the 
eradication of Ba'ath party members as an attempt to 
eliminate all Sunnis from the government and army. They 
believe that the U.S. was more intent on presenting the 
draft on time than addressing Sunni concerns, despite 
American efforts to convince Shiites and Kurds not to ignore 
Sunni reservations. 
 
"Sunnis' basic concerns involve the formation of new federal 
regions that control natural resources and security forces; 
Sunnis might have trained themselves to accept a Kurdish 
region, but a Shiite southern region is unacceptable, 
especially given the high potential for new discoveries of 
oil and gas in the region. This would mean that any Shiite 
control would lead to their [Sunni] deprivation of an 
economic future. As for security forces, constitutional 
items allow the regions to form security forces [a security 
force would have jurisdiction within a governorate's 
borders]; it thus weakens any motivation to join national 
security forces. This would lead to the possibility of 
security forces in Sunni regions being composed of those 
insurgents who now carry weapons." 
 
C. "Everyone Who Says No to the Constitution Will Be 
Ashamed" 
(Editorial by Saif Allah Ali - Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice of 
Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles- 
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17586 ) 
 
"Yes to freedom and democracy, and yes to the other opinion. 
Humans are free; the mind is free; and opinion is free. How 
beautiful the word `no' is when it is put in the right 
context, and how ugly it is if it is put in an inappropriate 
context. According to my basic information, the conflict 
between `yes' and `no' intensifies during elections due to 
conflicts among parties and movements [seeking] to gain 
authority, even at the expense of the people's hopes. 
 
"They [parties and movements] deceive them by adopting 
programs that toy with people's emotions and win their 
confidence. With regard to voting.the draft constitution is 
genuine and it has guarantees for all spectrums of Iraqi 
people, ethnicities, and religions. So who voted against it? 
The writer Ahmed Al-Shemrai wrote in his articles about 
stupid Shiite donkeys; I add the dirty Sunni pigs-they voted 
against the constitution because they benefited from the 
fallen regime. They are sectarian or ignorant like Shiite 
donkeys. 
 
"I understand Sunni pigs vote against the constitution 
because they are worse off, but I cannot understand how some 
Shiites reject the constitution when it guarantees all their 
rights, from which they were formerly deprived. Are there 
any donkeys more stupid than those? When those donkeys and 
pigs see the advancement and development of Iraq, they will 
be ashamed because they stand against the will and ambitions 
of Iraqi people." 
 
D. "This Is the Best Compensation for Iraqis" 
(Editorial by Hussein Ali Ghalib - Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice 
of Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles- 
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17616 ) 
 
"An Iraqi official mentioned that there is a program 
arranged by Iraqi and international experts that offers 
financial compensation and additional compensation for our 
people who suffered under the former regime due to bloody 
and gruesome crimes-a regime whose gloomy rule exceeded 
thirty years. 
 
"In fact, this is a good and important program; no one can 
deny its importance. But if you ask any Iraqi citizen in or 
outside our home about the most important request, the 
response will be that the former regime members should be 
tried.Iraqis expected progress after the collapse of the 
former regime and the gradual demise of regime members and, 
on top of them, Saddam Hussein. But the followers of the 
former regime stole the pleasure of the regime's fall and 
quickly returned to practice their criminal and destructive 
operations. 
"The best compensation and service that could ever be 
offered to the victims of the former regime and to future 
generations who should live in peace and calm is to root out 
the followers of the former regime. They were all gathered 
under one name: Ba'athists. Now we see different names for 
them, such as liberation activists, defenders, and 
possessors of rights. According to Iraqis, all these names 
are the same: they are followers of the former regime." 
 
KHALILZAD