MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ CONSTITUTION SYRIA TERRORISM;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002371

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
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ CONSTITUTION SYRIA TERRORISM;
BAGHDAD



1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on
June. 2 were the developments of the security, political
situations and the constitution's drafting process. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
--------------


A. "May Hammurabi appear and draft our constitution" (Al-
Mashriq, 6/2)

B. "Syria's interest is to cooperate with Iraq" (Al-Adala,
6/2)

--------------
SELECTED COMMENTARIES
--------------


A. "May Hammurabi appear and draft our constitution" (6/2)

Al-Mashriq (independent) published a front-page editorial
by Hamid Abdullah about the new constitution:

"The constitution is a society's philosophy drafted into
the language of law. It is a mechanism for the government
to practice power. It is also the essence of people's
doctrines. Sociologists say that the laws reflect a
society's values. If we want to know the values of a
specific society, we have to look at its laws. Therefore,
if the constitution does not represent all perspectives and
aspirations of a society, the drafters of such a
constitution are separated from their society. For this
reason, the developed nations used to make their former
presidents members of their constitutional committees.
Those committees were responsible for examining and
comparing laws that are enacted by the legislative
authority within the constitution. If these laws
contradict any constitutional item or paragraph, the law
would be cancelled regardless of which authority enacted
it. This is exactly what happens in France and other
countries with progressive governments. In Iraq, the
problem of drafting the constitution is not separate from
the dilemma of forming the government. In fact, it is more
complicated than the problem of forming the government
because this issue can be solved by harmony and ethnic
power sharing. On the other hand, drafting the constitution
requires the interaction of the philosophies, ideologies
and affiliations of the constitutional committee's members.
All these attitudes must come together so that the
constitution can be drafted. The problem is in determining
how to unite conflicting opinions. How can drafters agree
to write a constitution only using one philosophy to draft
constitution? If Hammurabi had been living in our time, he
would have been assassinated by unknown gunmen because he
ignored demands of the Iraqi sects, parties and tribes.
Yet, I wish that Hammurabi would appear to solve the
problem of our constitution."


B. "Syria's interest is to cooperate with Iraq" (6/2)

Al-Adala (affiliated with SCIRI) published a fourth-page
editorial by Zuhair Al-Dijaili about Syrian relationship
with Iraq:

"Syria has stopped intelligence and counterterrorism
cooperation with the U.S., although observers do not know
much about this cooperation. Washington sees this as an
indicator that Syria insists on keeping its attitude
unchanged regarding Iraqi and Lebanese issues. Damascus
said that it has supported Iraq, but Washington does not
fully appreciate its positive attitude. The U.S. Secretary
of State said that Damascus did not offer anything
concerning the Iraqi security cooperation. Iraqi Minister
of Foreign Affairs Hoshiyar Zebari ended this controversial
discussion by saying that Iraq does not have a good
relationship with Syria. He said that Damascus does not
cooperate with Baghdad on the security situation in Iraq.
Baghdad has submitted to Damascus the names of activists
who command the insurgency in Iraq. Baghdad asked Damascus
to prevent those activists from staying in Syria. Baghdad
demanded that Syria hand over wanted Iraqis and to stop
infiltration. Iraq has sent five memoranda to Syria about
these issues, but Damascus has not responded. Syria claims
that there is a joint Iraqi-Syrian security committee, but
a source in the Iraqi government says that such a committee
was uselessly formed one year ago. Iraqi sources confirm
that there are members of Syrian-funded terrorist gangs
wounded in Al-Qa'im military operations who escaped to
Syria for medical treatment. On the other hand, we hope
that Al-Jafari's expected visit to Syria will make Syria
change its attitudes toward Iraq. The Iraqi government
believes that the situation in Iraq will be stabilized if
Syria stops funding and supporting terrorists and
insurgents in Iraq. An Iraqi security official said that
Damascus should know that the past is gone, and it should
bet on the peaceful development of Iraq. Everyone knows
that a stabilized Iraq will benefit Syria's stability."

SATTERFIELD