UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002508

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 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,
GOVERNMENT; BAGHDAD


1. SUMMARY: The major themes in the daily newspapers on
June 14 were the questioning of Saddam Hussein by the Iraqi
Special Tribunal and developments in the security
situation.

END SUMMARY.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. " Who Guarantees? " (Al-Sabah, 6/14)

B. " The Shadows will disappear " (Azzaman, 6/14)

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SELECTED COMMENTARIES
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A. " Who Guarantees? " (Al-Sabah, 6/14)

Al-Sabah (IMN) published a front-page editorial by Mohammed
Abdul-Jabbar about the institutions of the new Iraq:


" The government started a campaign against corruption in
addition to its campaign against terrorism. Together these
issues represent the greatest dangers facing the political
process and reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Corruption has affected government structures, and although
it was inherited from the former Ba'ath regime, the cruel
fact is that corruption has increased. So it has been
necessary to investigate corruption since April 9,2003 for
the sake of cleansing Iraq's administrative system. In
order to enhance the fortunes of all and to encourage
citizens to walk on the path of honesty, even the highest
levels of government must be investigated.

For that reason the Commission on Public Integrity was
founded, but who will guarantee that those who fight
corruption will not deviate? Who will guarantee that the
new ministers and leaders will not be attracted by money
and power and not misuse them?

It is not a matter of personal intentions and political
slogans. The truth is that without some procedures and
regulations from strong institutions capable of
controlling, monitoring, and calling the corrupt to
account, there are no guarantees for any official.

Some of these procedures are:

-The officials should reveal their personal and family
fortunes before getting an official post; and their incomes
should be periodically reviewed.
-Government contracts should obey the principle of
transparency and be publicly published by the media.
-Enhance and develop the Commission on Public Integrity's
role and maintain its independence.
-Enhance media freedom in order to monitor the government
and reveal corruption to the citizens."





B. "The Shadows will disappear" (Azzaman, 6/14)

Azzaman (independent) published a last page editorial by
Fatih Abdulsalam about politicians:


"These days in Iraq there are political and personal
shadows. Which means there are people here who are
controlled by forces other than themselves. These forces
are the Americans. Since the people believe that the
Americans control the government they will believe that the
government will do illegal things and that the ministers in
this government will also do illegal things. Behind every
Iraqi soldier or policeman there is the shadow of a US or
MNF-I battalion.

While there are some politicians who were in the shadows
not cooperating with the occupation and suddenly they
decided that the occupation was all right after all. These
politicians have emerged from the shadows.

There are two kinds of shadows. One is transparent while
the other is dark. Everyone can see what the transparent
shadow is doing. He can be stealing or hitting someone and
we can see his movements, even if he is hiding in that
shadow. The other shadow is doing its business behind
closed doors. So we cannot see it and we don't know what
it is doing. The Iraqi people have known about these
shadows for a long time. They understand that shadows
cannot be trusted.
The logic of life, history, and science says that all
shadows will eventually disappear. No single shadow can
last forever because the earth moves and the shadows
change. People also change. Their lives change and because
of this they will change their position on issues over
time.

If even the people who rely on reality have been changed,
what will happen to those who rely on shadows? With no
doubt they will fill their hands with the wind."

JEFFREY