DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - AUGUST 28, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003639

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: DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - AUGUST 28, 2005

SUMMARY: Discussion on the Constitution was the major
editorial theme of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on
September 5, 2005. END SUMMARY.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. "Religious Minorities Still Have a Battle with
Democracy's Enemies in the New Iraq" (Al-Rafidayn, 9/5)

B. "A Constitution of Disintegration and Sectarian Wars in
Iraq and the Region" (Iraq 4 All News, 9/5)

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SELECTED COMMENTARIES
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A. "Religious Minorities Still Have a Battle with
Democracy's Enemies in the New Iraq"
(Editorial by Hikmet Seleem, Al-Rafidayn - The Two Rivers
Website http://www.alrafidayn.com)

"For the first time in Iraq's history religious minorities
have the opportunity to be officially acknowledged in Iraq's
coming constitution. This event wasn't granted by others but
was a result of organized and relentless efforts by
religious clerics and educated representatives of these
religions, and with the support of the good-hearted Iraqi
people from the entire political and national spectrum, and
here we should acknowledge the role of Kurdish democratic
movements and the Iraqi political left wing.

The interpretation of ancient Iraqi religious rights into
reality demands great efforts especially since we are facing
extremist religious groups that don't believe in the
coexistence of pre-Islamic religions, and other Islamic
political parties that do believe in freedom of religion but
put on a different face during negotiations to gain the
support of extremists. And we have seen one of their senior
leaders announcing the success of democracy in Iraq by
saying the constitution gave rights to all, "even to
Mandains and Yazidis."

The complex situation and religious extremism demands the
following by religious minorities:


1. Each group should organize its internal structure and
renounce divisions.

2. Establishing strong relations among these groups and
combining efforts.

3. Establishing strong relations with left wing powers and
non-extremist Islamic groups.

4. Working with international human rights organizations.

5. Forming an Iraqi national committee to defend the
rights of marginalized religious groups.

And finally, the struggle for the freedom of religious
minorities should be part of the democratic struggle for all
Iraqis."


B. "A Constitution of Disintegration and Sectarian Wars in
Iraq and the Region"
(Editorial by Yaser Al-Za'arta, Iraq 4 All News
http://iraq4all.org)

"There is no doubt that the difficult domestic conditions
surrounding George Bush have dictated the hasty passing of
the Iraqi draft constitution without agreement. With
increasing domestic criticism over the war in Iraq, and with
no solution looming on the horizon to honorably relieve
Washington of its predicament, the passing of the draft was
a main stage that would hopefully eliminate the phantom of
defeat even if no success or guarantee of Iraqi's interests
were achieved.

When Kurds agreed upon federalism it wasn't a concession for
the Shiites who benefit from a wide ranging federal system
that places the country in an actual state of division where
they control the south and part of the central region. The
Kurds will find an opportunity to take over the northern
regions they seek including Kirkuk as a step towards their
secession and then the virus of separatism will spread
throughout the region making it difficult to point towards
the Kurd's intentions apart from those of others.

When Al-Hakim talks of a Shiite southern region, it's only
natural to assume that a third of Basra's population who are
Sunnis should leave or be exterminated, and the same can be
said for other southern provinces, while Shiites in Baghdad
and the north will no longer be his responsibility, so when
Al-Hakim says federalism will maintain the unity of Iraq, no
one will take him seriously.

The worst of all is that Al-Talabani and Al-Hakim's
constitution doesn't only threaten Iraq, but the entire Arab
world and region and here it's surprising to find a country
like Iran in support of such a constitution despite its
problems with Sunni aspirations for secession, not to
mention that of the Kurds.
Once the sequential effect starts, no one can overlook the
reality in the Gulf States and specifically Saudi Arabia,
where one Shiite website was demanding autonomy for the
Shi'a in Saudi Arabia. The Shiites will then face a Sunni
reaction that is bound to head towards the extreme with the
result of chaos in which both sides lose.

We should remember that dividing the region was, and still
is, a Zionist project that emerged in the early 90s in the
form of the Oslo Agreement, but the failure of this
agreement didn't put an end to the project.

When the war on Iraq failed to reform the region through
military power, due to the fierce Iraqi resistance, thoughts
went towards forming a self dividing project established
through the constitution to manipulate the Arab-Iranian
situation leading to conflict and a state of chaos that
would make the Zionist State a resort for all conflicting
parties.

So confronting the Iraqi draft constitution is a matter of
extreme importance, not only for Iraq, but for the whole
region, where all should participate in defeating the draft,
not through the referendum whose results can be manipulated
by Al-Talabani and Al-Hakim, but by contributing to efforts
before and after the referendum.

What should be clear here that the best reply to the
sectarian government is through supporting resistance from
within and outside of Iraq, otherwise division and sectarian
wars will overrun the region in the favor of Zionist plots."

Khalilzad