Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BAGHDAD3889
2005-09-20 19:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

DAILY IRAQI WEBSITE MONITORING - September 20, 2005

Tags:  OPRC KMDR KPAO IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 003889

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 - September 20, 2005

SUMMARY: Discussion on the Corruption and Terrorism were the
major editorial themes of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on
September 20, 2005. END SUMMARY.

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


A. "Timing of the Scandal" (Iraq 4 all news, 9/20)

B. "Zarqawi's Plague or Tal Afar's Plague?" (Kitabat, 9/20)

C. "This Is Why Al-Mutlag and Al-Dhari Reject the New
Constitution" (Nahrain, 9/20)

D. "Responsibility" (Al-Soat Al-Iraq, 9/20)

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



A. "Timing of the Scandal"
(Editorial by Fatih Abdul Salam -Iraq 4 all news -
http://iraq4all.org/viewnews.php?id=9944 - Based in Denmark,
not affiliated with any political party)

"A minister talks about a $2 billion embezzlement and the
National Assembly talks about similar thefts to such an
extent that it seems as if Iraqis are drowning in an ocean
of organized looting. These incriminating facts may reveal
information about the lack of security, electricity, and
services in the country, as well as where hundreds of
millions of dollars could have gone in a war-devastated
country like ours. These numbers do not appear to be final,
nor do they give the full picture because other types of
theft and embezzlement are committed in the name of the
people, claiming to serve the public interest.

"What has surfaced of late does not necessarily represent a
major scandal for Iraqis because most of them already knew
that their country was being robbed in an organized manner.
The competition for official posts was for the glory of
millions of dollars, not to serve the people who have long
awaited a savior.

"The oil for food scandal was investigated by the U.N. for
two years and resulted in nothing more than a mild reproach
directed at the Secretary General. Given this precedent, who
will investigate this Iraqi scandal, and why was it brought
up at this time despite being well-known long before -
especially in a country that does not need scandal to settle
political records?

"Whenever conditions deteriorate in this country you should
search for a scandal to explain it.

"Iraqis who have suffered already are not willing to wait
for twenty or thirty years to be faced with corruption; no
one can force them to be patient. If you wish to understand
the nature of the scandal you need to uncover the reasons

behind its announcement."


B. "Zarqawi's Plague or Tal Afar's Plague?"
(Editorial by Jassim Al-Biyati - Kitabat - "Writings" -
http://www.kitabat.com/i8356.htm - Independent Iraqi site)

"Since the fall of Baghdad, Iraq's Sunni cities have
witnessed a significant jump in mass casualty operations. We
can name it, "The Katrina Lab of Iraq for Testing America's
Weapons."

"The workers in this lab, which stretches from Tal Afar to
eastern Iraq, received permission to use any light and heavy
weapons from their leaders in the Defense Department and the
White House to treat their people for the terrorism disease,
with which they were afflicted after 9/11.

"Despite the grave disease in the Sunni areas it has not
affect the Kurdish region in northern Iraq nor the Shiite
region in southern Iraq, although they are two parts that
cannot be separated from the country. It does not take a
philosopher like Descartes to figure out the solution, it is
quite simple: the northern and southern cities have
diplomatic immunity and official passports with British or
American visas to prevent them from catching the disease.

"The poor Sunni cities, including Tal Afar, haven't gotten
that immunity for two reasons: Tal Afar belongs to Iraq and
it is an authentic Turkmen city. That is why it became easy
prey for this disease and its lethal germ. Physicians are
unable to diagnose this disease because they haven't
differentiated between Zarqawi and Tal Afar's plague."


C. "This Is Why Al-Mutlag and Al-Dhari Reject the New
Constitution"
(Editorial by Ali Al-Badran - Al-Nahrain -
http://www.nahrain.com/d/news/05/09/20/nhr092 0p.html)

"Spectators of the Iraqi political scene will see that
political interests are behind all the destruction and
killing even though these interests are disguised behind
false claims of resisting occupation and defending Sunni
rights. We have heard these pretexts from those who hinder
the political process and those who cause this destruction
in Iraq.

"While there was not Sunni political or military opposition
directed at the former regime (aside from an attempted coup
by Major General Mohammed Madhlum Al-Dulaimi, who was later
executed) the Shiites and Kurds were known for their long
history of opposition to the dictatorship. Sunnis do not
have well-known figures or parties to occupy the void
created after the fall of the former regime; some took
advantage of this opportunity, attempting to play a large
role. Two blocs emerged, both claiming to represent the
Sunnis.

"The first is the Muslim Scholars Association which adopts
radical infidel-like concepts; the other consists of the
nationalists and Ba'athists linked to the former regime,
which adopted the same method of killing and destruction to
achieve its political aims. Both of these blocs carried
slogans of defending Sunnis and resisting occupation. Both
blocs sought to facilitate terrorist operations that target
innocent people to give the impression they were honest,
untouchable resistance fighters.

"To rid us of this dilemma the government should establish a
safe environment for moderate people and provide them with a
real chance to represent the Sunni community. This will not
be achieved unless we eliminate the threats from militants,
infidels, bearded men and those masked as clerics who give
legitimacy to criminal acts and encourage sectarian discord
whenever they get the chance."


D. "Responsibility"
(Editorial by Mohammed Abdul Jabar Shabout - Al-Soat Al-Iraq
- "The Voice of Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles-
iraq/nieuws.php?id=15732)

"Our government is not comprised of a winning party as would
be the case in the British government where the party that
wins a majority of parliamentary seats forms its government
and the others become opposition parties awaiting the next
election. Our government is a coalition consisting of
elected blocs. The Alliance and Kurdish lists both consist
of a number of parties in addition to independent figures
representing a spectrum of Iraqi society. This is a good
system given the ethnic, ideological and political pluralism
in Iraq. But public opinion polls show a majority of
citizens are not satisfied with the government, even though
it enjoys electoral legitimacy, since it can not demonstrate
competency.

"It is known that a government which is incompetent will
fail in future elections. Some allied parties in the
government are not satisfied with the government's conduct.
Many memos were presented to the Prime Minister who never
responded to them. One of the memos was written by the
Minister of Water Resources, Dr. Abdul Lateef Raheed whose
ministry does not even have a chance of being listed within
the ministerial cabinet agenda. A political party leader
told me he blamed the Prime Minister for the government's
failure. Another political figure who assumed a prominent
post in the government intends to participate in elections
on a separate list. Dr. Laith Kubba, the Prime Minister's
spokesperson, criticized the government publicly in a
symposium held in London.

"This situation presents difficult choices for political and
party figures. Either they continue to be silent, share
responsibility for the government's general failure, and
consequently be included as part of the failure, or they
evade responsibility for the government's failure. Some
believe that this kind of announcement is more costly than
silence because an announcement might lead to the fall of
the government-particularly its head. The country would then
descend into a political crisis from which it would be
difficult to emerge.

"Silence will result in decreasing popularity for these
parties. Some are preparing to discuss the situation frankly
and avoid blaming themselves for others' failures, hoping to
maintain their popularity and get lucky in the upcoming
elections."
SATTERFIELD