Cablegate: Daily Iraqi Website Monitoring - September 13, 2005

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 003781

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 13, 2005

SUMMARY: Discussion on Tal Afar was the major editorial
theme of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on September 13,
2005. END SUMMARY.

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

A. "The Barbarian Invasions of Tal Afar: A New Record to Be
Appended to the Lackey Government" (Kitabat, 9/13)
B. "This is How the Program [Oil for Food] is Implemented:
Oil to Maintain Saddam's Regime" (Al-Jeeran, 9/13)
C. "The Balance of Terrorism in Iraq" (Iraq 4 All News,
9/13)
D. "How Long Will Iraqis Be Provoked?" (Iraqi Home, 9/13)

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

A. "The Barbarian Invasions of Tal Afar: A New Record to Be
Appended to the Lackey Government"
(Editorial by Abd Al-Jubori - Kitabat / "Writings"
http://www.kitabat.com/i8169.htm)

"Every now and then we read statements and appraisals about
the government and its members; that the next city to be
invaded and destroyed is `this and that' while the innocent
blood hasn't yet dried off the streets of cities and towns
already destroyed.

"It seems Al-Ja'afari's government, in collusion with the
occupation brokers, enjoyed the taste of innocent and honest
Iraqis who were martyred. They enjoyed watching the
destruction and demolishment of Iraqi cities one-by-one
after destroying Fallujah, Najaf, Buhriz, `Ana, Qaim, et
al... while popular rage spread throughout Iraq as a result
of the painful disaster on the Al-`A'emma Bridge which our
people are still mourning.

"Amid all this came the destructive military invasion of Tal
Afar, a city of more than 350,000 people. Ten days before
the barbarian military operation, the city endured a full-
scale siege by the agent's pagan forces and Badr Corps
elements that blocked all food and medical supplies from
entering the city. They erected concrete barricades at all
outlets under the backing of the tanks and materiel of their
American masters.

"The free men of the gallant resistance could oust the
occupier if the outlaw's proxy wouldn't interfere and hinder
any actions to expedite liberation. That is why they act
like losers on the verge of defeat and set fire to and
destroy land and property without regard to innocent life or
the history of Iraq's civilization which they auctioned off
at the lowest price.

"Here lies Tal Afar crying out for a savior (from earth or
heaven) from any sect or religion.can anyone respond to its
appeal? What is the reaction from the National Assembly? Why
does no one demand any resignations or a vote of no
confidence? At least demand the resignation of the director
of military operations, Sa'doun Al-Dulaimi. Wasn't Al-
Dulaimi, the Minister of Defense, the propagandist and
provocateur of the invasion and destruction?

"What about Baqr Sulagh, the Minister of the Interior, one
of Al-Hakim's followers. We can't demand his resignation, we
understand his position and will even ask every member to
keep their mouths shut because the Badr Corps will wait for
him, outside the Assembly and they will reward him at the
end of the session.

"The lackey government had added to its record, with this
barbarian attack on Tal Afar, of shameful acts. Tal Afar,
God blesses you and blesses your good and honest people."

B. "This is How the Program [Oil for Food] is Implemented:
Oil to Maintain Saddam's Regime"
(Editorial by Hamza Al-Shamkhi - Al-Jeeran / "Neighbors"
http://www.aljeeran.net/viewarticle.php?id=22 582&pg=articles
)

"After the former dictator invaded Kuwait in 1990, economic
sanctions were imposed on Iraq, but the bloody regime in
Baghdad manipulated these sanctions and used them as
economic blockades against the Iraqi people.
"The oil-for-food program began in the 90s as a way to allow
Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medical and
humanitarian supplies. But some officials in the U.N.
allowed this program to become commercial and corrupt.
Saddam's regime was able to bribe brokers, mediators, and
groups of Arab and foreign government officials at all
levels.

"All of those who hypocritically lamented Iraq's destitution
as a result of international sanctions were partners in
crime: in the crime of stealing Iraqi funds, destroying the
national economy, and depriving its people from their
wealth. They are obliged to return everything they stole
through unlawful and dubious methods. There are documents
and material evidence with names of people, governments,
parties, and institutions involved in those crimes.

"Today the Iraqi people have the right to sue for the
tragedies resulting from the sanctions-by using ugly images,
the killings of hundreds of thousands of children.
The mercenaries who condoned Saddam's crimes and his wars
are the same ones supporting terrorist elements, criminals,
thugs, and enemies of the state. They have hindered the
political process and any steps that contributed to
stability, independence, and reconstruction.

"This humanitarian disaster is one of the greatest crimes
which Saddam's regime (allied with international
organizations, local and international figures, Arabs and
foreigners) has perpetrated and exploited-turning oil-for-
food into a program that sustained his regime and allowed it
to subjugate Iraqis for as long as possible."

C. "The Balance of Terrorism in Iraq"
(Editorial by Jasir Abdul Aziz Al-Jasir - Iraq 4 All News
http://iraq4all.org)

"It's the first time in Iraq that worshipers in the town of
Zubair practiced their Friday prayers in the open instead of
in the mosque for fear of being arrested by government
commandos from the Ministry of the Interior.

"And for women and children to be placed in camps after
being driven out of Qaim while men were detained to later be
screened for terrorists, is a new type of racial
segregation.
For the whole of Tal Afar's residents to be driven out and
left in the open with no refuge other than the Turkish Red
Crescent camps, and later to attack the city with warplanes,
tanks, and artillery leaving bodies littered all over the
place, among those who stayed in the city suffering from
hunger and conditions threatening to create a humanitarian
disaster, means that the general population was targeted in
a city accused of harboring insurgents resisting U.S.
occupation forces.

"What happened in Zubair, Qaim, and Tal Afar awaits Samara,
Rutba, and Ramadi after threats issued by the Minister of
Defense in the new Iraq--to pursue the three cities that
dared to announce their opposition to occupation.

"On the other hand, all international terrorist gangs have
found a battlefield in Iraq to settle scores with the U.S.
in the game of global terrorism and in response to the U.S.
administration's slogan, `You're either with us or you're
with the terrorists.'

"So, all terrorist groups using political Islam (Al-Qaeda,
Zarqawi, and other extremists who lost their battles in
Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Sudan, Afghanistan,
etc.) have come to Iraq along with the intelligence services
of numerous countries eager to settle scores with the U.S.
And then there's those opposed to change and trying to
regain what they had during the previous regime's era.

"So all of the efforts of terrorists, extremists, and
intelligence services have accumulated igniting daily
terrorist battles with the aim of creating chaos and
political confusion--these attacks are directed towards
civilian targets represented by the new rulers of Iraq, the
Shiites, with a clear goal of inciting a sectarian war
between Sunnis and Shiites.
"The truth is, despite the rationalism of Iraqis which has
staved off civil war, these terrorist attacks have created a
gap between Sunnis and Shiites and led to extremists from
the opposing side assuming posts in the new Iraqi government
leading to a state of balance in the terrorism afflicting
Iraq."

D. "How Long Will Iraqis Be Provoked?"
(Editorial by Haidar Saeed - Iraqi Home
http://www.iraqihome.com)

"Iraq's history is full of heroic confrontations with
dictatorships, especially during the fascist regime of
Saddam. The uprising in March 1991 was a clear message
illustrating this nation's love for freedom and democracy
and the polling day achievement on Jan.1 was another page to
be added to the archive of courageous confrontation--where
Iraqis proved that elections were the right way to challenge
the remainders of the former fascist regime. Over 8 million
people voted yes for democracy, heading to polling stations
in defiance of many threats which only increased the
determination of Iraqis to prove their dignity was stronger
than death and that the country of revolutions and the
cradle of civilization will never yield to suppression and
humiliation.

"A nation reflecting such wonderful merits should be honored
by those elected by the people, and we should not permit any
violations or provocations. So the recent display of photos
of former fascist regime members by a group of criminals and
murderers should not be tolerated, nor should light
sentences be handed out to criminals admitting to crimes of
murder, abduction, sabotage, and rape, which is nothing more
than another form of provocative practices directed towards
the people.

"The question asked by Iraqis now is: In whose interest are
such provocations committed? And when will they be put to an
end? The blood of our people is priceless and demands the
strictest punishments to be handed out to criminals. Any
neglect of this demand will have serious consequences for
those allowing themselves to provoke the nation."

SATTERFIELD

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