Cablegate: Daily Iraqi Website Monitoring - October 23, 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 04 BAGHDAD 004367

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 - October 23, 2005

SUMMARY: Discussions of Iraqi parliamentarians' self-
interest, the Arab League, the Iraqi constitution, and
Saddam's first day in court were the major editorial themes
of Iraqi, Arabic language websites on October 23, 2005. END
SUMMARY.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. "In the New Iraq . Highest Pension for Least Service"
(Kitabat, 10/23)
B. "How Is Iraq Affected, Not Affected by the Arab League"
(Al-Nahrain, 10/23)
C. "What Does Saleh Al-Mutlag Want" (Sawt Al-Iraq, 10/23)
D. "The Feeble Court" (Al-Jeeran, 10/23)

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SELECTED COMMENTARIES
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A. "In the New Iraq . Highest Pension for Least Service"
(Editorial by Jasim Aif - Kitabat - "Writings -
http://www.kitabat.com/i9323.htm )

"The National Assembly's pension law, which was
enthusiastically approved by parliamentarians, has launched
a debate among Iraqis. But it seems that this sarcastic
debate has not reached Assembly members' ears, as they have
never given any attention to Iraqis in the first place. They
did not bother with Iraqi bloodshed all over Baghdad, Tal-
Afar, Fallujah, Qaim, the triangle of death, and the
restaurant in Basra where Falafel sandwiches taste of blood,
nor did they care about hundreds of Iraqi corpses with
bullet holes in their skulls floating in rivers. They have
never heard the minimum estimates of the country's
unemployment rate, 60%-65%, nor shown concern over
widespread corruption.

"Can't they see the deterioration in services? Those who
enabled them to assume their parliamentary posts, with their
ink-stained fingers, cannot even find food ration items
today. Are they monitoring reports that Iraqi youth must pay
$500-$600 and provide certificates affirming their
allegiance to certain sectarian parties to stand any chance
of enrolling in military and security forces? What are our
parliamentary representatives [dong about all these issues]?
And there are so many more.

"The above-mentioned issues could not occupy the minds of
the Assembly members; rather, their minds were occupied with
guarantees of their personal futures, so they approved a
pension proposal that grants them 80% of their current
salaries-believed to be in the millions-for the shortest
service in the history of the Iraqi state, thereby exceeding
any known retirement system in the world. And none of us
protested because according to the law, they are the
`legislators.' It seems that this pension system has
captured the imagination of a local city councilmember in
Basra who demanded a similar system be applied in local
councils throughout Iraq. Based on sheer humanitarian
concern and according to the Iraqi method of justice, we
support his demands, and we would also like to include in
this law, pensions for the personal security members of all
Iraqi officials!"

B. "How Is Iraq Affected, Not Affected by the Arab League?"
(Editorial by Nejat Saad - Al-Nahrain - "The Two Rivers" -
http://www.nahrain.com/d/news/05/10/23/nhr102 3e.html )

"I do not want to get into the negative stances adopted by
the Arab League towards the people of Iraq, nor do I wish to
blame its Secretary General, Amr Musa, or criticize his
latest visit to Iraq.to hold a reconciliation conference. I
want to concentrate on the role of the new Iraq in building
a new Arab League with a new, civilized cultural view. After
the fall of Saddam's fascist regime on April 9, 2003, we did
not observe a decisive Iraqi position that would have
protected the country from becoming a target of both the
Arab League and Iran. The new democratic Iraq should be the
one to play a vital role in changing the region's dark
mentalities.

"The basic goal sought through ousting the previous regime
was to build a democratic Iraq in which human rights and
interests take priority; if we go back to the Arab League's
charter, we discover that concepts of democracy, human
rights, and justice are nowhere to be found. We also observe
that the League's culture is ancient, blaming Arabs' lack of
development on imperialism, which justifies Arabs'
contentedness with dictatorships that take over their lives
until foreign imperialists liberate them. In addition to
this, the League's mentality is possessed by `conspiracy
theories' that portray the world as having no concern other
than offending overdeveloped Arab countries.

"These worn-out principles are not compatible with the new
Iraq; therefore, maintaining a seat in an aging Arab League
does not benefit Iraq or the League. On the contrary, both
sides would be a source of discomfort for the other, with
nothing in common between the two.

"Iraq and Iraqis have always been the ones to take
initiative and affect those around them. The Arab League
itself, which was formed over fifty years ago, had Iraq as
one of its most effective founders. But the question
remains, how can Iraq turn the Arab League into an entity
compatible with a new democratic Iraq and with reform in the
region? Iraq should seek to change certain concepts and add
others to the Arab League, encouraging it to follow the lead
of the EU in achieving economic integration and political
and cultural harmony through democratic governments-in
contrast with Arab dictatorships that favor fascism over the
interests of their citizens and have achieved absolutely
nothing. The role of the League should not be restricted to
holding meetings and pathetic conferences; it should hold
gatherings in which participation is based on the desire to
build a progressive and modern structure.

"Iraq should clarify to the Arab League the importance of
spreading democracy, combating terrorism, and reforming the
League in all respects, regarding personal freedoms,
equality, and human rights. It should establish the fact
that the impediments to Arab nations cannot be summarized by
imperialism alone, as Arab countries started their economic,
political, and cultural deterioration once they declared
independence.

"Iraqis should be the ones to take the initiative since it
is the Arabs who need to be salvaged from their state of
chaos. If Iraq were to succeed in reforming the Arab League,
it would achieve two goals: it would not isolate itself from
its surroundings, nor would it allow its Arab League
neighbors to affect Iraq with its suppressive regimes."

C. "What Does Saleh Al-Mutlag Want?"
(Editorial by Salah Al Fadhli - Sawt Al-Iraq - "The Voice of
Iraq" - http://www.sotaliraq.com/articles-
iraq/nieuws.php?id=17911 )

"Saleh Al-Mutlag, for anyone who does not know him, is the
spokesperson of the National Dialogue Council in Iraq. The
Council considers itself representative of Iraq's Sunnis-or
the `absentees' as they like to call themselves-who chose
Saleh Al-Mutlag to be the spokesperson. When he joined the
constitutional drafting committee as the Sunni Arab
representative, he became the Arab Satellite Channels' star
as Iraq's Sunni spokesperson.

"It is known that the fledgling Iraqi draft constitution
reached a form that disputing parties could agree upon
despite boycotts of parliamentary elections. But for it to
be effective, it was necessary that Sunni Arabs were
represented.because they are a major component of Iraq's
population. Shiites and Kurds, who were the two winning
groups in the elections, were flexible and offered
concessions to Sunni Arabs. But Sunnis continue to have
reservations about the draft constitution, which they
consider the beginning of the division of Iraq.

"Despite the fact that many of their demands were met,
including a chance to review all the disputed points in the
next parliament, Saleh Al-Mutlag insisted on rejecting the
proposed constitution and called on all supporters to reject
the document. The most significant of Saleh Al-Mutlag's
objections focused on two major points: rejecting federalism
in regions other than Kurdistan and objection to
deba'thification. Why did Al-Mutlag focus on two specific
points? The answer is clear: because he knows Kurds will not
drop their demand for federalism and he knows Shiites insist
on including deba'thification in the constitution. It seems
that opposition of this type will be detrimental and any
agreement on the constitution that everyone accepts is
doomed to fail.

"Al-Mutlag's group's rejection confirms that rejection is a
strategic position that cannot be changed. It is obvious
that `interest in the Arab nature of Iraq and its unity' is
not Saleh Al-Mutlag's motive; the main purpose is to hinder
the political process and to send a message to everybody
that things cannot be accomplished without their [Sunni]
satisfaction. I believe that if `the impossible demands' are
implemented to the satisfaction of Al-Mutlag's group, they
will continue to insist on a position of opposition because
they do not want a new system in which justice and equality
will prevail.
"There is still an important question regarding whether or
not Saleh Al-Mutlag and his supporters are representatives
of Iraq's Sunni Arabs. Without elections through which Sunni
Arabs express their opinions and identify their
representatives, we cannot say that Saleh Al-Mutlag
represents Sunni Arabs. It is likely that without an
agreement among Sunni clergy, the Sunni Arab choice between
Ba'thists and extremists and those unwilling to accept the
new situation-even if the impossible were given to them-will
remain absent. Time will tell you what you do not yet know."

D. "The Feeble Court"
(Editorial by Ali Al Kindri - Al-Jeeran - "Neighbors" -
http://www.aljeeran.net/viewarticle.php?id=ar ticles-20051023-
33779 )

"No one could have imagined that the first session of Saddam
Hussein's trial would be such a farce, as if Saddam himself
arranged it. We cannot believe that these very weak
capabilities are the capabilities of Iraqi people,
considering all his [Saddam's] educated people, judges, and
engineers. We do not have a justification for what we, and
millions around the world, watched-waiting for what was
termed `the trial of the century' to turn out to be this
farcical, feeble image.

"The courtroom was not supplied or equipped technologically
for the trial of the century. The audio was not clear; the
sound was of poor quality; and there was an echo that
affce the bad sound. Is this Iraqi rsourcflnes?

"Asie from th technology,we saw that the judge was
substandard; he participated in chaos by continuously
laughing for no reason-failing to be serious and strict. He
allowed Saddam to say what he wanted and disrespect the
court without reprimand from the judge, who wanted to be
nice and well-mannered at the expense of the court's
reputation, the sanctity of the judiciary system, and
respect for the law. What happened made everyone who watched
the first session wonder, `Is this the standard of Iraq's
judiciary system? Couldn't they find a stricter, more
experienced, and more serious judge? How did the judge allow
the accused twice, thrice and then four times to talk
without permission and make noise in the court-in the trial
of the century?'

"Is there not a smarter, more experienced general prosecutor
in Iraq than the one the world watched? How did this general
prosecutor allow the tyrant lawyer to interrupt him during
his presentation? As for Saddam, he used the judge's
weakness and refused to state his name and identity, and the
judge did not stop him; instead, he let Saddam continue and
question the judge's integrity and impartiality, and the
judge did not take measures against him. At the start of the
session, he said to the judge: `Who are you and who do you
represent?' He did not stand in court respectfully like
other defendants.

"As we said at the beginning, we cannot find a justification
for the farce of the century. We cannot accept that this is
the standard of Iraq, Iraqi civilization, Iraq of Hammurabi.
Al-Ja'fari's government is responsible for this farce, with
respect to preparation, technology, and judge and general
prosecutor selection. The justification that `Iraq is
passing through exceptional conditions' will not suffice,
nor will it absolve Al-Ja'fari and his government of the
abuse to Iraq and Iraqi people in front of the world. The
Iraqi National Assembly should challenge Al-Ja'fari to fully
prepare for the next session in order to convey a civilized
image of Iraq to the world, rather than the farce we watched
on October 19th, 2005."
SATTERFIELD

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