Military

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

From the United Nations Assistance Mission For Iraq (UNAMI)

Sunday, 05 Sep 2004

Iraqi press headlines and quotes, 4 Sep 04

(London-based Azzaman, Political and independent daily, issued by Saad al-Bazaz, 04,Sep 04) -

·

A demonstration in Al-Najaf demands that Al-Sadr departs.

Paris was assured that kidnapped journalists were still alive.
·         Protests in Al-Fallujah against the dissolution of the police
·         [Lebanese] deputies extend Lahoud's [presidential term], Cairo acts secretly as a mediator to lessen [the effect of] the international resolution
·         A UN Security Council resolution against Syria includes Israel and Hizbollah implicitly
·         Libya closes La Belle dossier by paying 35 million dollars
·         Seven hundred pupils killed, wounded in storming of [Beslan school] to free the hostages in Ossetia
·         Chief UN war crimes prosecutor: Put Saddam on trial outside Iraq if you want [to know] the truth A Moroccan soldier [working for the] UN [observation] mission in Congo was abducted
·         Washington warns its nationals against terrorist attacks in Jakarta
·         Fighting [erupted] between Afghan forces and Taliban in Khusta, Kandahar and Jalalabad
·         A wanted man was killed in Saudi Arabia
·         The European Union calls on Iran to stop its nuclear bomb programme

(Al-Diyar Satellite Channel In Arabic, Baghdad, , 04 Sep 04) :

The interim national conference holds second session under chairmanship of speaker Fu'ad Ma'sum to elect his two deputies and assembly secretary; also discusses proposed amendments to assembly's internal law

US Army spokesman says military helicopter was forced to make emergency landing near Mosul during "fierce" clashes between US forces and gunmen; Medical sources in Tall-Afar Hospital say 12 Iraqis were killed and 50 others wounded;
·         In Diyala, a US military Humvee vehicle is destroyed in the area of Al-Hashimiyah
·         Kirkuk Public Hospital says 15 people are killed and 20 others wounded in an explosion near the Police Academy in Kirkuk;
·         Several mortars fall near the Green Zone, which houses the premises of the Iraqi government and the US embassy
·         Basra's northern pipeline "sabotaged by unidentified persons"
·         Eyewitnesses are quoted as saying that "unidentified gunmen" kidnapped five truck drivers in Al-Fallujah today at noon
·         German Foreign Ministry says it has presented 11,000 books to Baghdad University's German department
·         Iraqi housing minister says his ministry is ready to contribute to the reconstruction of Al-Sadr City
·         The Iraqi Education Ministry to allocate 50 per cent of the evening study tuition to help students from underprivileged families
·         The Public Communications and Post Company says it has completed installing a new telephone exchange
·         The Iraqi Tourism Commission embarks on making use of the mineral springs along the desert strip extending between Karbala and Al-Anbar Governorates
·         The director of Schools Environment and Health Department at the Education Ministry says the ministry has decided to include 12m students in the school diet programme
·         The Al-Najaf Centre for Human Rights begins receiving applications for reparations from those harmed by the Al-Najaf latest incidents.

(Al-Iraqiah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic, 04 sep 04) - :
·

Iraq interim national conference appoints four speaker deputies

Studio interview with member of national conference, Sadiq al-Musawi. He explains working of conference
·         Four killed and six injured in multinational force raid on Fallujah
·         US helicopter makes emergency landing in Mosul, pilots injured; heavy fighting leaves scores dead and injured in the city. Video report
·         Oil pipeline comes under attack in northern Iraq. Video report
·         France hopes for hostage release
·         EU foreign ministers discuss European role in Iraq
·         Minister of Higher Education cautions against unauthorised colleges
·         Women protest in Baghdad for equal rights. Video report highlights their demand for women's liberation and secular law ensuring gender equality
·         Iraq youth federation campaigns for blood donation. Video report
·         Housing and education departments in Kerbala begin reconstruction projects ahead of new school year.
·         Business bulletin. Northern Iraq oil pipeline attacked. OPEC does not control oil prices - Qatar oil minister. Weekly market report.

Al-Shira' [Baghdad, independent political daily newspaper,04Sep04]:

Iraqi tribes vow to track down and crush terrorist cells, kidnappers

Differences over allocation of positions of National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Secretary to be decided today, Monarchy Movement left out of game
·         New Intelligence Service Chief subpoenaed Iraqi Ambassador to London
·         Allawi government under pressure to establish relations with Israel With his scheduled visit to Paris called off by the French government,
·         Al-Yawar visits Germany next Wednesday
·         Arab sources: Izzat al-Duri died six months ago,
·         Damascus begins to get tough with Ba'thist, tries to recruit them as intelligence agents
·         Iraqi Airways commences flights to Jordan this week

Al-Manar Al-Yawm [Baghdad, independent political daily newspaper,04Sep04]:

Three blasts reverberate in Baghdad,

Mosul oil pipeline blown up
·         1bn dollars allocated, construction board formed in Al-Nasiriyyah
·         Putin calls for Iraq unity, denies sending troops to Kurdish region
·         Top Lebanese cleric, Muhammad Husayn Fadhlallah, supportive of resistance to occupation in Iraq
·         Al-Fallujah air raid leaves at least 14 dead
·         Illumination bombs dropped on Al-Ghazaliyyah neighbourhoods
·         Contaminated military junk dumped in marshland
·         Riyadh denies accusations of royal family financing Islamic Army terror group in Iraq

Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Baghdad edition of London-based independent daily newspaper, Saudi-owned,04Sep04]:

Life of two French hostages no longer at stake Al-Ja'fari conveys to Tehran

Iraqi government's annoyance at interference in Iraqi domestic affairs
· Fallujans challenge US forces to come down from the sky and face them on the ground
· Al-Sadr spokesman: Allawi has deceived us , is intentionally obstructing negotiations

(London-based Azzaman, Political and independent daily, issued by Saad al-Bazaz, 04 Sep 03) Editorial By Fatih Abdulsalam:-The word ``democracy'' is at the tip of almost every tongue in Iraq. It is a nice word provided it is applied properly. In Iraq, it is not difficult to see how different and fractious the various political parties are. While they differ on almost everything, they have exhibited a remarkable degree of concurrence when talking about the word ``democracy.'' It is a household appellation in their political literature, employed so frequently in the writing of banners, headlines and editorials. But it appears that these factions, without exception, would not accept the notion that democracy, among other things, means you have no right to erect concrete barriers that protrude onto the pavement and down to the main street allegedly to protect your party office against a bomb attack. It is hard to persuade these factions that their bragging about democracy contradicts the presence of their armed militiamen who take the law into their own hands. We in Iraq need to be taught that there is more to democracy than the freedom of speech, gathering and formation of political parties. Democracy means keeping the street; the park and the neighborhood clean and tidy even in the absence of municipal observers. Under a democracy political parties as well as individuals keep an eye on public property and infrastructure instead of wrecking it. If we cannot maintain our public telephones, preserve our school buildings and other state-owned utilities, democracy will have no meaning. Under a democracy, citizens cooperate with the police to reinstate stability and report on those upsetting public order. There is no doubt that we now enjoy freedoms we did not dream of under the rule of Saddam Hussein. But at the same time we see horrors we rarely heard of during his long reign of terror.When Iraqis do not feel ready to take on the added responsibilities that come with democracy, there will be no one to protect polling centers and ballot boxes in the forthcoming general elections.

(Baghdad, Baghdad, by the Iraqi National Accord Movement, 04 Sep04) [From commentary by Dr Abd al-Khaliq Husayn]: "Terrorism in Iraq is not just an Iraqi or American problem, but rather an international one. It is a global challenge no government should be deluded into attempting to meet through policies of appeasement. The recent killing of abducted foreigners and the current plight of the two French journalists being held hostage should alert the peoples of the world in general, and Western peoples whose governments have opposed the Bush-Blair approach in particular, that it is time they changed their stance and joined forces with these two leaders in their all-out war against terrorism until humanity is completely rid of this evil phenomenon.

(Al-Bayan, Baghdad, thrice weekly by the Islamic Dawa Party, 04 Sep 04) [From editorial]: - "Regardless of what sensible, peace-loving Iraqis might think of Dr Ayad Allawi's government or Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr's trend, they would generally feel relieved, reassured and hopeful when listening to moderate political discourse that has no trace of escalation-prone ranting. Yet, they would feel annoyed, alarmed and frustrated when they hear more of the same fiery, provocative rhetoric, having learned from first-hand experience that an escalation in the war of words is but an unmistakable prelude to a new bout of violence and bloodshed."

(Al-Manar Al-Yawm, Baghdad, independent daily, 04 Sep 04) [From commentary by Mahdi Abbas]: -"Those who express their opposition to the USA by resorting to car-bombing, hostage-killing and indiscriminate subversion have in fact helped further US aims by driving world nations to side with the USA in its war against terrorism as a vicious threat to the civilized world. Why should we give America an edge? Why should we project a distorted image of Islam by kidnapping and killing innocent people or blasting peaceful places? We have not spared even places of worship, like mosques and churches. Where has all this mindless violence got us to a year and a half since the fall of Baghdad? The net result of all this is that we have not only inadvertently helped the USA to gain the official backing of many an erstwhile Western opponent, but also brilliantly succeeded in discrediting Islam in Western eyes."
(Addustour is an independent daily published by former journalist Basim al-Sheikh,04 Sep 04):- "It must have proved very hard for some to understand the democratic method by which the government claims to have helped the National Assembly, emerging from the Iraqi National Congress, to take its final shape and hold its first meeting to elect its pre-appointed Speaker, without the slightest observance of the basic democratic dictum that no member of an organizing committee should be allowed to run as a candidate for a seat on the formation in question lest he should utilize his leverage for private gain at the expense of the rights of other candidates".
(Al-Mutamar, Baghdad, weekly by the Iraqi National Congress,04 Sep 09) The chairman of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), Ahmad al-Chalabi told the INC-affiliated weekly newspaper Al-Mu'tamar in an interview published on 4 September that the US administration and President George Bush personally were behind attempts to politically discredit him and exclude his party from the Iraqi political arena. He alleged that US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice had prepared a report, which was then personally approved by President Bush, proposing a number of measures to achieve this. The allegations, if proven true, could cause serious embarrassment for the US administration, the paper commented. "If this report proves to be true, it will be a serious precedent in US policy and could cause a scandal to the US Administration with worse impact than that of the Abu Ghurayb prison. The implications of this new scandal would demonstrate beyond any doubt the double standards in the performance and statements of the US Administration in dealing with world figures. It will be a clear proof that the US Administration interferes in the affairs of world countries to influence their policies in line with the views of the US adviser."
(SCIRI's Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic,Iran, 04 Sep 04 ):- Baghdad posters threaten former regime members - radio: Posters are appearing in parts of Baghdad believed to be from a group threatening revenge against members of the former regime, the Shi'i radio station Voice of the Mujahidin reported on 4 September. The group calls itself "Just Retribution", and has put posters on doors of former security and intelligence officials vowing to kill them if they continue to work with "criminals and terrorists", according to the radio station. Areas affected include the new Palestine Street area, Al-Amiriyah district, Abu Ghurayb, Al-Shaydiyah and Al-Kazimiyah.
(As-Sabah, Baghdad, Sep 4, Page 1):- The Iraqi interim government has allocated around $ 262 millions for implementing the city of Al- Sadr's reconstruction drive after the stoppage of the military operations that affected negatively on the service departments in the city due to the clashes between the multi-national forces ,the Iraqi army from one side and Al- Sadr loyalists from another .Well acquainted source affirmed that the said sum is equivalence to 393 billions Iraqi dinars is being paid from the Iraqi national budget. The sum is ranged among several projects for developing the level of services representing in $ 992, 000 for rehabilitating the fire engine institutes and increasing the numbers of policemen. About $ 847,000 for promoting electricity sector in the city which suffers transparent shortage in the level of services. $ 30, 9 millions were allotted for health sector, $ 90,8 millions for rehabilitating the special projects for treating waters .

( As-Sabah, Baghdad, Sept. 4, page2 ):- Iraqi diplomatic sources in Amman have expected that Mr. Hoshiar Zibari will pay a visit to Jordan in the next week within a tour to some Arab countries including Egypt and Morocco.Zibari will tackle the bilateral ties with the Jordanian officials in different fields particularly the economic , security and the pending causes , according to the officials.Protecting the Jordanian vehicles inside the Iraqi lands and increasing commercial and economic cooperation are to be tackled also.

(As-Sabah, Baghdad Sept. 4, page2):- The International Development Ministry at the United Kingdom allocated 544 million pounds to support the reconstruction of Iraq; especially the southern provinces. Sir Hilary Bin, the State Minister for International Development declared that during his meeting with the Basra governor, attended by British Ambassador. Mr. Bin added that 9 million of the sum will be given to help the civil society associations that help to enhance the development process. Also, 5 millions and a half are to be spent on supporting the political process and the economic reform, while $30 million to provide work opportunities in the southern region as well as $38 million to expand the municipal services. He said that this program aims at developing the economic and the work on improving the living standers in the southern provinces, indicating that this project ends by 2006.

Updates from Iraqi Kurdish Press
(From UNAMI - North)

05 September 2004

Khabat daily, KDP mouthpiece, Erbil 3-5 September 2004
The KDP leader Massoud Barzani received a US diplomatic delegation headed by Robert Blackwell, Advisor at the National Security Council. Te discussions ranged from the Iraqi political process and the National Assembly meetings to the general elections and satiability in Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq. The delegation head reiterated the US commitment to the establishment of a federal democratic Iraq and highly evaluated the Kurdish vital participation in the process. Referring to the importance of coordination and cooperation between the US and the Kurdish leadership, Barzani stressed that the Kurds would continue their positive role.
A terrorist suicide blast in front of Kirkuk Police Academy killed 21 and wounded tens yesterday. The bearded head of the terrorist offender, possibly a foreigner, was found at the explosion site.
The Iraqi Human Rights Minister opened in Dahuk its first awareness workshop on information gathering in cooperation with the KRG Human Right Ministry Wednesday. More than 100 human rights activists and education experts participated in the 3-day workshop that aimed at incorporating human rights values in the education curricula throughout the country.
The KRG Education Minister and a South Korean KOICA delegation met Thursday and discussed [Korean] educational projects, including the provision of computers for schools and educational establishments, installation of audio-labs, as well as buses for students' transportations in Erbil and sending Kurdistan teachers for training in Korea.
The education department in Dahuk concluded a 3-week capacity building session for 500 teachers. The Education Minister, his senior aids and other senior officials attended the graduation ceremony held Friday morning.
Kurdistan Teachers' delegation participated in the 5-day conference on leadership capacity building organized in Jordan by the US Federal Teachers' Union in cooperation with Jordan Teachers' Union. The Kurdish teachers' delegation successfully depicted Kurdistan self-rule experiment in all aspects.
The Iraqi National Guard (ING) and the Multi-National Forces (MNF) foiled a terrorist attack on Talaafar town (100 k west of Mosul) yesterday morning killing 2 of the raiders and wounding another 18. The clashes that continued heavily until last night resulted also in the death of 12 civilians and injury of another 60, in addition to 3 ING elements.
Kurdistani Nwe, PUK mouthpiece, Sulaymanya 2-3 September 2004
During his warm reception in Sulaymanya to Ambassador Blackwell and his US delegation, the PUK leader Jalal Talabani explained his party's views on the Iraqi elections and said the political reconstruction in Iraq required consensus amongst all Iraqi national, ethnic and religious components. Talabani added his party favored a united list of candidates that will include all who believe in a federal democratic and parliamentary Iraq. He also highlighted the efforts of the Sulaymanya administration of the KRG to establish a free trade zone and an American university in Sulaymanya in cooperation with the US government.
The Governor of Kirkuk stressed Thursday that no census and elections would succeed in Kirkuk before the normalization of et situations in Kirkuk, which meant return of all [Kurdish and Turcoman] IDPs to Kirkuk and the departure of Arab settlers, as well as re-attaching the towns and villages that the former regime detached from Kirkuk to change the demographic balance in favor of Arab settlers. Te governor's statement came during his reception to a delegation of the Higher Independent Commission for Elections that include the UN as a member. Earlier in the day the Governor chaired a meeting of the Municipal Council during with the allocation of $2 million for service projects in the city was announced.
(Editorial 2 September) Yesterday's election of Fuad Maasoum as the Speaker of the transitional Iraqi National Assembly is another success for the Kurds in the new Iraq. Although the Assembly is mandated for several months only, yet the presidency of a Kurd over such an important establishment that is entrusted to oversee the government performance of the can guarantee that no decision would pass against the interests of the Kurdistan people.
In light of the KRG-Sulaymanya ongoing reform and counter-corruption campaign, the Sulaymanya Municipality Department announced the establishment of 5 committees to review the accomplishments in each unit, identify over-staffing and reduce the routines. An administrative officer advised that working in tow (morning and afternoon) shifts would start soon.
Hawal weekly issued by Hawal Enterprise for Press and Information, Kirkuk 4 September 2004
The assassinated of Kirkuk Education Director on 31 August 2004 was one month after the threats he received from the Arab Group at Kirkuk Municipal Council for his refusal to re-deploy dismissed Arab Baathists in two weeks. Police investigation to the murder is still ongoing.
Kurdistan Region Electricity Enterprise (Sulaymanya) allocated 10 electricity transformers of different capacities to Kirkuk city to help reduce the power crisis. This was one of the outcomes of the 2-day electricity conference that was held in Sulaymanya last week

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NB: This is not an official document. The information contained therein was compiled by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Information Office. If you have any questions/suggestions, please contact us at (+ 962 550 -4631/4703 or Cell. + 962 77 619 731 jarrar@un.org <mailto:jarrar@un.org> or alsokhni@un.org <mailto:alsokhni@un.org>