Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)



From the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)

This document is provided as a service by UNAMI. The material is drawn from non-UN sources and does not reflect the opinions of the United Nations, nor can the UN vouch for its accuracy

Tuesday, April 05, 2005
 
HEADLINES, Click to follow link
  
 
IRAQI NEWS, 4 APRIL 05
·         Iraq ministry to enlist ex-army officers into commando units - official
·         Iraqi centre for geographical data management established
·         UK military engineers help surface Basra roads
·         Communist offices in Baghdad torched
·         Three Iraqis wounded in Ba'qubah attack on US convoy
·         Iraq, Turkey said to agree flow of Euphrates water into Syria
·         SCIRI figure sees Shi'i-Kurdish differences over vice-premiership
IRAQI PRESS HEADLINES - 4 APRIL 05
·         Al-Adalah [published by Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)]
·         Baghdad [published by Iraqi National Accord Movement]
·         Al-Bayan [published by Islamic Al-Da'wah Party]
·         Al-Mada [independent]
·         Al-Manar [independent]
·         Al-Mu'tamar [published by Iraqi National Congress]
·         Al-Nahdah[political daily]
·         Al-Shahid [independent]
·         Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Baghdad edition of London-based daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Saudi-owned]
·         Al-Zaman [daily, independent, Baghdad edition of London-based Al-Zaman]
IRAQI PRESS COMMENTS AND QUOTES -4 APRIL 05
·         ``National Assembly a signs for a free, democratic Iraq - Al-Adalah''
·         ``The legacy inherited from the past ``- Al-Mada
IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA, 4 APRIL 2005
·         Programme summary of Al-Iraqiyah TV news 4 April 05
·         Al-Sharqiyah TV 1400 gmt 4 Apr 05
UPDATES FROM THE KURDISH PRESS, 4 APRIL 2005
·         Aso, private weekly newspaper issued in Sulaymanya
·         Kurdistani Nwe, daily newspaper issued in Sulaymanya by PUK
·         Yakgirtu TV, Erbil channel
·         www.peyamner.com
·         Jamawar, private weekly newspaper issued in Erbil

IRAQI NEWS, 4 April 05
Iraq ministry to enlist ex-army officers into commando units - official
The Iraqi Interior Ministry is in the process of forming 24 commando battalions in various parts of Iraq, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. Maj-Genl Hamid al-Mashhadani, adviser to the interior minister for recruitment and organizational affairs, said that the ministry is preparing to receive volunteers, especially former army officers and non-commissioned officers, for enlistment into special forces and commando units, the channel added. (Al-Sharqiyah, Baghdad, in Arabic 4 Apr 05)
Iraqi centre for geographical data management established
An "official source" at the Iraqi Central Statistics and Technology Department has released information about the establishment of a centre for geographical data management in cooperation with the South Korea's Korean International Cooperation Agency, which had contributed to furnishing the centre and providing equipment and requirements, Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) newspaper Al-Ta'akhi reported. (Al-Ta'akhi, Baghdad in Arabic 4 Apr 05)
UK military engineers help surface Basra roads
British military engineers have helped Iraqi experts surface several main roads in Basra, Iraqi Al-Iraqiyah TV said on 4 Apr. It said the 21st engineering unit of the British army had carried out a number of road surfacing jobs as part of a plan to create business and job opportunities in the area of Zubayr. (Al-Iraqiyah TV 4 Apr 05)
Communist offices in Baghdad torched
The offices of the Iraqi Communist Party in Al-Thawrah city in eastern Baghdad were torched overnight, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported on 4 April. Party leader Hamid Majid Musa was quoted as saying that a group of "masked terrorists" had ordered the guard out before ransacking and setting the office on fire. He added that a committee had been set up to identify the perpetrators. (Al-Sharqiyah 4 Apr 05)
Three Iraqis wounded in Ba'qubah attack on US convoy
Iraqi police have said that three Iraqis, including one police officer, were injured on 4 April when a bomb targeting a US military convoy exploded in Ba'qubah, north of Baghdad, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. A medical source at Ba'qubah General Hospital said the wounded were in a stable condition, it added. (Al-Sharqiyah 4 Apr 05)
Iraq, Turkey said to agree flow of Euphrates water into Syria
Iraq and Turkey have concluded an agreement to allow Syria to receive 500 cubic metres of water per second from the River Euphrates, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported on 4 April, citing the Iraqi Water Resources Ministry. A ministry statement was quoted as saying that the aim of the agreement was to "remove tensions that might emerge because of the inequitable exploitation of water by the countries of origin". (Al-Sharqiyah 0905 gmt 4 Apr 05)
SCIRI figure sees Shi'i-Kurdish differences over vice-premiership
A spokesman for the Shi'i Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) has highlighted differences between the Shi'i United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) and the Kurdish Alliance over the position of deputy prime minister in the new government, the London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat reported on 4 April. SCIRI's Sa'd Jawad Qandil told the newspaper that problems concerning the vice-premiership remained unresolved and that, in his view, "the deputy prime ministers are part of the cabinet formation and it is up to Prime Minister-candidate Dr Ibrahim al-Ja'fari to determine". The newspaper recalled that the Kurds were proposing a single candidate for deputy prime minister, who would be a Kurd with powers equal to the prime minister's, whereas the UIA wanted the prime minister to have three deputies, a Kurd, a Sunni, and a Shi'i. It also quoted Qandil as criticizing the "vague" stance of incumbent Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's list, which was making "unclear and unreasonable demands that are inconsistent with the election results". (Al-Sharq al-Awsat Baghdad edition, 4 Apr 05)
IRAQI PRESS HEADLINES - 4 April 05

Al-Adalah [published by Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)]
·         After electing speaker, National Assembly adopts SCIRI leader Al-Hakim's proposal for parliament to remain in session until government formed ...
·         Abd-al-Aziz al-Hakim offers condolences to world Christians on Pope John Paul's death ...
·         Finance Minister Adil Abd-al-Mahdi meets migration minister to discuss financial support for housing fund ...
·         National Assembly president Hajim al-Hasani calls for speeding up reconstruction, combating corruption ...
·         UK troop numbers to be reduced in Iraq ...
·         Kuwaiti parliament speaker Al-Khurafi welcomes new Iraqi parliament, expresses readiness for cooperation ...
·         In three days, 102 terrorists captured throughout Iraq ...
·         Committee formed to count Iraqi communities abroad ...
·         Justice minister: Over 2,000 prisoners released on bail ...
·         Short-term projects to employ jobless people ...
·         New oil refinery to be established at 2bn-dollar cost ...
·         Ten million dollars allocated to rehabilitate Basra hospitals ...
·         Justice Ministry holds legal courses for Health Ministry staff
Baghdad [published by Iraqi National Accord Movement]
·         Al-Hasani elected speaker for National Assembly; president to be named Wednesday ...
·         Mortar shell lands near Foreign Ministry ...
·         Forty-four US soldiers wounded in attack on Abu-Ghurayb prison ...
·         PUK official: We want new Iraq ...
·         Chaldean Patriarch: Pope loved Iraq, Iraqis ...
·         Five civilians killed in criminal incidents in Baghdad ...
·         Young man abducted, killed in Al-Radwaniyah ...
·         Contractor working with multinational forces assassinated ...
·         Police academy opened in Al-Samawah ...
·         Desert investment project implemented in Salah-al-Din ...
·         Acting health minister: Intensive plan set for next five years to rehabilitate handicapped people ...
·         One billion dinars to conduct university research
Al-Bayan [published by Islamic Al-Da'wah Party]
·         National Assembly elects speaker; Ibrahim al-Ja'fari pleased with parliament discussions, elections ...
·         Sources: United Iraqi Alliance urges government to control security in Al-Najaf ...
·         Largest oil-smuggling site seized in Basra ...
·         Seven suspects arrested in Karbala ...
·         Human Rights Ministry to disseminate programmes at state institutions ...
·         With ongoing traffic jams, main road designs reviewed, river transport encouraged ...
·         Iraqi gross domestic product increases by 40 per cent ...
·         Three million dollars earmarked to repair dams ...
·         Trade minister calls on Syria, Jordan to facilitate entry of foodstuffs into Iraq ...
·         Training courses for agriculture sector workers
Al-Mada [independent]
·         Al-Hasani chosen as National Assembly speaker, Al-Shahristani, Tayfur as deputies; Al-Ja'fari: We need three days to name presidential council and PM, five days to declare government ...
·         Al-Dhib [Wolf] Brigade withdraws from Mosul; Al-Nimr [Tiger] Brigade takes charge; 700 police commandos deployed; Fifty police patrols run in city ...
·         Two car bomb explosions coincide with coordinated attack on Abu-Ghurayb jail
·         Thirteen members of Al-Qa'idah, Ansar al-Sunnah captured in Diyala ...
·         Weapons, explosives caches found in houses, shops, schools in Mosul ...
·         Two well-known terrorists caught in Mosul; one Afghan, another Pakistani ...
·         US soldier killed in western Iraq ...
·         Mounting violence in Mosul; student demonstrations staged, large-scale arrests in city; confrontations leave civilian casualties ...
·         Basra local council chief: Kuwaiti encroachments against Iraqi fishermen under discussion with Foreign Ministry ...
·         Fifty German companies to take part in Iraq reconstruction fair in Amman ...
·         Iraqi refugees in Saudi Rafhah camp in very bad conditions ...
·         Thirty schools reconstructed in Al-Sadr City ...
·         Crime rate in Al-Muthanna dropped by 40 per cent ...
·         Graduates demonstrate in Babil; Al-Hillah education directorate disperses them with water cannon; jobs reserved for families of education directorate staff
Al-Manar [independent]
·         Al-Hasani elected parliament speaker, Al-Shahristani his first deputy ...
·         Two blasts near Foreign Ministry while National Assembly in session ...
·         Sharif Ali Bin al-Husayn denounces criminal bombing of Samarra minaret ...
·         Clashes between US forces, gunmen in Mosul; individual acts of violence reported
Al-Mu'tamar [published by Iraqi National Congress]
·         National Assembly presidency settled for Al-Hasani; dispute begins over other posts; president, two deputies, PM to be elected Wednesday ...
·         INC member: First victory achieved for democratic process; Al-Ja'fari: We hope president will be elected in same way; United Iraqi Alliance spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh: Al-Chalabi to hold deputy PM post ...
·         Blast near Foreign Ministry ...
·         Iraqi borders reopened ...
·         International airport in Al-Sulaymaniyah ...
·         Forty-four US soldiers hurt in Abu-Ghurayb prison battle ...
·         Iraq heading for balanced growth rates in next five years; actual reconstruction cost 56bn dollars
Al-Nahdah[political daily]
·         Al-Hasani: President, two deputies to be elected on Wednesday; National Assembly in session ...
·         Sunni Arabs name Adnan al-Pachachi as candidate for vice-presidency ...
·         Eight wounded in clashes with US forces in Al-Ramadi ...
·         UK plans partial troop withdrawal from Iraq ...
·         Iraq reconstruction fair to begin in Amman today ...
·         US army kills Bulgarian soldier by mistake ...
·         Labour minister meets Al-Sadr City local council members ...
·         Seven Education Ministry staff seriously wounded in shooting incident; barrage of bullets fired by national guards ...
·         Drug dealers caught in Baghdad
Al-Shahid [independent]
·         When will the battle for posts be over? ...
·         Rihab Taha deceived Saddam and buried anthrax in his palace ...
·         Peshmerga forces spark controversy between Kurdish, Shi'i quarters ...
·         US document makes new revelation on Iraqi prison torture ...
·         Hunt for Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri; conflicting reports on movements worry Iraqi government ...
·         The story of the man who fooled the CIA over Iraqi WMD ...
·         Will Mish'an al-Juburi's quake brings down parliament session? ...
·         US intelligence reports on Iraqi weapons completely wrong ...
·         Possible release of Tariq Aziz's assets under study ...
·         Days of Iraq war: Secrets and facts ...
·         International report accuses US forces of using water, food as war weapons ...
·         Al-Pachachi: Sunni political front set up to form Iraqi government
Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Baghdad edition of London-based daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Saudi-owned]
·         Hachim al-Hasani first Iraqi parliament speaker after Saddam's reign; name of president, government makeup to be announced at Wednesday session ...
·         US report: Bin-Ladin wanted to cooperate with Iraqi Shi'i; Al-Zarqawi rejected ... In largest assault claimed by Al-Zarqawi after election, 44 US soldiers wounded in attack on Abu-Ghurayb prison ...
·         Denunciation in Basra after raid on Sunni mosque ...
·         Drinking water shortages in Iraq ...
·         Italian lawyers to defend detainees inside Iraq ...
·         Supreme federal court established in Iraq ...
·         New drug contracts en route to Iraq ...
·         Disagreement between United Iraqi Alliance, Kurdistan Alliance over deputy PM post ...
·         Iraqi women MPs accuse men of denying them chance to select president, government
Al-Zaman [daily, independent, Baghdad edition of London-based Al-Zaman]
·         Naming of president, two deputies to be settled on Wednesday; mid-April deadline to form government ...
·         Civilian killed, five wounded in two car bomb blasts in Mosul ...
·         Al-Yawar: Vice-presidency settled in my favour ...
·         Senior officer's body found in Mosul ...
·         London denies reports on UK troop withdrawal from Iraq next year ...
·         Forty-four US soldiers injured in two suicide attacks on Abu-Ghurayb prison; 12 prisoners wounded, two seriously ...
·         Three armed rings broken in Al-Diwaniyah; suspect's arrest leads to gang leader's capture ...
·         Hairdressers demand immediate measures for protection; unidentified threat letters received; non-stop assassinations, kidnappings ...
·         Multinational forces apologize for arrest of Basra citizens ...
·         Armed attack destroys Al-Adim city hall in Diyala ...
·         US organization funds projects in Iraq



IRAQI PRESS COMMENTS and QUOTES -4 April 05


 ``National Assembly a signs for a free, democratic Iraq - Al-Adalah''
"Yesterday, a Speaker for the National Assembly was elected in a democratic way that gave hopeful signs for a free, democratic Iraq... Some have interpreted the differences over the selection of a parliament Speaker during the first and second sessions as a failure... However, what happened yesterday indicated a quiet, thoughtful, comprehensive interpretation of the approach adopted by the weighty political entities at the assembly to get all the components of Iraqi society involved in the political process, even if this would delay the formation of a new government... Yesterday's events have proved to the whole world that the political process in Iraq is on the right track and that the coming days will see more successes expected from the government that will emerge from the people's iron will."
``The legacy inherited from the past ``- Al-Mada
"The legacy inherited from the past is too heavy. Thus, laying solid foundations in the midst of the rubble is a hard, challenging task, and whoever undertakes it should, therefore, have a high sense of responsibility and wisdom. Now, we need to address the most important, without ignoring the important. Otherwise, things will turn even worse, especially if politicians' differences continue over points that cannot be settled before stability has been established in the country... Optimists can no longer cope with the illusion of optimism, and sceptics are incapable of persuading people of their misgivings, because the public have realized the difficulties involved, though they still demand that those in charge should shoulder their responsibilities."


IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA, 4 April 2005

Programme summary of Al-Iraqiyah TV news 4 April 05
·         Iraq leaders send condolence messages to world Christians for death of Pope... Interim Prime Minister congratulates new National Assembly speaker...
·         Observers says the assembly's political accord on Speaker - a step towards consensus. Video report covers public comments on last sitting of assembly, naming of speaker...
·         Iraqi Minister of Defence Hazim al-Sha'lan calls on members of disbanded army to join new armed force. Video report covers his comments...
·         Baghdad offices of Iraqi Communist Party torched and ransacked; 34 terror suspects arrested in Ninawa. Video report covers attack on party, rocket attack on residential area in Baghdad, violence...
·         Iraq court passes sentences against foreign terrorists...
·         Fallujah interim city council names its head and deputies. Video report covers council meeting, seats distribution...
·         Women role focus of university forum in Baghdad. Video report...
·         Women want more success. Video report highlights women wishing better economic conditions...
·         Body parts blown up in explosions found scattered in Baghdad streets. [Video report interrupted]...
·         Forum on rehabilitating Al-Ahwar. Video report...
·         Poets conclude Basra literary festival. Video report...
·         Business bulletin. International fair on Iraq reconstruction held in Jordan. Iraq share market report. Main roads in Basra paved with help of British military engineers, video report...
·         Iraqis ridicule Saddam Husayn in recorded mobile phone messages. Video report


Al-Sharqiyah TV 4 Apr 05
·         Blast near Abu-Ghurayb prison kills five; US army says no casualties among its personnel ...
·         Mortar attack on home in Baghdad ...
·         Talks continue between Iraqi political parties on formation of new government and presidential council ...
·         Iraqis look forward to what the new government will achieve regarding services for the people ...
·         Iraqi vice-president sends message of condolence to Vatican on death of Pope John Paul II ...
·         Vatican embassy in Iraq to hold vigil for pope ...
·         Vatican cardinals begin preparation for pope's funeral ...
·         Armed group attacks headquarters of Iraqi Communist Party in Baghdad ...
·         Iraq and Turkey sign agreement to release more water from Euphrates into Syria
·         Iraqi forces arrest religious cleric in Diyala Province; Sunni official regrets arrest
·         Three Iraqis, including one police officer, injured in blast in Diyala Province ...
·         US soldier killed in blast in Ba'qubah ...
·         Iraq marks world orphans' day Interior Ministry to create 24 groups of forces from former Iraqi army officers
·         Foreign security personnel fire on car attempting to overtake them in Baghdad ...
·         Japan and NATO agree to aid security efforts in Iraq
·         Saudi forces kill eight armed men in clashes north of Riyadh .
·         Thai security officials hold meeting to create strategy to deal with violence in south

Updates from the Kurdish Press, 4 April 2005
Aso, private weekly newspaper issued in Sulaymanya
¾         Civil war may erupt in Iraq if Arab settlers refuse to leave Kirkuk and the Kirkuk issue is not settled, PUK politburo member and former speaker of the Iraqi national assembly Fouad Maasoum said. The Kurdish official was commenting on a Kurdish-Shiite agreement that stipulates, among other issues related to the formation of a new Iraqi Government, sending back all Arab settlers from Kirkuk to their places of origin in central and southern Iraq, in addition to returning displaced Kurds and Turcomans, restoring the [pre-1975] administrative boundaries of Kirkuk governorate by re-attaching the towns that were detached from it. The second stage of the plan includes conducting a referendum for the genuine Kirkukis if they wanted to join Kurdistan Region or not.
Kurdistani Nwe, daily newspaper issued in Sulaymanya by PUK
¾         Kirkuk looses from the delays in distribution of key positions in the governorate and Iraq. The last meeting of Kirkuk Municipal Council ended without electing a governor and Council chairperson as the representatives of the Iraqi Turcoman Front (ITF) and the Arabic Republican Gathering left the boycotted the meeting. The boycott resembles the deeds of the two sides that refuse to participate in the Kurdish-majority council and recognize the reality of Kirkuk's ethnic structure. In a bid to attract external interference, the boycott also aims at delaying the distribution of the key positions in the governorates, which coincides with a delay in the formation of eth new Iraqi government. Reversing Arabization of Kirkuk (and other Kurdish areas) through implementation of Article 58 of the Iraqi Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) is one of the Kurdish leadership's conditions for alliance with other winning list for the formation of Iraqi Government. It is also the objective of Kirkuk Fraternity List that won majority of Kirkuk Council. Any delay in distribution of Kirkuk positions and formation of the Iraqi cabinet is a delay against the Kirkukis and settlement of their issue by reversing Arabization and joint Kurdistan Region, which will happen after the referendum to be conducted in line with TAL Article 58.
Yakgirtu TV, Erbil channel
¾         Erbil Governorate's 41-seat municipal council convened Monday and re-elected Nawzad Hadi as Governor unanimously. The council also elected by majority of 25 votes each of Tahir Abdulla as Deputy Governor and Soran Izzaddin Feizi as Council Chairperson. The PUK did not have candidates for the last two post but all its 16 representatives at the council voted against them while the two representatives of Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yakgirtu) and Ali Bapeer's Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG) voted in favor, together with the 23 representatives of Kurdistan Democratic Voice List that comprises of the KDP and 13 groups. After the meeting, a PUK representative commented to the TV on his List's negative vote for Deputy Governor and Council Chairperson positions saying that his list was surprised with the voting because it was not on the agenda. He further hinted that there may have been a KDP-PUK agreement, at politburo level, for giving the Deputy post to a PUK candidate.
www.peyamner.com <http://www.peyamner.com>
¾         After a 5-week strike and a series of demonstrations and meetings with ministers and other senior officials, Sulaymanya University students celebrate their success in having Ayinda Private University shut down. Hundreds of students at Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Pharmacology colleges at Sulaymanya University had planned for a 72-hour sit-in in front of the KRG-Sulaymanya Council of Ministers demanding the closure of Ayinda University and resignation of the Higher Education Minister, who reportedly labeled the striking students as "insane." After 24 hours from the beginning of the sit-in, Nawshirwan Mustafa, a PUK influential politburo member visited the striking students, relayed the KRG closure decision to their representatives. The PUK politburo held a special meeting Sunday night to settle the university crisis.
Jamawar, private weekly newspaper issued in Erbil
¾         A number of teachers in the primary schools and students in the high schools in Shekhan area (Dahuk Governorate) drop out of the schools to join the police and army ranks. A teacher's monthly salary is only NID 125,000 while policemen and army recruits receive at least NID 450,000.
¾         The teachers in Sharbazher and Sharazour areas (between Sulaymanya and Halabja) intend to stage a demonstration in front of the Council of Ministers at KRG-Sulaymanya administration if their demands were not fulfilled by 10 April. In a memo submitted earlier to the Education Ministry, the teachers had demand reforming the pay scale, increasing teaching and travel allowances and other benefits but the Minister had told them that her ministry could do nothing for them. The teachers had planned for a strike, but Nawshirwan Mustafa, a PUK influential politburo member, convinced them that strike was not appropriate and a demonstration would be preserved better.

***
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 -4631/4632 or Cell. + 962 77 619 731 jarrar@un.org <mailto:jarrar@un.org> or alsokhni@un.org <mailto:alsokhni@un.org>