Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=1/19/2004

TYPE=Q&A TRANSCRIPT

TITLE=BAGHDAD DEMO

NUMBER=3-852

BYLINE=SONJA PACE/AL PESSIN

DATELINE=BAGHDAD/LONDON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Thousands of people marched in Baghdad to support a call by senior Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for national elections by June. Correspondent Sonja Pace attended the demonstration and described the scene in this conversation with V-O-A's Al Pessin in London.

TEXT:

PESSIN: Sonja, I know you have gone out to this big demonstration in Baghdad. Tell us what you are seeing.

PACE: Well, we are standing outside one of the gates of Mustan-Syiriah University. And on the street in front of us, next to the university, we have been watching, I would say, for the past hour or so, people in a very peaceful rally marching by, carrying banners, carrying posters of support for Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. We have also been listening to speakers, representatives and leaders of the various Islamic parties here. And what this rally was to do was to show support, and that is what people here have told us, that they came here to show support for Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and his demands for early elections in the country.

PESSIN: Has there been any reference to the logistical issues involved - that the U-S-led coalition and the Iraqi Governing Council say that the logistics, the infrastructure, is just not in place to hold elections before June?

PACE: We spoke to a couple of people who are participating in the rally and they don't believe that. They simply do not believe that. They see this as an attempt by the United States to continue its influence and to decide who is going to be even in the interim government. They want a greater role played by the United Nations. They say they have more faith in the United Nations. They say the United Nations has experience in organizing elections. And some demonstrators have said, 'OK, if the United Nations comes here and says that we can not have elections right now, then we are sure that our religious leaders, our leaders, will listen. But there has to be a better way, is what people are saying. And they are simply adamant that they want elections sooner, rather than later.

PESSIN: Well, it is interesting that that demonstration on that U-N issue comes on the day that the United States is going to ask the United Nations to return to Iraq, because the it has only a very limited presence there because of the security situation.

PACE: That is correct. Now, of course, yesterday's suicide car bombing right outside of the coalition headquarters is certainly not going to help convince anyone, convince the United Nations, that security is not an issue anymore. Security is still a major issue, and everybody agrees with that. The U-S military officials realize, and say, yes, security is an issue. Of course, they point to the fact that attacks, for example, against coalition forces have dropped off drastically recently. And they say they are getting a handle on the security situation. But obviously, as we say yesterday, security is a major problem. As far as the demonstrators here - and I think the demonstration has wound down. We are not hearing any speakers anymore, so people are just sort of drifting away here. But it certainly has been a big demonstration throughout much of the day here. But people are adamant here. They prefer a United Nations role. They have more faith in the United Nations, they say, than they have in the United States.

PESSIN: And the issue that is sort of behind this issue - the political power issue - is that the Ayatollah al-Sistani is a Shi'ite, he has millions of Shi'ite followers. They're the majority in Iraq. They've been repressed under Saddam Hussein. They seem to feel that the sooner there are full and free elections, the sooner Shi'ites will come to power in Iraq.

PACE: There is a definite concern among Shi'ite leaders. Many of them will not come out and say it quite openly and publicly. But there is definitely a concern among the Shi'ites that after being repressed for decades by Saddam Hussein, they want their chance. They know they are the majority, and they are afraid that, as you put it, the longer elections are put off, they are afraid something will happen, somebody will manipulate things that will keep them from having their proper say in the next government of Iraq.

PESSIN: All right, that is V-O-A's Sonja Pace, thank you very much. She is at the big rally in Baghdad today. And I am Al Pessin, V-O-A News, in London.

NEB/SP/AWP/RAE