UNAMI: Iraqi Media Monitoring

From the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)

Sunday, 30 May 2004

Iyad Allawi Chosen Prime Minister of the Upcoming Iraqi Government

Iraqi dailies highlight on 29 May 2004 that Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) Member Iyad Allawi was chosen for the post of Prime Minister as agreed by IGC, Coalition Authorities and UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. Al-Sabah carried a banner headline saying that ``Allawi chosen for the post of prime minister and Al-Yawir has the biggest chance for the post of president.'' Al-Sabah al-Jadid "During a historical meeting that brought together members of the Iraqi Governing Council, the Coalition Authority and Lakhdar Brahimi, Iyad Allawi was chosen for the post of prime minister." Another headline says: "The new prime minister is a man of strict discipline and a history of fierce confrontations with Saddam." Al-Mashriq says, ``No agreement so far on the post of president and the other posts. Al-Pachachi and Al-Yawar are the strongest candidates. Through a unanimous agreement between the IGC, the Coalition Authority and Brahimi, Allawi was chosen for the post of prime minister and his cabinet will be announced tomorrow.'' Baghdad ``which is the mouthpiece of the National Accord Movement and to which the new Prime Minister belongs'' carries the following headlines: "The IGC chooses Dr. Iyad Allawi as Prime Minister of the upcoming Iraqi government…The newspaper also conducts a poll on the selection of Allawi for the post of prime minister."
Al-Furat gave very limited coverage to the news, but carried the following headlines: "Kurdish leader threatens that he will withdraw from the IGC if the new cabinet is not given sovereign powers. Al-Mutammar did not mention anything in this regard, neither on its first page nor on its other pages."

Iraqi Daily: ``Iraqi People are Neglected in the Political Process''

(Al-Dustur, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Publishes a front page editorial criticizing the current political process and the formation of the new interim government. The editorial says three parties are taking part in this process: the occupation forces, UN Envoy Brahimi, and the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). The editorial adds that the Iraqi people, the most important party in the entire process, has been neglected and ignored.

Iraqi Nuclear Scientist Rejects Prime Minister Post

(Al-Manar, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes a front page report citing Iraqi Nuclear Scientist Husayn Shahristani affirming that he sent UN Envoy Brahimi his regrets for not accepting the prime minister post in the interim government.

UN Envoy among, IGC President and 1,000 Political Figures Attend Peace and Solidarity Conference

(Al-Mada, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes a report detailing the Peace and Solidarity conference that was held on 28 May 2004, under the slogan: "Complete sovereignty is the base of democracy." The conference was put on by the Iraqi Council for Peace and Solidarity. The report says that this conference was attended by the IGC president, the UN envoy, and 1,000 political figures representing all Iraqis. The report says that the final statement calls for several decisions, of which forming a federal government has wide popularity, as well as including honest and competent members.

Iraqi Daily: US Escalation in Al-Najaf, Al-Kufah to Force Other Countries to Pass the UN Resolution

(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes an article saying that the reason behind the US forces' recent escalation in their military operations in Al-Najaf and Al-Kufah is in fact to force other countries to pass the UN draft resolution submitted by the US and Britain to preserve their occupation of Iraq.

Iraqi Daily: ``UN Envoy Brahimi Appreciated Bremer's Raid on Al-Chalabi's House''

(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes on its back page an article criticizing the US raid on a wedding party in Al-Qa'im, killing a large number of Iraqis. The article says that Ambassador Bremer is unhappy because his term in power over Iraq is coming to an end soon. The article says that ``UN Envoy Brahimi appreciated Bremer's raid on IGC Member Al-Chalabi's house,'' adding that Iran has finally broke its silence towards the attack on the holy shrines in Iraq.

IGC Member Al-Khafaji's Son Drowned During Assassination Attempt

(Al-Dustur, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Interior Minister Samir al-Sumayda'i affirmed that IGC member Salama Al-Khafaji's son drowned when his car fell in a river during the assassination attempt on his mother on Thursday, 27 May.

Al-Da'wah Party: ``the New Government is Weak and Lacks Sovereignty''

(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes on its front page a report stating that Al-Mashriq learned that the Al-Da'wah Party Iraq branch will boycott the new interim government because "it will be weak and lack sovereignty".

Al-Shirazi: Shi'is in Iraq Must Have the Most Important Positions In Iraq

(Al-Shira, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Carries a report on a statement by the office of Ayatollah Sadiq al-Shirazi on the Shi'i rights in the next government. The statement says that the Shi'is in Iraq must have the most important positions in Iraq. The statement adds that the prime minister and the president positions must be occupied by the majority. (Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Ayatollah Sadiq Sherazi, Iraqi Shi'i religious authority leader residing in Qom, calling distributing the main posts in the upcoming interim government to Shi'is because they are the majority of the Iraqi population.

IGC Member: Killing or Arresting Muqtada Al-Sadr Would Create an Endless Revolution

(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - publishes a report citing IGC Member Karim Muhammadawi warning the coalition forces that "killing or arresting Muqtada al-Sadr would create an endless revolution." In a news conference held in Al-Najaf on Thursday, 27 May, by the Shi'i House delegation that visited the city last week, Muhammadawi emphasized the religious authority role in pressuring Al-Sadr to end his crisis. Al-Chalabi affirmed that the Shi'i House contacted the coalition forces and obtained "their preliminary approval on the cease-fire", hoping that it becomes a solid cease-fire truce.

US President Bush's Five-Point Plan Confuses Iraqis

(Al-Hadath, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Carries a report concerning US President Bush's plan to transfer power to the Iraqis. The report says that the US President's five-point plan confused Iraqis because it did not give clarifications about the military situation after 30 June. The report adds that this plan included an obvious message to demolish Abu-Ghurayb Prison. The report cites IGC member Mahmud Uthman as saying that this plan was addressed to the US people and it has several positive issues. Uthman adds that the US forces will not be able to stay in Iraq after the power transfer without the green light of the next government.

Iraqi Paper Lashes Out at US for Using the Presidential Palace as Embassy

(Al-Furat, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Publishes an article by Husayn al-Ubaydi wondering why the US embassy will be at the presidential palace. Al-Ubaydi says that this act represents a new violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and it is already a part of the US plan in this country. Al-Ubaydi adds that this palace is not for Saddam but represents a symbol of Iraqi sovereignty. Al-Ubaydi says that this decision is part of a major plan aimed at eliminating all Iraqi symbols, beginning with the destruction of the Iraqi National Museum, dismissing the old institutions, and changing the flag. Al-Ubaydi wonders why the US officials decided to announce this decision shortly before the power transfer. Al-Ubaydi calls on Iraqis to confront this plan before it is too late.

Jordanian Government Negotiates With Coalition Authority to Hand over Al-Chalabi

(Al-Dustur, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - An official Jordanian source says that the Jordanian Government is negotiating with the Coalition Authority in Iraq the possibility of handing IGC member Dr Ahmad al-Chalabi over to Jordan to serve the court sentence against him there.

350 Kurdish Families Transferred from Al-Fallujah to Kirkuk Governorate

(Al-Furat, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - The Kurdish leaders ordered the transfer of 350 Kurdish families from Al-Fallujah city to Kirkuk governorate. This decision was because of these families' role in Al-Fallujah events, where they participated as snipers against the Iraqi resistance. The report also says that these families moved to Kirkuk to change the demography of this governorate.

Al-Sadr Circulated A Letter To Al-Mahdi Militia On Truce Conclusion

(Al-Dustur, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - publishes a report saying that Al-Sadr circulated a letter to Al-Mahdi militia saying that a truce has been concluded. The truce consists of four points: an end to all forms of armed manifestation in the holy cities, to evict all state buildings, the departure of Al-Mahdi militia members who came from other cities to Al-Najaf, Al-Kufah, and Karbala, and to stop arresting and trying people. The truce also includes that the US forces return to their bases, police continue their duties, and to discuss the future of Al-Mahdi Army with the other Shi'i leaders. (Al-Mu'tamar, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Clashes between Al-Mahdi Army and the US forces started again when the US forces started to arbitrarily shoot at people going to the Friday sermon. An official in Al-Mahdi Army says that Al-Mahdi Army respects the truce, but the US forces always start the provocations.

Foreign Object On the Roadside Releases Unknown Gases Seen In Baghdad

(Azzaman, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - publishes a report citing eyewitnesses as saying that during their passage through Al-Jihad district in Baghdad, they saw a foreign object left on the roadside releasing unknown gases, which caused them nausea and skin irritation on Wednesday, 26 May. The eyewitnesses added that more than 15 people were having the same symptoms and they informed the police. No further details were available.

Iraqi Dailies in Brief:

(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes on its front page editorial criticizing and holding the Iraqis who do not want their country to be stable and prosperous, responsible for most of Iraq's wounds.
(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Iraqi economic and oil expert Ali al-Mashadani affirms that the Iraqi economy has incurred 400bn-dollar losses since the downfall of the former regime last year.
(Al-Furat, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - The fuel crisis in Baghdad and several governorates was aggravated. The people accused the Oil Ministry of its plan to increase fuel prices, and this act forced people to store fuel in their houses.
(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - The Muslim Ulema Council, in a statement on Thursday, 27 May, announced that its Member Sa'di Ahmad Zaydan was killed and another one was wounded in an assassination attempt. The statement denounced the act and called on Iraqis for self-restraint.
(Al-Furat, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - IGC President Ajil al-Yawar says that the discussions on the power transfer are focused on handing over complete sovereignty. The next government will include several political parties and figures accepted by the Iraqis.
(Al-Manar, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - IGC President Ghazi Ajil al-Yawir calling on Iraqi prisoners released by the US forces to file their complaints at the IGC in case their belongings, apart from weapons, seized by the US forces during their arrest are not returned to them.
(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes an article saying that the occupation forces revealed the photos showing the abuse and mistreatment of the Iraqi prisoners now to put Al-Sadr's supporters in a corner - either they will be arrested under such conditions, or to die while fighting.
(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes an article criticizing the Iraqi security officials and the US forces for blaming Al-Zarqawi and Al-Qa'idah whenever a terrorist attack occurs in Iraq. The article calls for revealing the investigation results.
(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Well informed sources says that Communication Minister Haydar al-Abadi, who left the country a few days ago, will stay abroad until the new interim government is announced in order to make sure that his name is included in the new cabinet.
(Al-Mashriq, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - A spokesman for Ayatollah Al-Sistani threatens to withdraw his authorization from Al-Mahri in Kuwait for his statement accusing and holding Muqtada al-Sadr's militia responsible for the attack on Imam Ali holy shrine in Al-Najaf a few days ago.
(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes on its front page an article criticizing the Shi'i religious authority, stating that it remains silent towards all local, regional, and international events, except when it comes to attacking the spoken religious authority.
(Ansar al-Mahdi, Baghdad, 28 May 04) - Publishes an article criticizing those who say that a large number of Al-Mahdi Army fighters have been killed and calling for ending the uprising. The article says that larger numbers of people were killed in the 1991 uprising during the former regime rule.
(Al-Hadath, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Ahmad al-Chalabi, member of the IGC and the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, will head to Washington to begin talks with US officials regarding the raid against his house. The report adds that Al-Chalabi will discuss the recent developments in the Iraqi issue.
(Al-Manar, Baghdad, 29 May 04) - Eyewitnesses say that a group of veiled unidentified gunmen set fire to 10 Jordanian trucks carrying goods near Al-Ramadi Governorate, stealing the drivers' money and documents.

Updates from Iraqi Kurdish Press
From UNAMI - Erbil
Talabani Vows To Support Nominated PM

(Kurdistani Nwe, Sulaymaniyah 30 May) - The PUK leader and GC member Jalal Talabani received in his Baghdad HQ the UN's Lakhdar Brahimi and Ayad Allawy, whom the GC unanimously nominated as the prime minister of the government that will take power from the CPA on June 30. Talabani congratulated Allawy and promised his full support to make his (Allawys') task of preparations for elections a success.

Kurds May Take Defense, Foreign Affairs Ministries

(Kurdistani Nwe, Sulaymaniyah 30 May) - The paper quotes an anonymous source saying that Barham Salih and Hoshyar Zebari were candidates to take foreign affairs and defense ministries successively while Dr. Rosch and Fouad Maasoum Shawais may take the positions of the Consultative Council Speaker and one of the two vise-presidents. The announcement of the cabinet members' name is expected in few days

S. Korean Military Delegation To Arrive Erbil Today,

(Khabat, Erbil, 30 May) - A 12-member South Korean military delegation is due to arrive in Erbil today to sign an agreement with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Coalition officials on the dispatch of 3,600 Korean soldiers in Kurdistan for participation in reconstruction efforts. The troops deployment is expected in August.

Gunmen Kill Kirkuk ICDC Chief, Family Members

(Khabat, Erbil & Kurdistani Nwe, Sulaymaniyah 30 May) - Unidentified terrorists Killed yesterday the chief of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) and 3 members of his family in front of his residence in Kirkuk. The slain commander is the fifth Kurdish official assassinated in Kirkuk in one month.

Who Is Responsible For Kirkuk Terror?

(Kurdistani Nwe, Sulaymaniyah 30 May) - More than 300 innocent people have been killed in Kirkuk since last year. Another Kurdish official was assassinated yesterday bringing the number to 5 in one month, yet the Kurdish group at the city council has not issued a protest statement yet. The assassins are at large, like always while the Kurds constitute 42% of the inactive and reluctant city police unable to take practical security measures. The KDP and PUK are also to be blamed for leaving the destiny of Kirkuk and its people and officials to fate. The two parties should take action soon because the continuation of this situation in Kirkuk will result in a great loss.

Mosul Police Foil 10 Terrorist Attempts, Apprehend 4 Terrorists

(Khabat, Erbil, 30 May) - The commander of Mosul police told reporters his department has foiled 10 terrorists attempts, including defusing of TNT explosives and mines in civilian areas, in the one week. Another police source announced the apprehension of 4 terrorists dressed as clergymen after a 30-minute fire exchange with them between Gayara and Hatra districts (south of Mosul).

Water Project For Erbil Worth $62 Million

(Kurdistani Nwe, Sulaymaniyah 30 May) - The KRG Acting Deputy PM laid the foundation stone for the giant Ifraz Water Project that would secure potable water for Erbil city and its neighborhood upon completion in two years. Many CPA and KRG officials, including the Municipality Minister, also attended the ceremony. The minister said the project would secure people's need for the next 25 years without usage of the water wells currently in use. The paper did not mention the provider of the $62 million fund allocated for the project.

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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 -4629/4630/4631 or Cell. + 962 77619725. Taveau@un.org <mailto:Taveau@un.org>

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