Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

(Al-Sharqiyah, Baghdad, in Arabic, 10 July 04) - An Iraqi Foreign Ministry official said that Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari would head to Brussels on Monday on behalf of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who would not be able to fulfill an invitation from the EU Dutch presidency. Zebari said that the Dutch presidency had invited him to come to discuss the situation in Iraq. He said that he would meet members of the NATO to discuss the conditions of the help which the NATO could extend with regard to training Iraqi security forces.

II.      Press comments

 (Al-Adala, Baghdad, twice-weekly by the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq SCIRI, 11 July 04) - From editorial: ``The National Safety Law has been passed to ensure not only badly needed security, but also personal dignity for all Iraqis. Though, basically, it has come as a direct response to the unprecedented escalation last week of terrorist operations against the new Iraqi military and police forces, members of the National Guard, and civilians in general. Backed up by some daring counter-terrorism action taken on the ground, this law has gone to demonstrate to the forces of evil that their efforts to wreak havoc in the land over the past week have been no more than an empty bubble.''


(Al-Dustur, Baghdad, by Movement for the Hashimite Constitutional Royal Union, 11 July 04) - From commentary by Atif Mu'tamad Abd al-Hamid; "There is no harm in admitting that our efforts to follow up the Russian attitude to Middle Eastern crises have been fraught with a lot of confusion. However, we must recognize the fact that, after long, monotonous years of static dogmatism, Russia has embarked on a stunningly different course in its international relations- a positive turn we should capitalize on to break the American monopoly over mapping Iraq's future. But the question is: 'Who are we?'"

(Al-Nahdhah, Baghdad, by Independent Democrats Movement, 11 July 04) - From commentary by Abd-al-Mu'im al-A'sam: "Bin Bella has said this week that he is not in favour of having Saddam Hussein brought to trial, although (attention, please!) he is a Nasirite whereas Saddam is a Ba'athist. How nice! It is as if he would have us think that, as of today, Nasirism, incarnated in his own esteemed person, is to open up to Ba'thism, personified in Saddam Hussein, whereas the significant truth is that Nasirism, in its most extreme rightist form, as represented by Bin Bella, has long been in alliance with Ba'thism at its most foolish, as exemplified by Saddam Hussein, both, driven by the need to survive a resounding political and intellectual fall, having found refuge in an undeclared pact with that dubiously-premised, ill-intentioned and violence-oriented Islamist faction represented by the notorious Usamah Bin-Ladin."

 (London-based Azzaman, Political and independent daily, issued by Saad al-Bazaz, 11 July 04) - From commentary by Husam Abd-al-Sadah al-Sarrai: "Certain terms are so fittingly coined that they convey no other meaning than that they are originally meant to signify, without any exaggeration whatsoever. One such term, long in circulation, which describes Iraq under the ousted regime as 'the republic of fear', seems to have had a twin sister, 'the republic of chaos', which has come to be widely used to describe present-day Iraq."
 


(Al-Bayan, Baghdad, thrice weekly by the Islamic Dawa Party, 10 July 04) - From editorial: "There is a temptation to allow immediate everyday Iraqi concerns to eclipse long-term strategic ones. This can only play into the hands of terrorists and saboteurs who are doing all they can to obstruct the strategic reconstruction of Iraq on new bases entirely different from those on which the structurally erroneous framework of the Iraqi state was previously erected, the fundamental strategic flaw in which, the one requiring utmost attention and meticulous planning, being that of excessive centralization of political and financial power, allowing the centre to thrive at the expense of the languishing peripheries."

(Al-Mada, Baghdad, a daily issued by Al-Mada institution for Media, Culture, and Arts, 10 July 04) - From commentary by Yusuf Abu al-Fawz: "I am convinced that the forces behind the assassination of Iraqi technocrats, scholars, doctors and other highly qualified government employees, are systematically working to deprive Iraq of its qualitative human resources that can enhance natural social development. These are shadowy forces using terror tactics to further an obscurantist religious agenda, deeply intolerant of any future role enlightened Iraqi individuals may play, even if that role had nothing to do with politics."

(Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London-based, Baghdad edition independent daily, Saudi-owned, 10 July 04) - From commentary by Zuhayr al-Mukh: "In short, the concept of 'sovereignty' has never been more than an 'immortality herb', a pretext for tyrannically-minded rulers to keep bullying their subjects for life, not, as they would have us believe, a means of resisting foreign domination or intervention. Sovereignty, in this sense, is a largely ideological concept that has traditionally been characterized by one key attribute: lack of transparency."

 (Al-Mutamar, Baghdad, weekly by the Iraqi National Congress, 10 July 04) - From commentary by Taysir Abd al-Jabbar al-Alusi: "Participation in the decision-making process is something new to us, something that has come to us out of the blue, after years of oppression, marginalization and desperation. This makes it even more imperative that all efforts should be focused on convincing the Iraqi layman that he does have a say in public affairs, and making him realize that his vote does make a difference."

III.     Iraqi Dailies in Brief:

 
(London-based Azzaman, Political and independent daily, issued by Saad al-Bazaz, 11 July 04):

-        Confiscation of more than 5,000 meters of wiring used by individuals siphoning off electricity from power grid 400,000 citizens in Sadr City deprived of power supply.

-        Kirkuk cinema hall set ablaze by unidentified saboteurs.
-        Two Iraqis killed in attack on Marines in Al-Ramadi
-        Work begins on rehabilitating Iraqi Radio and TV Station compound.
-        Three off-license shops blown up by gunmen in Ba'qubah Multinational forces pull out of Babylon.

(Al-Nahdhah, Baghdad, by Independent Democrats Movement, 11 July 04):

-        Ministry of Defence: Borders to be brought under control in coming weeks.

-        Allawi starts Arab tour today.
-        China reopens Baghdad embassy.
-        Government coordinates with Coalition to secure hostages' release.
-        Human Rights Ministry receives list of 21 names of detainees from neighboring countries.
-        Covering 14 secondary schools, decision taken by Ministry of Education to collectively fail 4000 finalist who cheated on ministerial examinations.
-        US firms unable to market products in Iraq

(Al-Adala, Baghdad, twice-weekly by the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq SCIRI, 11 July 04):

-        Prime Minister calls upon neighboring countries to assist Iraq in ending terrorism Campaign of incursions leads to capture of a number of terrorists.

-        First batch of new passports issued to government officials traveling on official mission.