UNAMI: Iraqi Media Monitoring

From the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)

Thursday, 28 Oct 2004

ELECTIONS
·         Government determined to control all areas before elections - Al-Diyar
·         Iraqi electoral commission calls on potential candidates- Al-Sharqiyah TV
·         Deputy PM, Al-Sistani discuss security, elections- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Sunni clerics in talks with UN envoy on elections, Al-Fallujah- Al-Sharqiyah
RECONSTRUCTION
·         Iraq Health Ministry allocates funds for construction of new hospitals- Al-Mashriq
DEFENCE/SECURITY
·         Gunmen assassinate senior Iraqi diplomat- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Iraqi vice-president calls for US investigation into recruits massacre- Al-Manar TV
·         Shi'i council condemns killing of army recruits-(SCIRI)
·         INC aide killed in Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Shi'i cleric Al-Sadr condemns bombing of Al-Fallujah- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Minister says enforcement of emergency law possible- Al-Sharq al-Awsat
·         Dutch forces to track down saboteurs and gunmen in desert- Al-Diyar
HOSTAGES / POLITICS
·         Unknown gunmen kidnap three Iraqis in Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Iraqi cabinet security officer said accused of high treason- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Iraqi deputy PM meets Armitage in Washington- Al-Sharqiyah
·         Al-Rubay'i reappointed as security adviser - Shi'i radio
IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA SUMMARIES, 27 OCT. 04
·         Dar Al-Salam Radio, Iraqi Islamic Party-affiliated
·         Al-Diyar Satellite Channel In Arabic, Baghdad
·         Al-Iraqiah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic,
IRAQI PRESS HEADLINES, 28 OCT 04
·         Al-Ta'akhi newspaper, by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, 28.10.04
·         Al-Sabah- Al-Jadeed , Baghdad, 28.10.04
KURD NEWS AND UPDATES FROM IRAQI KURDISH PRESS 27 OCT 04
·         Khabat daily, issued in Erbil by the KDP, 27 October 2004
·         Kurdistani Nwe daily, issued in Sulaymanya by the PUK, 27 October 2004
·         www.peyamner.com 27 October 2004

ELECTIONS
Government determined to control all areas before elections - Al-Diyar

(Al-Diyar, 27 Oct 04): Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said that the interim Iraqi government is determined to seize control of all Iraqi areas, including Al-Fallujah, in preparation for January's elections, Iraqi TV channel Al-Diyar reported on 27 October. Zebari added that political efforts to ease tension in Al-Fallujah must be exhausted before any military campaign on the city is launched. The foreign minister emphasized how important it was for Al-Fallujah and other areas in Iraq to come under the control of the interim government.

Iraqi electoral commission calls on potential candidates- Al-Sharqiyah TV

(Al-Sharqiyah TV, 27 Oct 04): raq's electoral commission on 27 October urged candidates to come forward and register from the start of next month for national elections in January,. It reportedly called on "political entities - parties, groups or individuals - who want to enter the upcoming elections to contact us and obtain the necessary documents to validate their candidacy," in a half-page advert on the front or back page of several Iraqi dailies. A telephone number and an e-mail address were also provided for anyone who wanted more details.

Deputy PM, Al-Sistani discuss security, elections- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah, 27 Oct 04): Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih met Shi'i religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Al-Najaf on 27 October to discuss security and the forthcoming elections, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. At the end of the meeting, which was attended by Qasim Dawud, minister of state for national security affairs, and Health Minister Ala Abd-al-Sahib al-Alwan, Salih told reporters that the government insisted on holding the elections on schedule. He said that the elections would succeed thanks to "the good people".

Sunni clerics in talks with UN envoy on elections, Al-Fallujah- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah, 27 Oct 04):: Sources at the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS) have said that an AMS delegation received special UN envoy Ashraf Qazi on 27 October and discussed with him the forthcoming elections and the military pressures on Al-Fallujah, Iraqi TV channel Al-Sharqiyah reported. Muhammad Bashar al-Faydi, a spokesman for the AMS, said Qazi wants to know the AMS's stance on the elections and the proposals it sees as appropriate for Iraq to overcome its crisis. He added that the issue of Al-Fallujah was one of the most important issues discussed.

RECONSTRUCTION

Iraq Health Ministry allocates funds for construction of new hospitals- Al-Mashriq

Al-Mashriq on 28 October, Baghdad: Within its strategic plan for the next four years, the Health Ministry has allocated 1,500 billion dinars for the construction of new hospitals and for other health projects in Baghdad and other governorates. Iman Naji al-Dabbagh, director of the Projects and Engineering Services Department at the Health Ministry, said that 126bn dinars from the ministry's budget and 861m dollars from the donor countries had been allocated for the construction of hospitals and health institutions. She asserted that the ministry planned to build health institutions and hospitals, in addition to rehabilitating and equipping all health facilities in Baghdad and other governorates, particularly the southern governorates.

DEFENCE/SECURITY
Gunmen assassinate senior Iraqi diplomat- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah TV ,27 Oct 04): Unknown gunmen on 27 October killed Qusay Mahdi al-Samarra'i, an official at the Foreign Ministry, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported. According to the report, the gunmen shot Al-Samarra'i dead on Al-Dubbat road in the area of Al-A'zamiyah in northern Baghdad and then escaped. Al-Samarra'i, who was Iraq's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, returned to Iraq a few days ago to take charge of one of the Foreign Ministry's departments. Iraqi police forces cordoned off the area and began investigations to discover the circumstances surrounding the incident, the report said.

Iraqi vice-president calls for US investigation into recruits massacre- Al-Manar TV

Manar TV, 27 Oct 04: Iraqi Vice-President Ruz Nuri Shawis called on the US to investigate the deaths of 49 Iraqi army recruits on 23 October, Lebanese Al-Manar TV reported on 27 October. Shawis reportedly said that the recruits should have been provided with more protection, calling for an investigation into the reasons for failing to provide this.

Shi'i council condemns killing of army recruits-(SCIRI)

(Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq website, 27 Oct 04) : The Shi'i Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) released a statement on their website on 27 October strongly condemning the killing of nearly 50 army recruits in the Al-Diyala governorate on 23 October. The statement blamed "criminal and treacherous hands belonging to terrorist forces coming from outside Iraq and hands that are allied with the orphans of the defunct regime" for what it called a "heinous crime and an appalling massacre". The statement added that "we hold the concerned government agencies and the multinational troops responsible for protecting the Iraqi people and providing the requirements of their security through firmly standing up to terrorism hotbeds."

INC aide killed in Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah, 27 Oct 04): Ahmad al-Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress has said that Muhammad al-Ayyah, an official in charge of the party's branch in western Iraq, was assassinated in Baghdad on 27 October, Iraqi TV channel Al-Sharqiyah reported. He was killed by unidentified gunmen as he was leaving his house.

Shi'i cleric Al-Sadr condemns bombing of Al-Fallujah- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah 1900 gmt 27 Oct 04): Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on 27 October said that strikes on Al-Fallujah would not create a safe atmosphere for elections, Iraqi TV channel Al-Sharqiyah reported. He called for peaceful solutions to the unrest in Al-Fallujah and other cities, and also condemned the recent massacre of 49 Iraqi National Guards as a heinous, merciless crime against humanity.

Minister says enforcement of emergency law possible- Al-Sharq al-Awsat

(Al-Sharq al-Awsat, 27 Oct 04): Iraqi Defence Minister Hazim al-Sha'lan did not allocate any direct blame to any particular group for the killing of 49 National Guard recruits in an interview with the London-based Arabic-langauge newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat, published on 27 October, but said they were graduates who in their eagerness to get home quickly decided to leave after their graduation without authorization. He said that there was no particular security attached to their departure from the training camp. Everybody could have known about it, he said. Al-Sha'lan did not rule out the possibility of "infiltrators" among the graduates themselves and said that "foreign hands" might be to blame for the killings. He said the enforcement of an emergency law was now under consideration, and suggested that it may assist the capture of the Jordanian militant Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi.

Dutch forces to track down saboteurs and gunmen in desert- Al-Diyar

(Al-Diyar, 27 Oct 04): The commander of the Dutch battalion operating in the governorate of Al-Muthanna has revealed that his forces will conduct military reconnaissance missions in the Al-Samawah desert in coordination with Iraqi border forces to track down saboteurs and gunmen who use the desert as a crossing to other areas, Iraqi TV channel Al-Diyar reported on 27 October. The commander of the Dutch battalion added that his forces had managed to pinpoint a number of areas that have been polluted with depleted uranium left over by the recent war in Iraq.

HOSTAGES / POLITICS
Unknown gunmen kidnap three Iraqis in Baghdad- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah, 27 Oct 04): Unknown gunmen kidnapped an officer, as well as a member of the security force of the Specialized Court and his driver in the centre of Baghdad on 27 October, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported.

Iraqi cabinet security officer said accused of high treason- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah TV, 27 Oct 04): The Iraqi government has accused the official in charge of security affairs at the Council of Ministers of high treason, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported on 27 October. The security official, a lieutenant colonel who was not named, was accused of providing organizations the government described as terrorist with information on all state employees to facilitate assassination operations against government officials. According to sources quoted by the report, he is now in prison, where he is being interrogated.

Iraqi deputy PM meets Armitage in Washington- Al-Sharqiyah

(Al-Sharqiyah, 27 Oct 04): Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rozh Nuri Shawes met US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Washington, Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV reported on 27 October. A statement issued by the US State Department said that Shawes and Armitage discussed the issues of security in Iraq, holding the elections early next year and UN assistance in this regard, and efforts to establish a new Iraqi army.

Al-Rubay'i reappointed as security adviser - Shi'i radio

(Voice of the Mujahidin 1530 gmt 27 Oct 04): An official at interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's general secretariat has said Allawi has decided to re-appoint Dr Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i as a national security adviser, provided Dr Qasim Dawud remains in his position as minister of state for security affairs, Iran-based Iraqi Shi'i radio station Voice of the Mujahidin reported on 27 October. He noted that Al-Rubay'i would resume his duties soon after he had chosen his employees and aides.

IRAQI BROADCAST MEDIA SUMMARIES, 27 Oct. 04

Dar Al-Salam Radio, Iraqi Islamic Party-affiliated

·         Explosive charge goes off in Al-Ghazaliyah area, destroying
·         US military vehicle and injuring number of US "occupation" troops, clashes follow between resistance fighters and "occupation" forces
·         British forces in Basra begin moving towards central
·         Iraq PM Allawi, in speech to National Assembly, criticizes coalition forces in Iraq for failing to protect 49
·         Iraqi National Guards recently killed by gunmen in eastern Iraq
·         Norwegian government comes under sharp criticism after secret documents confirm Norway provided US forces with 25 military binoculars ahead of Iraq war
·         Japanese prime minister rejects threats from armed group which abducted Japanese citizen
·         Husband of British hostage Margaret Hassan appeals for her release
·         Egyptian foreign minister says forthcoming international conference on Iraq will discuss withdrawal of "occupation" forces
·         Australian intelligence chief says "invasion" of Iraq has increased acts of violence and instability in the world

Al-Diyar Satellite Channel In Arabic, Baghdad

·         PM Allawi accuses coalition forces of negligence over killing of 49 recruits
·         Source at Iraqi Council of Ministers says council has decided to hand 8,736 houses over to their occupants in Baghdad and other governorates
·         Foreign Minister Zebari says interim government determined to take control of all areas in Iraq, including Al-Fallujah
·         Al-Najaf police chief says 750 policemen and national guardsmen begin chasing foreign fighters south of the city, killing four armed foreigners, wounding seven and arresting eight others
·         Iraqi police in Basra arrest one Syrian and one Pakistani who infiltrated into Iraq through Kuwait
·         Wasit Governorate police chief says 147 Iranian prisoners who had entered Iraq illegally to visit holy shrines have been released
·         Babil governor meets heads of government departments to discuss governorate's budget, projects and services

Al-Iraqiah Satellite Channel, Baghdad, in Arabic,

·         PM Allawi says he has asked Annan to send international force to help with elections
·         Interim National Assembly member Homam Hamudi urges Iraqis to cast vote in elections
·         Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih discusses election with Shi'i marja Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Al-Najaf
·         Soldier killed and another injured in blast in Diyala
·         Two killed and nine injured in clashes in Al-Ramadi
·         British troops move from south to north positions near Baghdad
·         Security tightened around Japanese embassy in Baghdad
·         Japanese premier rejects demands of Japanese hostage abductors, says no troop pullout

IRAQI PRESS HEADLINES, 28 OCT 04

Al-Ta'akhi newspaper, by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, 28.10.04

·         A new major projects to re built Al-Najaf
·         Sunni clerics in talks with UN envoy on elections,
·         Defence minister:''A security violation may occur inside Iraqi National Guards''
·         Election prosses continued dispite insecurity
·         Pope John Paul II urged Christians to keep up efforts for a "reconciliation of hearts."

Al-Sabah- Al-Jadeed , Baghdad, 28.10.04

· 75 m $ to rebuild electrical energy generator s in Al-Sadr city
· Ministry of Education set up a rehabilitation projects for 20.000 new schools

Kurd News and Updates from Iraqi Kurdish Press 27 Oct 04

· Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, who lead KDP and PUK respectively, co-chaired a joint politburo meeting in Salahaddin Tuesday, Khabat and Kurdistani Nwe dailies report. They discussed a range of issues, including latest political developments in Kurdistan and Iraqi elections. After the 4-meeting meeting, the two leaders spoke to the media saying they had identical views on all the discussed issues. Barzani said the Kurdish political leadership was always ready for sacrifice for Kurdistan freedom and Talabani assured Kurdistan people that two parties have reached agreements on the broad lines of all the issues recalling that it was pre-mature to announce the details. Barzani further said the terrorists would fail to achieve their wicked objectives in Kurdistan.
Khabat daily, issued in Erbil by the KDP, 27 October 2004

·         South Korean KOICA will construct 7 primary and secondary schools in and around Erbil and provide al the necessary equipment. The information was disclosed during yesterday's meeting between a KOICA delegation and the KRG-Erbil Deputy Minister of Education. The visiting delegation also promised to supply the ministry with a number of big transportation buses.
·         The education department in Dahuk distributed school bags to 211,469 students.
·         The IDPs office at the KRG-Erbil Ministry of Humanitarian Aid and Cooperation provided 60 tents to Makhmour area villages, in addition to a similar number to Dibis villages and another 10 for villages around Kirkuk. All the tents will be used as classrooms.

Kurdistani Nwe daily, issued in Sulaymanya by the PUK, 27 October 2004

·         In a statement at the interim Iraqi National Assembly, SRSG Ashraf Qazi reiterated the UN commitment to timely and transparent elections in Iraq. In related news, the Independent Higher Commission for Elections publicized its contact details through local Iraqi newspapers so that the political parties and groups can contact and register their candidacies for the elections.
·         KRG-Sulaymanya PM received the Iranian Education Ministery delegation that offered to
·         Lab tests carried out abroad proved that the patient who was suspected of suffering from SRAS is free from any critical disease, the health department in Sulaymanya announced. A KRG-Sulaymanya Health Ministry delegation visited the suspect patient at her home yesterday and congratulated her for her recovery.
·         Expatriates representing 22 Kurdish and Kurdistani political parties and groups in Sweden met in Stockholm few days ago and set up a joint committee to coordinate Kurdistani arrangements for the Iraqi elections due next year.
·         The [US-based] Kurdistan National Congress (KNC) President Dr. Saman Shali concluded his 5-day official visit to South Korea, where he met with high-level political and business leaders. The visit aimed at informing the Korean people about the suffering of the Kurds, in addition to improving the relationship between the Korean and Kurdish peoples, and building economic ties between Korea and Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan. Dr. Shali thanked the Korean Government and people for sending Korean troops to Iraqi Kurdistan and hoped that they would help the Kurdish people sustain peace in the region. The KNC President explained the importance of the upcoming election in Iraq on the future of the Kurds. He stressed the Kurdish people's disappointment after Iraq liberation to reverse the process of the Arabization of the Kurdish cites and to secure compensation for the families of the Anfal operations and the victims of chemical weapons attacks. On the census postponement until after the election and effectively excluding all of the Iraqis living abroad from voting, Dr. Shali described the Kurds' disappointment as the postponement disproportionately affect Kurds, because in absence of the census the voting will now depend on previous enrollment in the food rationing system in Iraq. He also asked the Korean people and government to support of the Kurdish people by supporting the call of the Kurdish people on the United Nation to conduct a referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan.

www.peyamner.com <http://www.peyamner.com> 27 October 2004

·         Students' Solidarity Organization carried out a poll in Sulaymanya city on the forthcoming elections in Kurdistan and Iraq. 1900 persons participated in the poll. 93% of them expressed willingness to vote in the elections. However, 52% of the poll participants refused to vote if Kirkuk people were exempted from voting in Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
·         News sources reported that the Turcomans and Arabs in Kirkuk are planning for a massive demonstration in response to Monday's Kurdish procession, during which the demonstrators demanded return of IDPs to Kirkuk and sending back Arab settlers to their places in southern and central Iraq.
·         A report jointly prepared by KRG Human Rights Ministries in Erbil and Sulaymanya and submitted to a Kurdistan Parliament conference on the former regime's crimes shows that 1.3 million persons were missing in Iraq and half of them were Kurds.

***
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>

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