Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=10/05/04

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

TITLE= IRAQ / 100 DAYS

NUMBER=5-55935

BYLINE= GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=BAGHDAD

HEADLINE: Iraq's Interim Government Marks 100 Days

INTRO: Tuesday marked the 100th day since the interim government in Iraq came to power. Government officials say the task they have faced has been monumental, especially with an increasingly violent insurgency. Among the government's main goals have been improving public services, ending corruption and organizing elections for January. And while Iraqi citizens still complain about the lack of security, many say life is slowly starting to improve under the interim government. VOA's Greg LaMotte in Baghdad has the story.

TEXT: Marking the 100th day of Iraq's interim government, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi stood before the interim national assembly in Baghdad Tuesday to discuss the country's current state of affairs. His speech was mostly upbeat and optimistic. But, he noted that the future prosperity of the Iraqi people hinges on the defeat of Iraq's widespread insurgency. Mr. Allawi's interpreter provided a translation.

/ / / TRANSLATED ACT / / /

"Dear brothers and sisters. The most important challenges that we are facing as a government, and a national council, and political forces and parties is the reconstruction of Iraq so that our people would enjoy prosperity and stability. And, to achieve this we have to work together in accordance to a deliberate plan that can defeat the terrorists and those helping them, and improve the standard of living of all the Iraqi people and building a democracy on a sound basis."

/ / / END TRANSLATED ACT / / /

Mr. Allawi said the government had adopted a new plan to, as he put it, "chase" terrorists out of Iraq. Senior interim government officials say that plan includes joint U.S. and Iraqi military operations, like the one that took place north of Baghdad in the town of Samarra during the past week, which reclaimed the city from militant control.

Senior Iraqi interim government officials have said the insurgency has been more violent and more widespread than they had expected.

Mr. Allawi said coalition forces will need to remain in Iraq until the terrorist threat is eliminated, and until Iraq has its own well-trained security force.

Mr. Allawi also said elections will be held as scheduled in January.

But, according to the senior political adviser to Iraq's Interior Ministry, Sabah Kahdim, the United Nations will have to dramatically increase its level of participation for that to happen.

/ / / KAHDIM ACT / / /

"Over the last 100 days I have been urging the U.N. to give us help in that. I am disappointed by that, in as much as that the latest statement of Kofi Annan was to say he will give advice from New York. Well, quite frankly, I don't think that is what we require here. I thought we had a Security Council resolution clearly mapped out. We need the presence of international observers protected by a U.N. force. And yet, so far, the statements are saying we will come when Iraq is safe."

/ / / END ACT / / /

Mr. Kahdim said that is "like throwing a life preserver to a drowning victim after he has returned ashore."

The political adviser also said a major obstacle facing the interim government is the issue of corruption. He said, as an example, dozens of employees of Iraq's passport office have been fired because they were discovered taking bribes.

As for Iraqis' views of the interim government, the majority complain the administration has, so far, failed to provide adequate security. Even so, many Iraqis, like grocery store owner Ali Sein, say life is slowly improving.

/ / / ACT IN ARABIC EST. AND FADE UNDER / / /

Mr. Sein says he has seen some improvement from the interim government, including a more reliable electricity supply. Mr. Sein says despite ongoing attacks by militants, life is better today than it was at any time under Saddam Hussein.

With 100 days of experience behind them, interim government officials are promising to step up their efforts to put an end to the violence and clear the way for the establishment of a fully free and democratic society. They have just over 100 more days to do that before elections are to be held for a new government to replace them. (Signed)

NEB/GL/AWP/KBK