Iraq from the butcher to the surgeon

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http://www.aljeeran.net/viewarticle.php?id...pg=index&art=mp

Intersting Article in Arabic.. About two articles in WP one libral and other converstative about the current situation in Iraq.

[Guest Guest_tajer]

http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/2004/09/good...part-11_27.html

 

In English.. No comments

 

[in the same week that "Newsweek" published its panic attack, the editorial board of a less worldly "Kansas City Star" met up with a group of five Iraqi journalists visiting the United States on a tour organized by the State Department. During the discussion with his Iraqi colleagues E. Thomas McClanahan of the "Star" asked them what they thought about the media coverage of Iraq:

 

 

"The response was amusing in a way. Perhaps out of tact, our visitors (they asked that we not use their names) said they hadn't seen much U.S. coverage. Most couldn't speak English. But coverage by the Arab media, they said through translators, presented a distorted picture.

 

"One member of the group, the only woman, said the pessimistic tone of Arab coverage was making things worse by encouraging terrorists and demoralizing those who supported democracy. Another journalist, a man in a dark suit, said the insurgents 'don't represent the Iraqi people.'

 

"Arab reporters, said a third, 'try to give the impression that it's hopeless. If you watch the satellite channels from Arab countries you would imagine there's no rebuilding going on'."

/QUOTE]

[Guest Guest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3631826.stm

 

In english.. How many noticed an cho to this in the American media..I personally never heard about until I run into it by chance.

Please visit and have a look why Allawi exprwessed his thanks to the American people on behalf of all Iraqis

 

Voices from Iraq: Women speak out

 

Iraqi women face tough choices in their country following the US-led invasion and occupation.

While many remain determined to build new lives for themselves in the country, others fear continuing instability and its effects on their families.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3683850.stm

 

Intersting article

"Iraqi strongman stands firm

 

By Paul Reynolds

BBC News Online world affairs correspondent

 

 

The latest hostage crisis in Iraq has re-emphasised interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's position as Iraq's strongman. "

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http://www.alrafidayn.com/Story/News/N_30_09_04_12.html

 

In Arabic.. Allawi in private meeting with one hundred Iraqis in Lodon confirmed that Iraqi governemnt will controll Falouga, Samara and alsader city in OCt. He repotedly said that Najaf agreement will be used as a frame work and all insurgence will be wipped out. He confirmed that Iraqi police/army is getting better training and arms and they will be ready to do the job.

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http://www.iraqhurr.org/realaudio/specialr...40929194032.ram

 

In Arabic.. Interview with Dr. Walid Faris of Florida Univeristy professor, talking about the visit of Alawi ..

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Intersting article

http://search.csmonitor.com/search_content...09s02-coop.html

 

As part of a US Institute of Peace conflict management training team this summer, I worked to promote cooperation and understanding among Iraq's diverse religious and ethnic groups. Goals of a conflict-management conference included strengthening local capacity to peacefully manage the contentious issues facing society and teaching the fundamental skills facilitators need to conduct intergroup dialogues. The trainees were predominantly from Ramadi, Baghdad, Tikrit, Balad, Mosul, and Kirkuk; 17 of the 41 were women, who livened discussions by forcing the more traditional-minded men to listen to progressive perspectives. Male participants immediately dismissed the idea that they would have to be educated on women's rights in order to change the culture of gender inequality. Tempers flared when the men commented, "That is your [women's] problem."

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http://www.elaph.com/Politics/2004/10/15608.htm

 

Allawi speach of today in the Iraqi council.. In Arabic

[Guest Guest_tajer]

http://www.iraq.net/displayarticle5659.html

 

Intersting positive article.. Very rare.. In English

[Guest Guest]

Translation of above article

السبت 16/10/2004 بغداد- قد يشير الهجوم الدموي الذي وقع في المنطقة الخضراء إلى حملة جديدة يقوم بها المتمردون خلال شهر رمضان الذي بدأ أمس في العراق. وخلّف الانفجار في مركز بغداد الذي يضم مركز الحكومة العراقية المؤقتة والسفارتين الأميركية والبريطانية، خمسة قتلى. لكن على الرغم من استمرار حالة عدم الأمن فإن الضغط العسكري المتواصل للقوات الأميركية ضد المتمردين مرفقا بجهود الحكومة العراقية المؤقتة في التفاوض، حققا قدرا من النجاح. ومن بين العلامات على التقدم في هذا المجال هي:

* قام المقاتلون أنصار رجل الدين مقتدى الصدر بتسليم الكثير من أسلحتهم الثقيلة مقابل مكافآت مالية كجزء من اتفاق بين الطرفين لإنهاء القتال والبدء بجلب مساعدات أكثر وتحقيق سيطرة حكومية أكبر على المناطق الفقيرة في بغداد.

* استمرت المفاوضات المحفوفة بالمشاكل في الفلوجة التي تعد معقل المتمردين والواقعة غرب بغداد على الرغم من استمرار القصف الأميركي الذي يقع كل ليلة تقريبا.

لكن إياد علاوي رئيس الوزراء العراقي المؤقت أصدر تهديدا يوم الأربعاء الماضي بالقيام بـ«هجوم شامل» إذا لم تسلم المدينة أبو مصعب الزرقاوي زعيم تنظيم «التوحيد والجهاد» التي أعلنت عن قيامها بالكثير من الفظائع. وسبّبت مبادرة علاوي الجديدة توقف المفاوضات أول من أمس.

وجاءت هذه المناوشات الكلامية وسط تقارير تشير إلى أن القصف الجوي الأميركي المستمر منذ عدة أسابيع أدى إلى وقوع انشقاق بين المقاومة العراقية ومقاتلي الزرقاوي المتطرفين في الفلوجة.

وكان آية الله العظمى علي السيستاني أكثر رجال الدين العراقيين تبجيلا، قد دعا الأربعاء الماضي جميع الشيعة كي يسجلوا من أجل التصويت في الانتخابات المقرر إجراؤها في يناير (كانون الثاني) المقبل، وهذا يعد موافقة متحفظة على هذه الخطوة التي يرى الكثير من المحللين أنها ستكون أساسية لتحقيق استقرار العراق.

وقال جوان كول الخبير في شؤون العراق بجامعة ميشيغان «هناك بعض العلامات الإيجابية الآن، لكن أن تكون هذه مفيدة لمستقل العراق فهذا يعتمد على الانتخابات، وفيما إذا كانت قطاعات واسعة من المجتمع ستشعر بأنها ستمثَّل».

وأضاف كول «المشكلة هي أنه طالما ظل رجال العصابات موجودين وطالما ظل سكان الفلوجة عازفين عن تسليمهم، فإن أقصى ما يمكن أن تأمله هو وقف مؤقت لإطلاق النار... وفي هذه الحالة يمكن للعنف أن يندلع بسهولة كبيرة».

ويقول المحللون إن السلوك العام أصبح أكثر إيجابيا منذ الأول من أكتوبر بعد أن دخلت القوات العراقية إلى مدينة سامراء التي كانت بيد المتمردين ثم بدأت بقطع خطوط تسربهم إلى بغداد وزادت من عملياتها في الرمادي.

مع ذلك فإن القليل يستعملون كلمة «تفاؤل»، وتنتشر الشائعات على انطلاق حملة تفجيرات بالسيارات تستهدف الأجانب. وعرف رمضان في السنة الماضية تصاعدا في الهجمات وأي خطوة تقدم تتحقق تحاصرها احتمالات بالإخفاق، وهذا من مدينة الصدر التي أنفق عليها حوالي 400 ألف دولار خلال يومين فقط من أجل استرجاع الأسلحة للحكومة ودفع مكافآت مجزية على من يقوم بها.

وإذا كان تمرد أنصار الصدر قد انتهى ـ على الرغم من أن المسؤولين الأميركيين غير راضين على كميات الأسلحة التي تم تسليمها لحد الآن ـ فإن الفلوجة ما زالت تغلي. وكان علاوي قد حذر من أنه «إذا لم يتم تسليم الزرقاوي وتنظيمه لنا، فنحن مستعدون للقيام بعمليات كبرى في الفلوجة». وجاء التهديد مفاجأة للمفاوض عن الفلوجة حاتم مدب الذي قال لقناة «الجزيرة» إنه لم ير أي دليل يثبت أن الزرقاوي موجود في الفلوجة. وقال مدب «الزرقاوي مثل أسلحة الدمار الشامل التي بسببها غزت الولايات المتحدة العراق. نحن نسمع باسم الزرقاوي لكنه ليس موجودا هنا. وهناك أكثر من 20 إلى 30 بيتا تم قصفها بسبب هذا الزرقاوي... لكن لم يلحق الأذى إلا بالأطفال والنساء وكبار السن».

وقد ساعد العنف على وقوع انقسام بين مقاتلي الزرقاوي الأجانب والمقاومين الآخرين ضد الوجود الأميركي في العراق. وقال غسان عطية مدير مؤسسة التطور والديمقراطية «علاوي ليس محبا للحل العسكري، لكن هذا الوضع لا يمكن أن يستمر إلى الأبد، ومن الواضح أن كثيرا من الهجمات تنطلق من الفلوجة». وأضاف عطية «بالنسبة للفلوجة فإنها ليست مسألة جوع. هم يريدون حصة من الحكومة. والآن القوة تستعمل لكن هناك غضبا شديدا. هذا بحاجة إلى حل سياسي وعلاوي راغب. القضية هي: كم يريد الأميركيون حقا لمساعدته».

وحتى لو تم الوصول إلى حل سلمي فإنه ليس واضحا إذا كان ممكنا طرد الناشطين عنها، وهؤلاء قد تجاوزوا حدودهم في المدينة التي رحبت بهم في البدء، حتى أن بعضهم قتلوا في خلافات محلية.

سكوت بيترسون خدمة «كريستيان ساينس مونيتور» ـ خاص بـ «الشرق الأو

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http://alsabaah.com/modules.php?name=News&...article&sid=340

 

Allawee appointing a woman from Falouha in the Higer committee of ellections..

He said Alfalouja citizens are asking the government to help in getting peace to the town..

He aslo said that Alqaeda had send " Abu Abdulahh Aliraqi " to Falouja to coordinate with Alzarqawee group in order to rebuild and unify their terror acts in Iraq.

 

بغداد ـ ملاذ الامين:

اكد الدكتور اياد علاوي رئيس الوزراء ان وفدا من اشراف وشيوخ ووجهاء الفلوجة قد طالب الحكومة العراقية بالتدخل  لاحلال الامن في المدينة وايقاف اعمال القصف.

وقال انه لم يصدر امرا باعتقال اي شخص في الفلوجة واما رئيس الوفد الذي يمثل اهالي المدينة فانه غير معتقل وليس للحكومة العراقية علاقة بما يقال من انه معتقل.

 

 

واوضح ان الحكومة العراقية طلبت من وفد اهالي المدينة تسليم الارهابيين وافساح المجال للشرطة والحرس الوطني لاحلال النظام والامن فيها من اجل المباشرة بحملات اعادة الاعمار وعودة 600 الف مواطن الى اعمالهم بعد الشلل التام الذي يعم الفلوجة.

وابدى السيد رئيس الوزراء اسفه لسقوط الابرياء جراء العمليات التي تستهدف اوكار الارهاب او جراء عمليات التفجير التي تطال مدننا العراقية وذكر ان مدينة الفلوجة فيها عدد كبير من المواطنين الابرياء الذين يذهبون ضحايا الارهاب وفيها عدد من بقايا رموز النظام السابق من المسؤولين والقادة السابقين وايضا فيها الارهابيون الاجانب الذين استوطنوا المدينة وبنوا جسورا مع دولهم لنقل وترويج الارهاب. واكد انه لامجال للتفاوض مع الارهابيين ولكن اذا كان الشعب العراقي يرغب بانتخاب ممثل للزرقاوي وابن لادن في العراق فلا مانع لدى الحكومة من ذلك ولكن بشرط ان يوفروا سبل الانتخابات الامنة .

وذكر ان المعلومات الاستخباراتية لدى الحكومة تؤكد ان تنظيمات الزرقاوي والقاعدة تجري نحو التوحيد لتشكيل تنظيم جديد هدفه زعزعة الامن والنظام ومزيد من القتل في اوساط المواطنين العراقيين وهذه المعلومات مستقاة من معتقلين عرب اعتقلوا في سامراء مؤخرا موضحا انه تم اعتقال 90 ارهابيا عربيا في سامراء وان عملية تنظيف سامراء التي نفذتها قوات الشرطة والحرس الوطني قد نجحت وان الوضع الامني مستتب حاليا وان وزارة الدفاع ستسحب احدى تشكيلاتها من سامراء نتيجة للهدوء الذي يعم المدينة .

وعن سبب عدم اتخاذ الدولة الاجراء الذي اتبع في سامراء في مدينة الفلوجة اجاب رئيس الوزراء ان لكل مدينة ظروفا معينة تحيطها تختلف عن المدينة الاخرى لذلك فان اهالي الفلوجة اذا كان لايمكنهم من تسليم الارهابيين ستتخذ الدولة اجراءاتها بشان اقتلاع اوكار الارهاب منها وفي كل مناطق العراق واعداد مناخ ملائم قبل موعد الانتخابات المزمع اجراؤها في شهر كانون الثاني المقبل .

وقال ان لدينا معلومات ان هناك ورشات عمل لتدريب الارهابيين وتصنيع القنابل وتفخيخ السيارات والافراد في مدينة الفلوجة للقيام باعمال ارهابية في بغداد والمدن الاخرى لنشر القتل والدم والدمار .

وقال اننا ندعو الاهالي ان يسمحوا للجيش العراقي وللشرطة بالدخول لتمارس عملها وانها ستمنع وقوع الضحايا مثلما حدث في النجف عندما طالب الاهالي بدخول قوات الشرطة والحرس الوطني للمدينة القديمة بعد ان رفض المسلحون بالخروج ولم يستجيبوا . فقد تمكنت قواتنا من التحرك وكانت خطتنا دخول الصحن الحيدري .

وفي الثورة ـ الصدر ـ طالب شيوخ العشائر والاهالي ورجال الدين بتدخل لدولة وجرت محادثات معهم وتم الاتفاق على دخول القوات العراقية لتمارس عملها وقد تم صرف مبلغ” 2 “ مليون دولار لغرض شراء الاسلحة المختلفة.

وقال : في حالة عدم السماح لدخول القوات العراقية الى مدينة الفلوجة سنسمح للقوات متعددة الجنسية بالتدخل لغرض احلال الامن وستذهب طبعا ارواح كثيرة من الضحايا الابرياء وذلك لان اوكار الارهابيين تقع مع منازل الاهالي ، ان الدولة تريد فرض الامن في الفلوجة مثلما هو جيد جدا في مدينة الثورة .

وتساءل رئيس الوزراء ماذا يريد الارهابيون ما هي اهدافهم هل يريدون استلام الحكم اذا كانوا يريدون الحكم فهناك انتخابات .. ام هل يريدون اعادة صدام ..؟!!

واكد على اكتشاف ثلاث مقابر اخرى اسوء من الاولى في مدينة الحضر فيها عشرات من الجثث الذي يعتقد انها تعود لاكراد عراقيين .

  واستطرد رئيس الوزارء بالقول ان الاقتصاد العراقي تضرر كثيراً من عمليات التفجير والعمليات الارهابية التي استهدفت منظومة انابيب نقل النفط وبلغت الخسائر في حقل النفط ما مقداره”1800 “ مليار دولار اضافة الى ترك الشركات الاجنبية التي تعاقدت لاعمار قطاعات الكهرباء والمياه والخدمات الاخرى العراق نتيجة لتصاعد عمليات الخطف والتفجير ضدها.لكنه اكد ان الوضع الامني اخذ يستعيد انفاسه بعد ان اتخذت الحكومة خطوات امنية متميزة  في مناطق التوتر مثل النجف واللطيفية وسامراء وتلعفر. ويتعاون اجهزة وزراة الداخلية والجيش العراقي واوضح ان الوضع في سامراء يتحسن وان وزارة الدفاع تستعد لسحب احد الويتها من المدينة وذلك لانتفاء الحاجة له  ووجهت الاوامر الى اجهزة الشرطة بضبط الامن والنظام داخل المدينة.

وحدد الدكتور اياد علاوي القيمة العليا للمديونية العراقية بـ 127 مليار دولار والقيمة الدنيا بـ 11 مليار دولار مشيراً الى أن هذه المبالغ سجلت على العراق خلال سنوات حكم النظام البائد وبين ان الحكومة العراقية تسعى لحذف او تخفيف اقيام هذه الديون كي تستطيع ميزانية العراق تغطية نفقات الاعمار والبناء وتقويم الاقتصاد الوطني.

واكد في انه يعتز باهل الفلوجة ومدينة الفلوجة لانها جزء من العراق اهلها كرماء وشرفاء لكن المعلومات التي وردتنا تشير الى ارسال اسامة بن لادن لاحد مساعديه المدعو - ابو عبد الله العراقي - الى مدينة الفلوجة في محاولة للم الشمل بين التنظيمات الارهابية المختلفة ووضع خطة لمزيد من التفجير والتعاون على امداد” المقاتلين “ بالاموال و الاسلحة اللازمة. وان الحكومة عازمة على التصدي لهذه المحاولة وعازمة على احلال السلام والامن في العراق وفي الفلوجة كما عملت في النجف وسامراء وتلعفر والمدن الاخرى.  ونفى ما تردد من اخبار حول تقديم وزير الداخلية فلاح النقيب استقالته من منصبه وهون من عملية استدعائه من قبل المجلس الوطني وبين ان وزير الداخلية لديه مواعيد ومهام كثيرة تعارضت مع توقيتات المجلس الوطني وقد تفهم اعضاء المجلس الوطني ذلك وسيتم قريبا مثول وزير الداخلية امام المجلس الوطني .

واكد ان مهمة الحكومة الحالية هي تأمين اجراء انتخابات نزيهة في العراق تشمل جميع مدنه واطرافه بمساعدة المفوضية العليا للانتخابات المرتبطة بالامم المتحدة التي تقوم بتدريب الخبراء والفنيين العراقيين لتنفيذ هذه المهمة .

وكشف ان احد افراد الطاقم العراقي قد مرض مما استدعي استبعاده من الفريق المشرف على الانتخابات وانه اختارسيدة من مدينة الفلوجة بدلا عنه بعد ان قدمت المفوضية العليا ثلاثة اسماء بدلا عن الخبير المريض . واوضح ان موعد الانتخابات سيكون ان شاء الله في شهر كانون الثاني المقبل وان الحكومة تسعى لوضع العراق على الطريق الصحيح لانتخاب ممثليهم وانتخاب ممثلين لكتابة الدستور العراقي . 

[Guest mustefser]

http://www.aljeeran.net/viewarticle.php?id...pg=index&art=mp

 

Intersting article from inside Iraq, in Arabic, about the situation in Iraq and how people are looking to Allawi and ellection..

[Guest Mustefser]

http://www.asharqalawsat.com/view/news/200...,22,261712.html

 

In rabic.. Very intersting article about the process of arms return in Alsader city..

Seems great achievment by Allawi government..

[tajer]

Intersting stories from http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/

 

 

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Falah Al-Naqib at the National Council Yesterday there was a live transmission on Al-Iraqiya of a National Council hearing in which Falah Al-Naqib, minister of interior, was supposed to demonstrate his ministry's achievements and security arrangements over the last four months. Al-Naqib was also required to answer a list of 33 questions related to his ministry prepared by a security committee from the National Council.

 

The National Council, according to the Transitional Adminstrative Law, has the authority to impeach ministers and governmental officials in cases of negligence, corruption or failure to carry out their duties. The council had called for Al-Naqib several weeks ago but, for some reason, he appeared only yesterday. The minister defended his position by explaining that he had not recieved an official subpoena to his desk and that he had no knowledge of the hearing except by word of mouth.

 

He started by speaking generally about recent attacks against Iraqi security forces and his ministry's plans and preparations. He was interrupted short by Mish'an Al-Juboori, the council member heading the security committee. Al-Juboori told the minister, a bit roughly, that this was not a press conference but an 'interrogation', and that the minister was expected to reply to the 33 questions. Al-Naqib looked as if he was taken aback by this statement and his facial features and the tone of his voice changed. He tried to cover his obvious embarrassment by smiling sheepishly and looking left and right. Al-Juboori then scolded someone (offscreen) who had entered the hall, asking him/them to leave. The camera was still on Al-Naqib and his eyes were now wide with disbelief. He motioned in the direction of the door asking the person to leave. He said the person was one of his relatives and that he worked as his escort.

 

He then proceeded nervously to answer the list of questions, with several interruptions and side topics from council members. He was accused of appointing several family members from Sammara (his hometown) and ex-Ba'athists to the ministry. Of course he strongly denied that. At this point, Ayad Allawi entered the hall and briefly interrupted the session. The manner in which Allawi entered and seated himself reminded me of someone entering an Iraqi coffee shop. You enter and greet everyone left and right with 'Al-Salam Aleikum'. After you sit down, others around you greet you with 'Allah bil khair', and you should respond to each Allah bil khair with the same provided you turn to the person, lift your right hand to your forehead and bow your body slightly (this was the old Baghdadi greeting before handshaking). This was exactly what took place in the council hall.

 

Al-Naqib proceeded to answer the questions and while he was mentioning some statistics regarding numbers of weapons and vehicles a council member expressed his concern about mentioning such critical details in a public session since it might be of benefit to terrorists. Others agreed and a long argument followed on whether to stick to general issues without details or shutting down the camera. Al-Naqib said that he couldn't possibly answer the questions without the relevant details. After some commotion, other members suggested a future session which would be closed. Every single member wanted to offer his personal suggestion, and one said that it was almost time for Iftar (breaking the fast) and that they would better postpone the whole meeting and go home. Hussein Al-Sadr jokingly said that time was no problem since the Prime Minister could invite them all at his residence for the Iftar and if he didn't, they would just invite themselves.

 

Laughter, more joking and further commotion followed. Finally they agreed to leave the whole matter to the minister since he was better informed on the details that threatened national security. Al-Naqib described the difficulties of restoring order to some parts of the country and he provided some valuable numbers and statistics in the process. Below for example, a table detailing casualties from suicide attacks over the last four months:

 

=========================================== Month Suicide Killed Injured (2004) attacks =========================================== June 18 128 462 July 34 245 235 August 20 28 122 September 20 168 419 ============================================== Total 92 569 1238 ==============================================

 

The minister also mentioned that a total of 650 attacks have been carried out against Iraqi police during the last four months killing 130 policemen and injuring over 200. Some 70 policemen have been kidnapped, 31 of them unconditionally released, 35 by ransom and the rest killed.

 

A short discussion followed after which the council decided to postpone the session for a week. Falah Al-Naqib stepped down and Ayad Allawi delivered a short talk about elections and security precautions. In the end he turned to Mish'an Al-Juboori and told him that the word 'interrogation' was a bit extreme and that it would be preferred to describe the session as an 'inquiry' instead.

 

 

 

 

# posted by zeyad : 10/28/2004 04:50:06 AM

comments (46)

 

A holy month of beheadings and assassinations

This year's holy Ramadan has indeed turned out to be 'holier' than that of last year. Last year, the Mujahideen received Ramadan by bombing infidels and crusaders at the Red Cross and several police stations. This holy month, however, has a peculiar flavour.

 

Another series of unsuccessful attacks were carried out against several churches. Iraqi Christian women have been offered a choice between 'observing the holy month' by covering their sinful heads or to face death. I kid you not. This threat was not carried out by foreign terrorists, Zarqawi or Al-Qaida, but by Muslim Iraqi student unions at Mosul University.

 

Leaflets and handbills signed by Ansar Al-Sunna have been circulated in Mosul starting from early Ramadan warning women of a terrible fate if they venture in public without the hijab. At Mosul University, several student groups handed notices to Christian students also warning them from showing up at college with their heads uncovered. As you know, Mosul is inhabited by the largest Christian community in the country, so we are talking of thousands of students here not a hundred or two. The Chaldo-Assyrian student union has been issuing statements of condemnation for days but no official move has yet been made to ensure the safety of Iraqi Christian students at university. Several thousand students have gone on strike while a few have chosen to accept their fate and cover their heads.

 

Ironically, this reminds me of all the hype in the media and the 'Arab street' about the French hijab ban. I lost count of the number of talk shows and symposiums condemning the cruel and barbaric French decision and lamenting 'basic human freedoms'. As far as I know, French Muslim girls have not been threatened with death or beheading if they wear the hijab in public. Is it then impudent to ask Al-Jazeera or Al-Arabiya for one single talk show with a seething enraged fist-shaking table-banging Arab 'intellectual' or commentator denouncing the act of Muslim student groups in Mosul? ... I thought so. We are always the loudest people to ask for rights while we offer none to others.

 

We may go on endlessly about the rights of our religious minorities in the Arab world, about our solidarity and peaceful coexistence, etc. Sadly though, it would be hollow speech because actions on the ground are the true indicator. Once political Islam takes hold of our societies, peaceful coexistence goes out the window, and it sets out to achieve its vision of an Islamic Ummah where religious minorities "pay the Jizya with the hand of humility." But no, that is surely not the real Islam, I can hear someone say.

 

Ramadan has also witnessed an increase in assassinations of Iraqi public figures and professionals. Several members of municipal and local councils have been targeted in Ba'quba, Hilla, Kirkuk, Ammara and Mosul. The Sheikh of the Ghrair tribe south of Baghdad was assassinated. Two mutilated corpses of a doctor and his fiancee were found in Al-Qa'im close to the Syrian border. They were kidnapped three weeks ago near a hospital in Nahrawan, 20 kilometres east of Baghdad. Two female employees at the Iraqi conference center were killed in broad daylight while they were returning home from work. A former Iraqi embassador to the UAE was assassinated yesterday in Adhamiya, he had just returned to the country. Several people were beheaded in Kirkuk and a closed liquor store was blown up. 3 DVD rental stores were blown up in Karbala by fundamentalists. Fundamentalists in Baghdad have been touring several coffee shops (which usually prosper during Ramadan after the Iftar) around the city warning customers from playing dominoes, backgammon or cards because that is 'haram'. I know at least 4 coffees shops that have been threatened this week.

 

In a far more barbaric development, some 49 National Guards were killed execution style east of Baghdad. The soldiers were reportedly unarmed, dressed in civilian clothes and returning home on a bus from a training camp in Karakush. They were found systematically shot in the head with their hands tied in groups of 12 on the main road of Baladruz-Mandali-Badrah. Most of the soldiers were from the Wasit (Kut), Thi Qar (Nasiriya) and Maysan (Ammara) governorates, which prompted several (Shi'ite) tribal Sheikhs from these areas to issue threats of a large scale armed assault against (Sunni) tribes west of Baghdad to avenge the slain soldiers.

 

Sheikh Hassan Hatem Al-Ghadhban of the Bani Lam tribes in Kut and Ammara strongly warned tribes west of Baghdad from the consequences of providing aid and refuge to terrorists. He also mentioned that southern Iraqi tribes can easily mobilise an army of tribesmen to overrun Yusifiya, Mahmudiya and Fallujah, and that neither multinational forces nor the interim government can stop them from carrying out this threat. Another Sheikh from Bani Lam said that he can do nothing to prevent his angry tribesmen from taking revenge for their brothers and sons, while a spokesman for the Congregation of Southern Tribes, a Sheikh from the Rubaiy'a tribes in Kut, called on the government to intervene and put an end to these massacres or they would be forced to act by themselves.

 

This is the third time in 5 months that southern Iraqi tribes threaten military action against Fallujah and surrounding areas. This in itself is not an encouraging sign for the future, but to go back to details of the NG incident; Zarqawi's group, renamed to Qa'idat Al-Jihad Fi Bilad Al-Rafidain (The Base of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers) claimed responsibility for the attack against the NG. I find this both troubling and dubious. Troubling because if Zarqawi's group can set up a checkpoint of at least 15-20 armed men in a distant area on the Iranian border (Mandali-Badrah), which is not usually their traditional area of operations, to capture some 50 trained Iraqi soldiers, to tie them up and execute them one by one, to dispose of their corpses in such a way and to retreat unscathed, then something is seriously wrong. It would indicate that Zarqawi's network is getting stronger and bolder despite the US reports of daily bombings against Zarqawi's hideouts.

 

I find it dubious because the tactics are not those of Zarqawi or foreign terrorists. I have reason to believe that this was the work of former Iraqi security forces. These remain the only organised groups in Iraq today with the required experience and precision to carry out such an operation. This was completely planned beforehand. We know that there have been infiltrations in the current Iraqi police and NG, not only by criminals and former prison inmates, but by informers, Ba'athists, Fedayeen and Mukhabarat members. I do not doubt for a moment, unlike many Iraqis, that Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi indeed exists or that he is behind much of the turmoil in the country. His family and comrades have been interviewed on several documentaries made on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya and his activities and movements have been traced in Jordan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the past. However, I am more inclined to assume that the present strategy of the underground Ba'ath party (and there is such an organisation) is not to claim direct responsibility for its actions, and for obvious reasons. It may operate under the guise of Zarqawi's group to give an impression of a holy war in Iraq and to cloak its activities.

 

There have been rumours and tidbits here and there over the last year and a half that the Ba'ath and its security apparatus is still at large in most of the country and that it remains the most organised political and military entity in Iraq. Its leadership has been purported to be in Syria. Its methods are familiar to Iraqis and they can be easily recognised and singled out. Intimidation, extortion, sabotage, executions, kidnappings, beheadings and coordination with the Arab media have all been employed in the past by the Ba'athist regime, and the same methods largely apply today to the resistance. While Iraqi Salafi groups and foreign terrorists are also active, they remain restricted to certain areas and their operations are limited in scope.

 

The Arab media persists in labelling these criminal elements as freedom fighters in a legitimate conflict with an occupying force, and that this resistance is nationwide, spontaneous and widely supported by the Iraqi people as an immediate result of US actions in postwar Iraq. The media chooses to ignore the fact that the main victim of this resistance is the Iraqi people itself, and that only a tiny fraction of attacks are now directed at occupation forces. This resistance realises that if free elections supervised by the UN and the international community take place in January 2005 and if a legitimate representative government assumes power in the country then the resistance would have to cease to exist.

[Guest Guest_tajer]

http://www.alrafidayn.com/Story/News/N_3110_04_31.html

 

In Arabic.. Very strong speach by Allawi.. Iraqi authiroties captured more than 3000 Saddam loyalist including a senior deputy to Aldoori. Also 167 Salafee terrorists and killed four main deputies to Alzarqawee,.

He called Frence to move out of it's old dreams..

He said that there is no negotiations with Falouja because Falouja is part of Iraq.

This is comming where Alawi is facing increased public critizesim accusing the government of not showing enought firm against terrorists.