New & Views 06/09/07

Photo: An Iraqi girl salvages items from the garbage on the street in Bayaa neighbourhood, southeast of Baghdad, 06 June 2007. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/Getty

REPORTS – LIFE IN IRAQ

Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In War On Iraq - At Least 655,000 + +

Iraq protests against shelling by Turkey

Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Saturday accused Turkey of "intensively shelling" northern Iraq this week, adding it had handed the Turkish envoy in Baghdad a protest letter. A statement from the Foreign Ministry said the shelling caused "huge damage" in an area between Dahuk and Arbil, 350 km (220 miles) north of Baghdad. A spokesman said the shelling took place over three hours late on Wednesday and early Thursday.

Lawmaker Confirms Kurd-Shia Clashes in Baghdad

A May 29 IPS report on clashes between Kurdish Peshmerga troops and militiamen of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad has been confirmed by an Iraqi member of Parliament, representing the Sunni-led Iraqi Accordance Front (Al-Tawafuq). Speaking on condition of strict anonymity inside the heavily-fortified Green Zone of central Baghdad where the Iraqi government meets, the MP told IPS that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "sold Kirkuk in exchange for Kurdish support for his collapsing government, and other matters such as not being in the way of Shiite militias in Baghdad." He clarified that he believes al-Maliki made a pact with Kurdish MPs to relinquish plans for trying to have the central government in Baghdad control economic and oil issues in the Kurdish controlled city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, but did not express confidence that the deal would be honoured. All political manoeuvrings these days are "about who is to take over power in the country," he added, "while people are getting killed by the hundreds every day." Last month the clashes between the Kurdish and Shia militias occurred in the Amil and Bayaa areas of southwest Baghdad. The Kurds were manning a checkpoint that was part of the Baghdad security plan when they were attacked by the Shia militiamen. The clashes underscore the tense and extremely volatile political situation, exposing a very real possibility that Kurdish-Shiite fighting could ignite in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, as al-Sadr has many followers in that mostly Kurdish city.

….. Shock waves from the incident are already shaking up the government. Islamic party senior member and deputy chief of the security committee in the Iraqi Parliament, Abdul Karim al-Samarra'e, said at a news conference that he contacted Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani and National Security Advisor Muaffaq al-Rubaie about Shiite militias invading southwest Baghdad and the urgent need to react to the withdrawal of the Kurdish unit. "I received no response," he told reporters, "and this has led me to suspend my post at the committee until the situation is corrected."

New Ally Old Enemy in Amiriyah

Nelson’s platoon was delivering food to the fighters – boxes containing canned peas, bags of rice and lentils – and a promise of fuel to be able to cook them. The leader, looking exhausted and wearing a pistol, explained to Nelson through an Army interpreter where he believed there were more al-Qaeda leaders. “This is their neighborhood,” said the Iraqi fighter, who asked not to be identified. “There are (foreign) Arabs with explosives – suicide vests,” he said, gesturing ripping open an explosive vest. Nelson told them they would support them with tanks for the raids planned that night. “If we hear heavy gunfire, the tank will move into that location,” Nelson told him. “What do you need for this mission?” Nelson asked? He replied they needed equipment to break down doors. Although they welcome the help, some of the fighters are equally uncomfortable working with the Americans. “After we defeat al-Qaeda and we have gasoline and electricity what do we need the Americans for?” said one of the fighters, a former Army officer who said his name was Ta’ie. In a relationship less than two weeks old, everyone is still figuring out where they stand.

Oiling the wheels of war: smuggling becomes the real economy of Iraq

On the banks of the Shatt al-Arab in southern Iraq, a family business is thriving. For the Ashur, a small clan of about 50 families, it's worth several million dollars a week. Costs are steep, especially for security. But profits are tidy and business is booming. The Ashur smuggle oil. For years under Saddam Hussein, they worked as mere guards at Abu Flus terminal at the mouth of the Gulf. But as the state collapsed after the US and British invasion in 2003 and economic anarchy set in, they took over the port and became the quasi-official authority there. Never have the family's fortunes flourished as in the last three years. They built their own underground oil tanks in their farms, where fuel tankers empty their cargoes to be pumped later into small pontoons. A cousin of the family estimates that they make about $5m (£2.5m) a week from smuggling oil. When another tribe tried to take over the ports, the family hired gunmen from outside Basra to defend its fiefdom. "We were paying $250,000 every week for gunmen just to make sure that we keep our terminals and preserve our rights," said the cousin, Abu Harith. The family operation is a dispiriting example of how large swaths of Iraq's economy and mineral wealth have vanished into a legal vacuum, where the state is absent, law enforcement is non-existent and the spoils are shared by politicians, militias and smuggler gangs. To insulate their fortune, the clan uses the protection of Fadhila, the ruling party in Basra, which for more than a year ran the oil ministry in Baghdad. But it also takes care to have good relations with the rival Mahdi army.

Water Crisis Hits Baghdad

Muhammad Sa'ad wiped the sweat off his forehead after a hot day spent filling pots and plastic containers with water. It took him so long because there was barely a trickle from his kitchen tap. For three weeks in a row, the city has suffered severe power shortages, now up to 23 hours a day, causing a water crisis in many areas. Sa'ad, who lives in the al-I'lam neighbourhood, blames the government for the lack of running water, saying that it hasn’t done enough to deal with the problem. Some residents draw water from their taps using electric pumps powered by private generators, an illegal practice but one used by many households. But the continuing fuel shortage means that even this option is frequently ruled out. Without power, fuel and water, Sa’ad is afraid the swiftly approaching summer will be unbearable. “In addition to the continuous bombings and killings, the hot summer this year will complete the tragedy we live in," he said. Already ailments such as diarrhea have started to spread in heavily populated areas, mainly in Umm al-Ma'alif south of Baghdad. People who need water purchase it from tankers that come to certain neighbourhoods - few can afford to buy bottled supplies, as the economic situation is so bad. Baghdad seems to be caught in a vicious circle: the governorate of Baghdad needs electricity and fuel to operate water pumping stations but does not receive enough of either to keep them running.

Kurdish Women Resent New Passport System

A law requiring women to have a male guardian sign their passport application angers women in Iraqi Kurdistan. A few months ago, Rezan Muhammad Ali was invited to stay with a relative who lives in England. Excited about the prospect of a trip to Europe, Ali rushed to apply for a passport so she could travel to the British embassy in Jordan to attend an interview for the entry visa required. But at the local passport office, the 34-year-old was told that to apply for a passport, she would need a male guardian to support her application. Ali shook her head in disbelief. "I almost cried," she said. "I'm not a child who needs to ask a guardian’s permission." Reluctantly, Ali asked her husband to sign a document vouching for her and is now waiting to receive her passport. For years, the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan have overlooked a piece of Iraqi legislation which states a woman who applies for a passport first has to have her father, uncle or brother’s written permission. In the past, women in this part of the country simply applied and were given a passport without fuss. But the introduction of the new G edition passport in March 2007 – which is electronically read and difficult to forge - means that all passports are now issued on a special printing machine in Baghdad where the law is enforced. Women’s groups in Iraqi Kurdistan are now campaigning to abolish the legislation: they’re gathering a petition and have taken their case to the government.

Video: Despite War, Mawlid Still Celebrated in Iraq

In 2007, Mawlid was celebrated by Sunni Muslims on March 31st. It was celebrated by Shi’as on April 5th. In the Gregorian calendar, the standard calendar of Western countries, the date moves each year, because the Islamic calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian is solar. In Arabic, Mawlid means “birthday” and Mawlid An-Nabi is one of the formal names given to the specific day to celebrate Muhammad, or in Shi’a Islam, the family of Ali in particular. Mawlid is the day when Sunnis and Shi’as mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. In fact, the 12th of Rabi’ul’Awwal, or 17th for Shi’as, is traditionally believed to be the date of Muhammad’s death. It was arbitrarily fixed as the date to celebrate his birth, in 1207, when Muzaffar ad-Din Gökburi, brother-in-law of the famous Saladin. This year Isam Rasheed documented some of the celebrations in Adhamiya, where the Abu Hanifa Mosque is located. Because of the location of the Abu Hanifa Mosque, or Imam Adham Abu Hanifa Mosque, Sunnis from all over Baghdad, and even many provinces in Iraq used to travel to Adhamiya for the celebrations.

REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS

Shiites blame Arabs for Iran’s influence in Iraq

A senior Iraqi Shiite politician says Iran’s influence in Iraq is the result of Arab countries’ desertion of its government. Hadi al-Ameri who heads the military wing of the Supreme Islamic Council, Iraq’s largest Shiite political group, said Arab sates have abandoned Iraq and as a result it had no choice but turn to Iran. The SIC is the largest group in the current Shiite and Kurdish coalition ruling the country. Ameri made the remarks during a visit to Cairo where he met Amer Sulaiman, head of the Egyptian intelligence and Amer Mousa, Arab League secretary-general. “You (Arabs) deserted us. You sold us. And we have no door to knock but Iran,” Ameri said in response to a question on Iran’s increasing influence in Iraq.

Tax revenues rise 55%

The State Tax authority’s income has rise 55% in 2006 over 2005, new statistics show. According to figures the authority issued recently more than 388 billion dinars were collected in 2006. A U.S. dollar is worth approximately 1,500 dinars. Most of the money came from taxes imposed on professions while corporate taxe came second. The figures did not show how much the authority had gathered from the income tax introduced in the aftermath of the 2003-U.S. invasion. In a statement, the authority said collecting taxes was not an easy job in Iraq currently mired in violence and military operations. It said financial and administrative corruption were hurdles on the path of transparency in collecting taxes in the country.

REPORTS – US/UK/OTHERS IN IRAQ

Turks protest PKK violence, 3 killed by mine

Thousands of people joined state-sponsored rallies in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast on Saturday to protest against increased attacks by separatist rebels of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). But hours after the rallies, which coincided with mounting speculation of a Turkish army incursion into nearby northern Iraq to hit PKK bases there, three soldiers were killed and six hurt by a landmine detonated by the rebels in Sirnak province. The incident, which unusually claimed the lives of two officers as well as a private, will pile further pressure on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government to get tough with the rebels and perhaps send troops across the mountainous border. Turkey's top generals have urged the government, which faces a strong nationalist challenge in national elections next month, to authorise an incursion into northern Iraq, where up to 4,000 PKK fighters are believed to be hiding. Protesters at Saturday's rally, mainly state-paid village guards, civil servants and schoolchildren, waved Turkish flags and chanted anti-PKK slogans in the remote hillside town of Sirnak, overlooking the Iraqi border 50 km (30 miles) away. "Damn the PKK", "Martyrs do not die, the homeland will not be divided", the crowds chanted below a 10 metre (33 ft) high portrait of modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, flanked by large Turkish flags hanging from a state building.

Old problems plague new security plan for Iraq

Three months after additional U.S. troops began pouring into Baghdad in the most recent effort to stanch violence in Iraq's capital, military observers are fretting that the same problems that torpedoed last summer's Baghdad security plan are cropping up again. Violence is on the rise, Iraqi troops aren't showing up to secure neighborhoods, U.S. troops are having to revisit neighborhoods they'd already cleared, and Iraq's politicians haven't met any of their benchmarks. With expectations high in Washington for a September assessment from new Iraq commander Army Gen. David Petraeus, military officials in Iraq already are saying they'll need more time. One thing is already clear, however: The additional U.S. troops haven't yet had a major impact on reducing violence. The number of bodies found on Baghdad's streets declined in March and April after the surge began on Feb. 15, but it shot back up to an even higher level in May. So far this month, 206 unidentified corpses have been found in the capital, compared with 176 in the first eight days of May. Some question whether any plan can create an Iraqi force that would allow the U.S. to begin drawing down troop levels in Iraq any time soon. "The U.S. commitment level is there. But we are still seeing the same thing where the Iraqis haven't shown up the way they were supposed to. It's the same problem (as last year) and that problem hasn't been fixed," said Jeffrey White, a military analyst for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The Iraqi forces "still can't come in large scale and replace us."

More Iranian pilgrims to pay homage to shrines in Iraq

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has agreed to allow 2,500 Iranians enter Iraq to visit Shiite holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala, According to Najaf’s governor. The governor, Assad Sultan, said the decision to increase the number of Iranian pilgrims visiting the country was bound to “revitalize religious tourism and boost Najaf’s economy.” So far only 1,500 Iranian pilgrims were permitted to cross the border into Iraq every day. The shrines in Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, are holy to Shiites across the world and their sanctity is only surpassed by the Saudi shrines in Mecca and Medina. The shrines, though holy to Shiites, also attract visitors from across the Islamic world. In anticipation of a boom in tourism, Sultan said his province has signed a contract with a Kuwaiti firm for the construction of a tourist city in the nearby town of Kufa, also a holy site. Members of the provincial council had visited Kuwait where they had reached a memorandum of understanding with the Kuwaiti authorities.

How to Help Iraqi Refugees

Quote of the day: If this is Tony Blair's "values war", then language has lost all meaning. British collusion in such destruction is a scandal that will outlive any passing conflict. And we had the cheek to call the Taliban vandals. ~ Simon Jenkins