News & Views 12/14/07

Photo: Demonstrators chant slogans as they march during a protest after Friday prayers in Baghdad's Sadr City December 14, 2007. More than 4,000 demonstrators held a rally in Sadr City on Friday to protest Wednesday's bombing attacks in Amara. REUTERS/Kareem Raheem (IRAQ)

REPORTS – LIFE IN IRAQ

Could it be a new era?

I was thinking with my self; is this the sign of the a new era? where the safe areas becomes dangerous and the dangerous becomes safe? Adhamyia is now safe, so where will the remaining members of AQ who hasn't joined the awakening will go? where can the members of Almahdy army go after they're being persecuted in there areas? they will go to new areas, that's for sure. this neighborhood was so safe to a level that European embassy employees are shopping sometimes from that supermarket by them selves, they park their cars and walk to do the shopping (they weren't present at that time). and few days ago, armed men wearing commandos clothing stopped a primary school bus and kidnapped a kid who is the son of a merchant, things are deteriorating in this neighborhood which considered to be safe. I wasn't carrying my camera with me at the time of explosion and even if I had it I wouldn't take a photo. by the way, this incident wasn't mentioned in news or any media source! I wonder how many explosions like this happens and no one says anything about it? I believe there is some sort of keeping Iraqi news from reaching the world.

Audio: Iraqi Children's Week Passes Unmarked for Many

Morning Edition, December 14, 2007 · For the second year in a row, the Iraqi government is observing what it calls "the week of the children." In some parts of the country, it will mean concerts and recitals. But in others, the week will pass unmarked, with many children orphaned, living in poverty and out of school. One of these children is Baha. The 11-year-old's day begins early in the morning, when he leaves home to collect cans in the streets of Baghdad. When he gets back, he has to get ready for school.

Sadrists stage demonstrations over Amara attacks

Scores of Sadrists staged demonstrations after the Friday prayer in the Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, denouncing the recent bombing attacks that jolted the city of Amara and the U.S. role in the country. "The demonstration started today at the order from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to support our brothers in the city of Amara and to denounce the recent attacks in the city," Sheikh Suhail al-Eqabi, who led the prayer, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Medical and security sources in Missan, said on Wednesday that three car bombs went off successively in central Amara, killing 23 individuals and wounding 150 others. "We believe that the three attacks were implemented by the occupation forces, which aim at attacking political powers which oppose the occupation in the city," al-Eqabi asserted, accusing the U.S. forces of applying the "same scenario" which used it in Diwaniya and Samawa. "We got information indicated that U.S. forces plan to implement a military operation in Amara," he said, wondering about the reason that makes U.S. forces launch a security operation in a secure and stable city like Amara?

Suffering, Oil, and Ideals of Coexistence: Non-Sectarian Federal Trends in the Far South of Iraq

Among the numerous fallacies that have become widespread in analyses of today’s Iraq is the notion that the Shiites of the country are unified in demanding the establishment of a sectarian federal entity, a Shiite super-state. And even though some studies at least acknowledge the internal Shiite division between anti-federal Iraqi nationalist and supporters of federalism, few bother to examine important sub-divisions inside the pro-federal camp. In many accounts there simply is only one Shiite federal vision of the future: iqlim al-wasat wa-al-janub (the Region of the Center and the South), covering all the nine Shiite-majority governorates to the south of the Iraqi capital. In reality, the Region of the Center and the South was a latecomer to the Iraqi Shiite debate on federalism. A few Shiites tentatively grappled with federalism as early as in the 1990s, but always in a non-sectarian framework. And when concrete plans for federalism materialized in Shiite circles in late 2003, this was on the basis of a cross-sectarian civic platform. Only in the summer of 2005 did a sectarian variant of federalism emerge – but, despite colossal media interest in the West, it has yet to establish itself as the dominant federal project in Shiite circles in Iraq. This paper focuses on non-sectarian incarnations of federalism among Iraq’s Shiites, with a special focus on the far south of the country: the triangle

Basra's new era brings new fears

"Liberated from Saddam Hussein and handed to the militias" is a common view of what the British military has achieved in Basra. Many residents told the BBC that militias have tightened their grip in Basra since the last British troops pulled out of the city in September, after months of relentless attacks. They accuse Shia militias, including the Mehdi army of Moqtada Sadr, of a campaign of intimidation and violence, particularly against women. Mafia-style turf battles bring further bloodshed, partly competing for a slice of the oil revenues flowing through the city. More than 40 women have been killed in the past few months, according to Basra's police chief - most shot dead by unidentified gunmen. Extremists linked with militias are widely blamed.

Video: Iraq’s Royal Cemetery, The Graveyard of Kings - 12.10.2007

In Adhamiya there is a famous place known as the Royal Cemetery. Each of the kings of Iraq’s short-lived monarchy, Faisal, Ghazi, and Faisal the 2nd are buried here. Under the Ottoman Empire, this place was selected to be the location for an Islamic College in Baghdad. With the upheaval of World War I and the eventual collapse of the Ottoman Empire, construction was never completed. King Faisal I, the first king of Iraq, completed its construction years later, but after his death, it was chosen to be his burial place. From this point on, it was chosen as the burial place for the Iraqi Hashemites. Faisal I’s wife, Huzaima Bint Nasir, as well as his son Ghazi, and his grandson Faisal II are each buried here. With the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958, the cemetery languished in disrepair and was all but forgotten. In 1987, Saddam Hussein, in an effort to renew interest in Iraq’s monarchy, remodeled the Cemetery, improving its stark appearance. His efforts brought the Royal Cemetery to the beautiful monument that stands today.

Audio: No Man’s Land

This week on War News Radio, we hear from aid workers and refugees who discussed the issues surrounding the Iraqi refugee dilemma at a recent panel in New York. We also hear from Middle East expert Michael Oren, who gives his take on the historical context of America’s involvement in the Middle East. Then, we delve into the debate over whether detainees at Guantanamo Bay have the right to habeus corpus. Finally, in our A Day in the Life series, we learn how the war has affected the routine of an Iraqi imam, both inside and outside the mosque. These stories, plus the week’s news, from War News Radio.

ID clues rare in mass graves in Iraq

Sixteen corpses — 12 decapitated and four shot in the head — were found Wednesday by Iraqi soldiers investigating a foul smell while on patrol in a lush grove of date palms and fruit trees near the Diyala province city of Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, the Iraqi army said. Still, the numbers of bodies found are a fraction of the estimated 375,000 Iraqis who have vanished as a result of checkpoint kidnappings and other violence by Sunni and Shiite extremists. And even when bodies are found, most are in an advanced state of decomposition. An official at the Muqdadiyah morgue, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, said the facility has no modern technology to identify the remains found Wednesday. He said the bodies were decomposed beyond recognition. Instead, authorities take pictures of each body and assign it a serial number in case relatives come forward.

REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS

Sunni Leader: America is 'Main Irritant' in Iraq

Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, head of the Association of Muslim Scholars, says Sunnis are disenfranchised. Sheikh Harith al-Dhari, head of the Association of Muslim Scholars, is arguably one of the most influential Iraqi Sunni leaders today. His unequivocal opposition to the US-led occupation and criticism of the Nouri al-Maliki government attracted threats against his life and forced him into exile. In an interview with Al Jazeera, al-Dhari says the slight improvement in the security situation in Iraq "is due to a decision by the Iraqi government to reign in its death squads". He concedes that the "resistance has temporarily" retreated in the face of US-funded al-Sahwa (Awakening Council) militias "but that the resistance is regrouping and will bounce back". Al-Dhari, who hails from a family reputed for its role in the nationalist resistance against British occupation in the 1920s, says the US presence has allowed other powers to meddle in the country's affairs. He belives an US withdrawal will solve many of his country's present woes.

4-way agreement leaders meet to discuss political, security developments

Leaders and representatives of parties that signed a quadruple agreement met in Baghdad on Thursday evening to discuss a host of important issues in the political and security domains, a presidential media source said on Friday. "Among the issues of mutual interest discussed was the tribal awaking councils and their role in the efforts to impose security and order in the country," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The meeting was attended by President Jalal Talabani, Leader of the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari and representatives of the parties to the quadruple agreement. Iraqi leaders had signed a deal in August 2007, deemed by observers as a four-way agreement between the largest two Kurdish and two Shiite parties with the aim of backing the Maliki government. The agreement was signed by Talabani, Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barazani, Maliki, in his capacity as secretary-general of the Dawa Party, and Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi as representative of the SIIC.

REPORTS – US/UK/OTHERS IN IRAQ

U.S. paid for Iraqi army base never built

A U.S. Defense Department report says the U.S. military paid more than $30 million to a Florida company for an Iraqi army barracks project it never built. A report from the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General said the U.S. military paid the Florida-based Ellis Environmental Group $31.9 million of a $34.2 million contract to house one brigade and three battalions of the Iraqi military in Ramadi, USA Today said Friday. The military scrapped the barracks project because the Iraqi Defense Ministry did not obtain land usage rights for the base's headquarters.

FBI probes Iraq IG on misconduct claims

The FBI is investigating the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, Justice Department officials said, following allegations of misconduct from former employees. The investigation of Stuart Bowen involves possible electronic tampering, including alleged efforts by the inspector general to go through e-mails of employees in his office, said two officials close to the inquiry Thursday. It is being handled by the FBI's Washington field office, according to law enforcement officials, who like the first officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. According to one of the officials close to the investigation, the FBI is looking into several issues of possible fraud and abuse and has interviewed a number of former and current employees — some two or three times. A grand jury has been impaneled, and has issued subpoenas for documents. [Other sources have pointed out that this may be a frame-up. – dancewater]

Nonsense of US Congress on Federalism in Iraq

A bill is on its way to President George W. Bush with an enclosure that encapsulates the atmosphere of a disoriented US Congress. Euphemistically titled “Sense of Congress on Federalism in Iraq” and attached to the 2008 defence authorisation bill that was passed in the House of Representatives yesterday (and is expected to pass easily in the Senate today), this latest Iraq-related opus to emerge from Capitol Hill is so riddled with inconsistencies that it is the opponents of the idea of US interference in internal Iraqi affairs that emerge as the clear victors in this strange affair.

It may be useful to briefly recapitulate the flaws of the precursor to the text which is now being turned into law. Contrary to accounts in the US press, the Senate’s “Biden amendment” of September 2007 did not specifically seek to divide Iraq into any particular number of federal states, nor did it advocate full partition. It did however violate the Iraqi constitution in two major ways. Firstly, by introducing the idea of a “conference settlement” of Iraq’s federal question, it sought to circumvent the democratic procedures for creating federal regions “from below” through grassroots initiatives as outlined in the Iraqi constitution. Secondly, by anticipating an Iraq that would be wholly divided into federal regions it usurped, by implication, the constitutional rights of individual Iraqi governorates to retain their unitary state status if that should be the wish of their populations. In short, the “Biden amendment” ignored Iraq’s status as a unique specimen within the world’s family of federations, namely, an asymmetrical federation where the demarcation of federal entities is gradual and where the right to create new federal entities is vested exclusively in the local populations of the existing governorates. This is a dual system combining federal and unitary-state elements, and it may well end up with one federal region only (Kurdistan, the sole federal entity explicitly mentioned in the 2005 constitution) – although existing governorates, like for instance Basra, or Najaf, can try to opt for a federal status at a future stage if their populations should strongly favour this. To those searching for comparisons, the United States is entirely irrelevant; it is to Spain and Russia (and, arguably, the United Kingdom) one should look for cases with certain parallels to the asymmetric division of power between centre and regions in force in today’s Iraq.

The “Biden amendment” of last September also highlighted the logical flaws of the US senators’ approach as they seek to apply the concept of federalism to create an alternative Iraq policy. Their problem is that Iraqi parliamentarians and the Bush administration happen to speak with one voice on this particular issue: they follow the 2005 constitution and the law on implementing federalism of October 2006, which together provide detailed principles, procedures and timelines for creating federal regions in those parts of the country where there is a genuine desire for such federalisation. These procedures are finite and clearly defined: unless one intends to break the law, there is no need for additional “conferences” or “international assistance” of any kind. Accordingly, if US senators wish to produce something that is somehow “more federal” than this, they will have to violate the Iraqi constitution – which is just what they did through their September resolution.

IRAQI REFUGEES

Iraqi refugees: Fresh research studies

Three research studies have been conducted over the last few months to gain a better understanding of the situation of Iraqi refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In Syria, UNHCR and IPSOS Market Research have just finished a second round of research – a follow up to a survey in May. A total of 754 families, comprising 3,553 people, were surveyed. The results show that Iraqi refugees are running out of financial resources – 33 percent say their financial resources will last for three months or less, while 24 percent are relying on remittances from family abroad to survive. Ten percent of the children of families surveyed are working. Iraqi children continue to fall behind in education with 46 percent of those surveyed reporting their children have dropped out of school. The study also highlighted that 17 percent of those surveyed suffer from chronic illnesses with 19 percent unable to take medication due to financial constraints. The research highlights the well-educated profile of the refugee population with 31 percent having a university degree. Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR Syria has registered over 19,000 Iraqis with serious medical conditions. One in five Iraqi refugees registered by UNHCR is a victim of violence in Iraq. In 2007, UNHCR Syria registered over 142,000 refugees. A fuller report will be released in early January after the Center for Disease in the United States provides an analysis of the trauma and depression sections of the survey. Preliminary readings of the results highlight the considerable stress and trauma that many Iraqis are facing. UNHCR included this element in the questionnaire in response to the high proportion of victims of violence and torture in Iraq that it has registered.

Survey: Many Iraqis in Syria fled during U.S. troop buildup

One in five Iraqi refugees in Syria has been tortured or suffered from other violence, and more than a third fled their homeland between July and October, at the height of the U.S. troop buildup that was intended to quell sectarian violence in Baghdad, preliminary data from a new United Nations study show. The survey also found that the refugee population is highly educated — nearly a third have university degrees, including master's and doctorates — and that many refugees are only weeks away from exhausting their savings. The survey, which the IPSOS market research firm conducted in October and November, is the most comprehensive study to date of the 1.5 million Iraqis who've sought safety in Syria from the sectarian violence at home. The results are based on interviews with 754 refugees, who were asked detailed questions that ranged from whether they'd been hit by grenades to how they treat their children's illnesses. Full results are expected in early January.

How to Help Iraqi Refugees

ANOTHER Way to help: The Collateral Repair Project

COMMENTARY

Embarrassed to Explain US Foreign Policy: Bandow

I’m off in Norway today, the guest of some folks interested in U.S. foreign policy. They want me to explain what Americans think of international events and how policymakers formulate foreign policy. It's a daunting, or perhaps more accurately, an embarrassing, task. Americans know very little about the world. Their ignorance is almost charming. In one sense, it's good that most people are more interested in spending time with family and friends and in earning a living than in plotting a coup in some faraway land, waging a war against some emerging power, or issuing foreign ultimatums over random economic and political demands. Unfortunately, however, as a result Americans have essentially delegated the power to do all of those things to a Washington-centered elite. When things go wrong, Americans get angry. Then the politicos start blaming each other. Specific policies sometimes change, but Washington's interventionist enthusiasm always quickly returns. It's not a pretty spectacle. Most Americans are not ideologically committed to turning the U.S. into an imperial power. Few of them would like to spend months or years patrolling failed foreign states, such as Iraq. Most of them turn against needless conflicts when it becomes evident that they aren't going to be short and sweet.

Quote of the day: And what shall sadness or anger change? – Faiza Al-Arji