British Envoy Backs UN Moves on Elections Law at Iraq Talks; Update

The main themes highlighted during Al-Sharqiyah television’s evening newscasts on 11 August featured the visit by the Jordanian King Abdallah to Iraq, the military operation in Diyala, and security incidents throughout Iraq.

1300 gmt newscast:

-”Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi discussed with the British Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Prentice the reasons for the delay in ratifying the Provincial Council Election Law by the parliament and the Iraqi Presidency Council. A statement issued by the office of the Iraqi vice president noted that the British ambassador stressed to Abd-al-Mahdi that the paper presented by the United Nations on the law represents the best solution to emerge from the cycle of postponement. The statement added that both sides viewed means of developing bilateral cooperation and the security situation in Iraq.”

-”Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih has discussed with Defence Minister Abd-al-Qadir al-Ubaydi latest security developments in Iraq. A Defence Ministry statement noted that both sides discussed the role of the Iraqi forces and the military operations in Iraqi governorates. Citing the deputy prime minister, the statement noted that full support will be given to the Ministry of Defence since it is the main guarantor of Iraq’s sovereignty against internal and external challenges.”

-” Three explosive charges blew up in eastern Baghdad at noon today, leading to the martyrdom of a civilian and the wounding of others. “

-”Hanin al-Qaddu, member of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, accused parties which he did not name in Mosul of using the governorate’s Emergency Force to implement their agendas which contradict the aspirations of Mosul’s locals.” He is further cited as saying that “these forces have been used to work against minorities in the area.”

-”Ahmad al-Alwani, deputy for the Accord Front, has voiced surprise at the fact that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Khalid al-Atiyah, first deputy speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, inaugurated the new building of the parliament without Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani. ” The report adds that “the Council of Representatives denied inaugurating a new building for the council today, noting that it shall resume it work from the Conferences Palace inside the Green Zone.”

-”An Iraqi Army force found three caches of arms, ammunition, and explosive charges, and arrested eight people during a security operation on the peripheries of Al-Mahmudiyah District, south of Baghdad. “

1700 gmt newscast:

-”King Abdallah II of Jordan has concluded a swift visit to Baghdad on Monday, which is the first visit by an Arab leader to the Iraqi capital since 2003. During the visit, the king held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. An Iraqi Government statement noted that the Jordanian king’s talks with the Iraqi prime minister were frank and positive and dealt with the situation in Iraq. “

-”Kurdish security forces said that Iraqi Army forces mounted a search and raid operation in the Qara Tabbah Subdistrict in the Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad, although the area is safe and under the control of the 34th Peshmerga Brigade. A Kurdish newspaper had said that an Iraqi Government delegation which included the general commander of infantry forces in Iraq, Defence Ministry Spokesman Muhammad al-Askari, and a big number of Iraqi Army officers on Sunday visited Qara Tabbah and relayed a message from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki calling for the withdrawal of the Peshmerga forces so that the Fourth Brigade of the First Division of the Iraqi Army would replace it. For his part, Mahmud Sinkawi, President Jalal Talabani’s representative in the Peshmerga Force Command, said that the forces currently deployed in this area will not leave their positions until a statement from the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region is issued.”

-”Five people were wounded , including a policeman, when an explosive charge went off near the Shrine of Shaykh Abd-al-Qadir al- Kilani in the Bab Al-Shaykh area in central Baghdad.”

Originally published by Al-Sharqiyah TV, Dubai, in Arabic 1300 11 Aug 08.

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