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BBC Monitoring Headlines, Quotes From Iraqi Press 4 July 05

Posted on: Monday, 4 July 2005, 06:00 CDT

The following is a selection of headlines and quotes taken from the Iraqi press published on Monday 4 July 2005:

Headlines

Al-Adalah [Baghdad, twice-weekly newspaper in Arabic published by the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)] 4 July: [SCIRI Leader] Al-Hakim: United Iraqi Alliance bears moral responsibility to God, people \ Government spokesman: There should be some responsible military force to fill the security vacuum \ Security forces arrest 48 suspects, including terrorist doctor Abu- Sayyaf (news agencies quoted) \ Interior minister forms committee to investigate irresponsible recruit gathering (news agencies quoted) \ Norwegian government grants humanitarian asylum to 1,000 Iraqis (news agencies quoted) \ Switzerland requests US information on death of Swiss [citizen] in Iraq (Reuters quoted) \ Blair discusses Palestine, Iraq in Saudi Arabia (news agencies quoted) \ Minority representatives call for concerted minority efforts to preserve unity \ Finance Ministry allocates 63bn [Iraqi] dinars to cover pay rise for university professors \ Work completed at Al-Sulaymaniyah airport \ Peaceful demonstration in Al-Qayyarah [Mosul] against terrorism \ International companies seek to wring telecommunication contracts in Iraq \ Al-Diwaniyah electoral commission holds conference on referendum on constitution.

Baghdad [Baghdad, daily newspaper in Arabic published by the Iraqi National Accord Movement] 4 July: Talabani, Barzani insist on State Administration Law; Kurds demand immediate implementation of Article 58 (news agencies quoted) \ Turkman Front calls on Turkmen for major demonstration today \ New Egyptian ambassador kidnapped in Baghdad \ Oil projects need 30bn [US] dollars; Iraq loses 1.9m bpd (Reuters quoted) \ SCIRI member assassinated in Baghdad \ New batch of 265 prisoners released \ Terrorists in army uniforms raid houses in Jurf al-Sakhr [Al-Hillah] \ Human rights minister calls for constitutional legislation banning torture \ Grand funeral held for Al-Sistani's representative \ Unidentified men blow up food ration agency in Al-Kamaliyah [Baghdad] \ Daily killings on the rise; seven Iraqis killed in Baghdad \ Bulgaria ready to build small oil refineries \ Workshop held on women's role in constitution writing \ In Basra, projects to produce 300m gallons of water per day; people refuse to pay water bills.

Al-Bayan [Baghdad, daily newspaper in Arabic published by the Islamic Al-Da'wah Party] 4 July: Prime minister receives head, members of Al-Sadr City local council; council chairman: Project to build 200,000 housing units in city \ Doctor involved in killings, kidnappings captured in Baghdad; twenty-three suspects arrested in Al-Yusufiyah, including Jordanian \ Iraqi police find Egyptian ambassador's car \ Police: Nine killed, 31 wounded in Babil attack \ [Government Spokesman] Layth Kubbah announces imminent prime minister tour of Syria, Iran \ Twenty-nine Afghans caught while crossing Iraqi border \ Thirty thousand jobless people register with employment centre in Basra \ Water Resources Ministry: US grant disproportionate to volume of irrigation projects in Iraq \ Education minister attends donor conference in Amman, says education sector in Iraq faces many difficulties \ Water resources minister: Forty per cent of marshlands submerged by water \ Rift Valley fever: A danger threatening animal wealth in Iraq.

Al-Dustur [Baghdad, daily published by Al-Dustur Press, Publishing and Distribution House] 4 July: Egyptian ambassador abducted in Iraq \ US attorney-general on surprise visit to Iraq \ Extension of foreign troop mandate sparks wrangling debates inside parliament; MP asks National Assembly to summon interior minister \ EU: Foreign forces in Iraq should be replaced by peacekeeping troops (news agencies quoted) \ [MP Nuri] al-Maliki: Sunni role in constitution committee settled \ Talla'far committee discusses situation in area with foreign forces \ London concerned over Iraq torture reports (news agencies quoted) \ Dozens of weapons caches found; car, roadside bomb workshops discovered; 123 terrorists apprehended; aide to Basra intelligence commander assassinated (news agencies quoted) \ US forces release Al-Sadr aide (news agencies quoted) \ Fayli Kurds form political council (news agencies quoted) \ US troops kill international law expert (news agencies quoted) \ Kurdish leaders: Kurds should return to Kirkuk (news agencies quoted) \ PUK accuses Fayli Kurds of breaking Kurdish ranks (news agencies quoted) \ Iraqi efforts continuing to increase Al-Durah refinery production \ [Muwaffaq] al-Rubay'i: United, federal, democratic Iraq is insurance policy for Kuwait security (news agencies quoted).

Al-Mada [Baghdad, daily, independent newspaper published by Al- Mada Media, Culture and Arts Corporation] 4 July: Constitutional panel likely to adopt parliamentary system with wider powers to president \ Talabani, Barzani demand Kurds' return to Kirkuk before new constitution \ [Al-Sistani's Spokesman Hamid] Al-Khafaf: Al- Sistani does not reject federalism \ New Egyptian envoy kidnapped in Baghdad \ Eleven bodies found east of Al-Sadr City \ Forty-one killed, injured in two suicide bombings in Al-Hillah \ Curfew in Al- Fallujah after 1300 hrs [local time] \ Higher council for Shi'i Kurds formed \ Sitters-in in Al-Najaf demand end to violations of personal freedoms \ Drinking water flowing again in Baghdad \ Interior minister meets leader of Iraqi Islamic Party \ Against background of tension in Al-Samawah, Iraqi Peace and Solidarity Council calls for restraint \ Operation Lightning: Over 100 suspects arrested; large amounts of weapons, munitions found \ Three killed, eight hurt in separate attacks in Diyala \ Former officer escapes assassination; armed clashes break out in Mosul quarters \ Senior member of dissolved Ba'th Party assassinated in Al-Ramadi \ National Assembly to welcome Sunni Arab representatives today \ Local council official attacked in Al-Sadr City \ Education minister calls on UK to support education process in Iraq \ Diyala journalists stage sit- in; governor promises solutions with security forces \ Hepatitis kills 269 patients \ Health Ministry official: 3,480 infected with TB; situation could deteriorate further.

Al-Mu'tamar [Baghdad, daily newspaper in Arabic published by the Iraqi National Congress] 4 July: Barzani, Talabani stress need to put Article 58 on Kirkuk in force, say government has no power to suspend or delay Kirkuk question \ Tikrit residents threaten to cut electricity, fuels supplies to Baghdad; deputy governor warned them against threat to public services \ Babil Governorate council puts on hold demonstrations, gatherings \ Egypt: Contacts [held] with Iraqi government on circumstances of ambassador's disappearance (news agencies quoted) \ US army reinforces presence with 3,000 intelligence officers (Reuters quoted) \ Spokesman Kubbah: Iraq priorities to absorb unemployment, build open economy; government informs Brussels conference of people's needs (news agencies quoted) \ Industry minister escapes assassination attempt in Baghdad (Kuna quoted) \ Iraq welcomes any decision to join GCC (news agencies quoted) \ Twenty-five million dollars for Samarra reconstruction \ Iraq National Dialogue Council calls on government to halt Operations Lightning, Thunder, Sword \ Baghdad mayor holds talks with World Bank representatives; municipality confirms water is back to Al-Karkh areas \ Interior Ministry forms committee to check documents of foreign residents, newcomers.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat [Baghdad edition of London-based daily Al- Sharq al-Awsat, Saudi-owned] 4 July: Egyptian ambassador kidnapped in Baghdad; eyewitness: Seven gunmen attacked and hit diplomat, told him he was American, then put him in their car trunk \ Muqtada al- Sadr closes Basra office over misconduct \ Floating terminals sell smuggled Iraqi oil to incoming ships \ Baghdad government: Door open for armed groups not involved in killing Iraqis (news agencies quoted) \ UK source: Iraqi security forces torture prisoners \ Twenty Iraqis killed in suicide bombings, armed attacked in Mosul, Baghdad, Basra \ Three thousand policemen demonstrate in Basra to demand salary payment \ Washington regrets slaying of Swiss citizen in Baghdad (AFP quoted) \ National drug control committee: Iran main source of white poisons.

Al-Zaman [daily, independent, Baghdad edition of London-based Al- Zaman] 4 July: [Egyptian Ambassador] Al-Sharif's abduction hampers diplomatic representation upgrade between Baghdad, Cairo; Islamic Party denounces kidnapping; Egypt intensify contacts to ensure ambassador's safety \ Talabani, Barzani resume talks on Kurdish government formation \ Kubbah: Government aware of contacts with Iraqi gunmen \ Blair, Prince Abdallah discuss Iraq file, new peace initiative in Middle East; London expects prompt investigation into prison torture \ Demonstrators in Salah-al-Din demand release of police chief, threaten to cut electricity, oil to Baghdad \ Al- Ja'fari to travel to Damascus to discuss border control, stop infiltration; Al-Bunni likely candidate for Syrian ambassador to Iraq \ Bodies of four kidnapped civilians found near Ba'qubah \ Increasing civilian deaths at the hands of US soldiers draws angry reactions \ Activists in Al-Amarah [south] demand inclusion of personal freedom items in constitution \ Official confirms Iraq insurance sector recovering \ Agriculture Ministry: Advancing sand dunes threaten 4m donums of land in central, southern Iraq.

Quotes

Al-Bayan [Baghdad, daily newspaper in Arabic published by the Islamic Al-Da'wah Party] 4 July: [From commentary by Zaynab al- Khafaji] "The abduction of the Egyptian ambassador in Iraq is yet another indication of terrorist groups' intention to hinder diplomatic representation in Iraq, being an important juncture on the road to building a successful foreign policy based on good relations with world states through which all outstanding issues can be solved \ Terrorists should understand one important fact, which is that should world states decide to establish firm diplomatic relations with any state, terrorism cannot stand in the way. Terrorists are short of grasping this fact, and the Egyptian envoy's kidnapping in Iraq is an evidence for their short-sighted vision."

Al-Dustur [Baghdad, daily published by Al-Dustur Press, Publishing and Distribution House] 4 July: [From editorial by Basim al-Shaykh] "One real sign of our state's bankruptcy is the shuttle trip of the prime minister who tried to invest all the stops on the sidelines of the Brussels conference to motivate a number of friendly countries to offer what they could, because the situation is close to disaster unless a helping hand is extended to the Iraqi people who have seen enormous sufferings. This comes at a time economic pressure is casting its shadows on the government performance, which means delayed implementation of the programmes promised by the government and failure to honour its commitments towards citizens \ Moreover, the National Assembly's silence has contributed to aggravating this genuine threat of disaster, though it should act as an impregnable fort against all that can disturb food stability \ We do not believe that the situation will be normal if the government decides to stop subsidizing Iraqis' food rations in a very difficult economic situation that weighs heavily on them."

Source: BBC Monitoring Newsfile

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