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Iraqis Blame "Non-Iraqi Arabs" for 17 Aug Baghdad Blasts, Criticize Syria

Posted on: Friday, 19 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

Iraqi TV station Al-Iraqiyah TV on 17 August is observed to carry unscheduled programming between 0708 and 1900 gmt to report on three bombings that rocked a bus terminal and Al-Kindi Hospital in Baghdad and left scores of people dead and injured.

The station carries as the lead item in its 0500 gmt newscast an "urgent" report over video of "three terrorist attacks" on Al- Nahdah bus terminal and Al-Kindi hospital in Baghdad .

At 0708 gmt, Al-Iraqiyah interrupts its normal programming to update the toll of casualties following the three blasts against the backdrop of graphic footage from the scenes of the explosions, including live close-up shots of the dead and wounded. A black ribbon appears on the upper left corner of the screen as a sign of mourning. After showing the destruction caused by the attacks, live interviews are carried with some of the injured to describe the bombings. Also interviewed are ordinary people who happened to be in the area of the explosions.

An Iraqi woman starts blaming Arabs for what has happened. "What have we done? We have always helped Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Al-Jazeera must be telling everybody about us now. They must be rejoicing now. Why?"

After broadcasting a song entitled "Iraq 's Wound", the station carries as of 0720 gmt interviews with eyewitnesses. "Let the whole world see what is happening to us. Let the Arabs see. Let the US president see," an angry eyewitness says.

Other Iraqis phone the station to vent out their feelings. Some callers hold non-Iraqi Arabs responsible for the blasts and demand that they be driven out of Iraq.

"We ask the government of Dr Al-Ja'fari to throw all Arabs out of Iraq. Iraq should be for the Iraqis only. We want them [Arabs] out as soon as possible," an Iraqi citizen says.

"I'd rather we joined the EU than those Arabs," another says. Other callers criticize Arabs for not viewing the terrorist attacks in Iraq the same way they view similar attacks in other countries.

While most callers praise the performance of the Iraqi security services, some still believe that the government is to blame. "Terrorist attacks have increased by 80 per cent under the government of Al-Ja'fari while the rate stood at around 30 per cent when Allawi was prime minister," one of them says.

Another caller accuses the security agencies of not being efficient enough. "How come that a country that has an army, a police force and multinational forces fails to arrest a terrorist like Al-Zarqawi?" the caller says angrily. Other callers, however, emphasize the role of citizens as an important element in the restoration of security.

A number of callers insist that the captured terrorists who have been condemned to death be executed without any delay. Others call for the execution of Saddam Husayn as this will bring the number of attacks down.

Al-Iraqiyah conducts both satellite and telephone interviews with a number of Iraqi politicians to comment on the attack. Dr Ali Al- Dabbagh, member of the National Assembly, blames Arab neighbouring countries in general and Syria in particular. "Dear brothers in Syria, dear Arabs: What happened today is only an example. It is a message to all of you, especially to Dr Bashar al-Asad," says Al- Dabbagh.

Sami Ahmad Shabak, another National Assembly member, accuses Syria of not being serious enough in cooperating with the Iraqi government in this regard. He says: "I regret to say that the neighbouring countries have not so far fulfilled their obligations in this respect. Syria has not shown any official cooperation."

Some Iraqi politicians blame the government for not responding as quickly as it should to the blasts.

"I went to the scene of the massacre and was really shocked to see that no Iraqi official was there to raise the morale of the people," says Mithal al-Alusi, head of the New Iraqi Nation Party.

Dr Layth Kubbah, spokesman for the prime minister, holds Saddam's followers responsible for the attacks, saying: "We have to be aware that those who plan such operations are supported by the experts in terror and mass killing who used to rule the country."

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari expresses dissatisfaction with the cooperation of neighbouring countries: "Neighbouring countries are not showing the same level of cooperation. They can help us if they have the political will to do so."

The station broadcasts a number of patriotic songs every now and then. It also displays clips from other terrorist attacks that happened in the past. At 1330 gmt, the station carries a breaking news report on the arrest of four suspects in connection with the blasts.

At 1714 gmt, the station interviews Prime Minister Ibrahim Al- Ja'fari who announces that the "first batch of terrorists" who were sentenced to death will be executed soon.

Al-Iraqiyah ends its special programming at 1900 gmt.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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