Iraq and the next president

Iraq and the next president

People's Weekly World

October 9, 2008

With the widening economic crisis grabbing so much of our attention, ending our occupation of Iraq may be taking a back seat in some minds, but it will be a major, pressing issue for the next president.

Here's an under-reported development that fits very well with Barack Obama's pledge to start pulling troops out in a systematic way, with a view to ending our military role there, and with Obama's emphasis on a new foreign policy that emphasizes diplomacy rather than military force:

The Boston Globe reports today that:

Members of a team that worked to produce a framework for political reconciliation in Iraq told a congressional subcommittee yesterday that the United States must involve the international community in further peace negotiations and allow Iraqis to take the central role in the process.

Representatives of South Africa's African National Congress, veterans of both sides of the bloody Northern Ireland conflict and others with experience in difficult national reconciliation told a committee chaired by Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.) how they are working with Iraqi political leaders spanning the spectrum from Islamists and former Baathists to Communists, to move forward national reconciliation in Iraq. As with South Africa and Northern Ireland, such a process will be essential to bringing peace to Iraq. It will also be key to enabling Iraq to stand up to interference from the U.S., transnational corporations, etc.

A series of meetings involving all the Iraqi groups and the reconciliation experts over the past several months resulted in what's known as the Helsinki Agreement, signed by 37 Iraqi parties in Baghdad in July.

A useful commentary by Max Bergman of the liberal National Security Network calls attention to the significance of this process for Obama's vow that "we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in." Bergman draws the following conclusions:

1. Political reconciliation is not something that will happen over night.
2. The one thing Iraqis are united on is opposition to U.S. occupation.
3. In Iraq, political reconciliation will have to be largely self-reinforcing, as it is in Northern Ireland.

He says:

Iraqis are united in wanting us out. Maliki is driving such a hard bargain with us, because it is politically popular to oppose the U.S. presence. This matters because it potentially makes the U.S. not only a focus for potential violence from a nationalist backlash, but because reconciliation for Iraqis must be seen as a means by which to regain their sovereignty.

and

There is no military solution to building trust. Less violence helps, but even if people feel more secure or safe in their neighborhoods that does not mean that they will have any more trust in the intentions of their Sunni or Shia neighbors or politicians. Addressing this takes a long long long time and lots and lots of talks between political leaders and the process set up with Helsinki is an important first step. This process has to ramp up as troops begin to withdraw. Additionally, part of a withdrawal strategy has to attempt to get the countries in the region to play a constructive role in supporting political reconciliation.

The upshot, in his view?

A timetable for withdrawal is not just about moving troops out. It is also a negotiating timetable for Iraqis, as well as for Iraq's neighbors. While our military efforts decline, our diplomatic efforts will have to ramp up.

Iraq peace process must be international effort, US panel is told

Iraq peace process must be international effort, US panel is told The Boston Globe By Jenny Paul, Globe Correspondent | October 9, 2008 WASHINGTON - Members of a team that worked to produce a framework for political reconciliation in Iraq told a congressional subcommittee yesterday that the United States must involve the international community in further peace negotiations and allow Iraqis to take the central role in the process. University of Massachusetts at Boston professor Padraig O'Malley, along with political leaders from South Africa and Northern Ireland who crafted agreements between warring factions during conflicts in their own countries, briefed the committee about a series of privately funded meetings they held to bring leaders of Iraqi political parties together. The meetings culminated in the "Helsinki Agreement," signed by 37 Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July. The agreement outlines a broad set of principles to govern future negotiations between the factions. "The principles and the mechanisms [in the agreement] are aimed at creating rules and at creating a platform so that the Iraqis can put their concrete grievances on the table and resolve it within the terms of those rules," said Mac Maharaj, who was part of the African National Congress negotiation team that helped South Africa transition from apartheid to a democratic government. The Iraqi agreement - signed by key members of the majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni parties, along with politicians from Kurdish, Communist, and other parties - calls for disarming groups during negotiations and for reintegrating former members of Saddam Hussein's army into new institutions. It also professes a "commitment to limiting arms possession to the government." Still, the political leaders cautioned that the agreement shouldn't be viewed as a solution, but as a platform to continue talks between the parties. Structures must be put in place to give "biting teeth" to the points outlined in the agreement, O'Malley said after the briefing. Outsiders involved in future negotiations must talk to Iraqis to see what resources they will need to create an oversight system to carry out the commitments in the agreement, he said, "particularly as they apply to the disarmament of militias." O'Malley, a veteran peacemaker who worked on reconciliation efforts in South Africa and Northern Ireland, said he believes it is important for the Iraqis to hear about the experiences of those whose countries were once divided by warring factions. "Divided societies share certain behavioral characteristics," O'Malley said, explaining why he brought leaders from South Africa and Northern Ireland to share their experiences with Iraqis. "They identify with each other. They can bond in a way that they can't bond with people from more normal societies, and that should be recognized and more efforts made to broaden the table at which people from divided societies can sit together and help other people from divided societies." O'Malley also advocated for limited government involvement in future talks. Tufts University trustee Robert Bendetson, head of the furniture retailer Cabot House, funded the two meetings O'Malley held with Iraqi leaders in Finland last fall and this spring, as well as the Baghdad gathering. "Our pledge to the Iraqis was that we were not involved with any government whatsoever and would not take money from any government," he said. Representative William Delahunt, a Quincy Democrat who chaired the briefing, said he plans to visit Iraq, perhaps by the end of the year. He said he intends to speak with the Iraqis in the reconciliation meetings about what tools they need to continue negotiations - and what role they want the United States to play in future talks. "I think the message is clear," Delahunt said after the briefing. "This is a decision to be made by the Iraqis, and, in fact, it's the responsibility of the Iraqis, and we have to recognize that the sovereignty of Iraq has to be respected."

© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Interior Ministry ready to take over Baghdad's security

Interior Ministry ready to take over Baghdad's security

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Wednesday , 08 /10 /2008

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi security forces will be able to take over Baghdad's security responsibilities from the U.S. military if a troop withdrawal is made, the director of the Interior Ministry's national operations center said on Wednesday.
"The Interior Ministry is truly capable of assuming Baghdad's security responsibilities. Car bombs, improvised explosive device blasts and criminal operations do not at all indicate failure on the part of the (Iraqi) security forces," according to a ministerial statement received by Aswat al-Iraq, quoting Staff Maj. Gen. Abdelkareem Khalaf, as saying.
"Prompt security measures have been taken to prevent similar operations in the city," Khalaf noted.
"Having an area of 86 square kilometers, it is impossible to cover the whole capital. Some criminals intend to detonate car bombs in unimportant and non-vital areas," Khalaf added.
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and Baghdad province. With a municipal population estimated at 7,000,000, it is the largest city in Iraq. It is the second largest city in the Arab world (after Cairo) and the second largest city in southwest Asia (after Tehran).

Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament: Tehran talks on security deal

Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament: Tehran talks on Iraq-US security agreement

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 07 /10 /2008

TEHRAN / Aswat al-Iraq: Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, on Tuesday said that his current visit to Tehran will focus on the security agreement that is scheduled to take place between Iraq and the United States.
"The program of the visit is based on an exchange of views on the Iraqi-U.S. security agreement," Mashhadani said in an exclusive statement to Aswat al-Iraq following his arrival in Tehran.
Mashhadani pointed out that it is significant to know Iran's stance on the matter, arguing that it influences the national security of neighboring countries, with particular reference to Iraq.
"It is necessary to know their opinion before taking decisions, especially that negotiations are over…," Mashhadani added.
Earlier today, Mashhadani left for Tehran aboard an aircraft sent by the Iranian side to avoid problems that occurred on Monday, according to an Iraqi lawmaker.
On Monday, Iranian ambassador in Iraq Hassan Kadhemi Qomi offered an official apology to Mashhadani for the "technical reasons" behind Iran's refusing permission to let his plane land in Khomeini Airport in Tehran.
Mashhadani headed back home to Baghdad and postponed his scheduled official visit to Iran.
Iran insisted that Mashhadani was still welcome to visit.

Staffan de Mistura Urges Reinstating Article 50 in the Election Law

UN Special Representative for Iraq
Urges Reinstating Article 50 in the Election Law

Baghdad-2 October 2008-
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq (SRSG) Staffan de Mistura said the United Nations is concerned at the extraction of Article 50 bearing on minority rights, from the provincial election law passed on 24 September 2008.

Mr. de Mistura said, “I was surprised and disappointed that Article 50 was not included in the provincial elections law.” He added, “Article 50 has the backing of minority groups, political blocs and UNAMI and should now be reinstated into the legislation as soon as possible so minorities can participate in the upcoming elections to be held sometime before 31 January 2009.”

The SRSG emphasized that protecting the minorities human rights in Iraq, is fundamental to a democratic Iraq. He said, “Article 50 is a strong indication Iraq is a nation ready to protect the political rights of minorities as founded in the Constitution.”

He reiterated that UNAMI will continue in its consultations with political leaders and minority groups to ensure that Article 50 can now be reintroduced into the Council of Representatives when they return after Eid al-Fitr, so the article can be passed as soon as possible.

He said that UNAMI shares the concern expressed by Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and other Iraqi leaders over the extraction, and calls on all political blocs to reintroduce Article 50 into the law, no later than 15 October, when the Independent High Electoral Commission opens candidate nomination.

Iraqis defy violence to celebrate Eid

Iraqis defy violence to celebrate Eid

The Financial Times

By Mary Beth Sheridan in Baghdad
Published: October 1 2008

Ever since the US-led invasion in 2003, Um Abdullah has kept her four children inside on holidays, terrified by the bombings and kidnappings that were tearing the country apart. But on Tuesday, she set out to reclaim her former life.

“We were like in a prison at home,” she said, sitting on the grass in a western Baghdad park, where revelers celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr were picnicking, whirling around a merry-go-round and dancing to the beat of a drum. “But now the situation is getting better — though it’s still not good.”

Violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically, with attacks down 83 per cent nationwide in the first three weeks of Ramadan, compared to the same period in 2007, according to US military figures.

But Baghdad residents know the bloodshed isn’t over. On Sunday five bombs blew up around the city, killing 32 people. Um Abdullah, who would not give her full name, said she was on the street where one of the cars exploded, but escaped injury.

“There is a kind of inner conflict,” the teacher explained, describing her mix of hope and fear about venturing out. Ultimately, she decided to take the risk and bring her children, aged 5 to 13, to the park.

“We should go outside,” she declared, “and live.”

The Zawra park was packed with hundreds of people like Um Abdullah, most enjoying the holiday in an open-air venue for the first time in years. Children sported pointy birthday-party-type hats and munched cotton candy. Teenage boys in T-shirts and jeans roller-bladed past women in their finest glittering headscarves.

In the park, you could almost forget the country’s violence — if it weren’t for the full-body patdown at the entrance, the Iraqi soldiers in bulletproof vests strolling near the Ferris wheel, the long coil of concertina wire around the perimeter.

The noisy park was just one sign of residents’ new, wary hope. Another was at the National Theatre, which had triumphantly announced it would hold the first nighttime performance since the invasion.

But just two hours before the 5pm curtain, a white Mitsubishi sedan packed with explosives blew up across the street from the theatre, killing three people and blasting a hole in the pavement. Police barricaded the street, and it appeared the much-heralded cultural event was off.

And then a small miracle occurred. Officials asked the police to re-open the street, and by curtain-time, dozens of theatre-goers had marched into the building, in defiance of the attackers.

“We cannot let the terrorists control us,” said Salam Mijbil, a theatre official. “This bombing is the wind of hate. We will resist this wind and not buckle.”

For their Eid celebrations, a few women even went out in public in knee-length skirts or without headscarves, just like they did in the days when the government of Saddam Hussein maintained a largely secular society. With the rise of religious parties and militias in recent years, most women now cover their hair and wear long robes or skirts.

“They’re not wearing the scarf because they feel safer,” said Um Ali, 53, a seamstress, who had accompanied her two teenage daughters to an ice-cream shop in the middle-class neighbourhood of Karradah. She also declined to give her full name.

But such boldness was rare. And for many, the hope brought by the decline in violence was overshadowed by the pain and suffering they have experienced.

Abu Muhammad, 52, a journalist, brought his wife, son and nephew to Zawra park. But most of their relatives had fled Iraq in recent years because of kidnapping threats and violence. Abu Muhammad said he doesn’t think it is safe enough for them to return.

“We can’t feel this is Eid,” he said. “It’s Eid when you’re with your family.”

Iraqi CP leader criticizes loopholes in provincial elections law

Iraqi CP leader criticizes loopholes in provincial elections law

Hameed Majid Mousa, the leader of the Iraqi Communist Party, criticized the Law for Provincial Councils Elections which was endorsed by the parliament last Wednesday, because of deleting the article that would have allocated minorities seats in the provincial councils and other issues.

Mousa explained in an interview with radio Sawa that the draft law had stipulated allocating these seats in provinces where there is a big proportion of citizens from minorities, such as Basra, Baghdad and Duhok. He added that this article had been deleted earlier because the UN mission in Baghdad and the Regions and Provinces Commission in parliament did not reach an acceptable and specific mechanism for selecting the representatives, which was unfortunate.

Mousa also expressed his regret that members of parliament did not exert more efforts to ensure the representation of minorities in the Law for Provincial Councils Elections. He said that "more consultations and intensive dialogue should have taken place in order to develop a position that guarantees the rights of ethnic and religious minorities."

Mousa stressed the need to take urgent action to rectify the flaw, pointing out that there is still time to issue a supplement regarding this matter, or a decree from the Higher Independent Electoral Commission or the Parliament.

Regarding the article that deals with the use of religious symbols in election campaigns, Mousa said that there is no problem with publishing the pictures of leading figures who are politically active because they are political symbols. What must not be used are the purely religious symbols and figures that do not participate in any political activity so that they don’t get exploited by one party against another. He applauded including the article that prevents the use of religious symbols and worship places for electioneering purposes.

Source: "Tareeq Al-Shaab" (People's Path), daily paper of the Iraqi Communist Party. (28-9-2008)