IRAQI PRESS MONITOR, 9 Aug 05

Iraqi Press Monitor is intended to give readers a sense of what Iraqi papers are reporting. Stories for the Iraqi Press Monitor are selected and summarised by Ali Kadhim Marzook in Baghdad and Mariwan Hamarasheed in Sulaimaniyah.

To access the Iraqi Press Monitor on the web, please go to: http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?iraq_ipm_index.html

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LEADERS AGREE TO CONTINUE CONSTITUTION NEGOTIATIONS

(Al-Mutamar) - A meeting held on Sunday with political leaders was devoted to discussing their own viewpoints without going deep into the details of the obstacles that remain for the drafting of the constitution, said Kamran Karadaghi, spokesman for President Jalal Talabani. They agreed on continuing negotiations on the issues of disagreement, and they invited Salih al-Mutlak from the National Dialogue Council to attend the meeting. Karadaghi hopes they will reach a solution before the August 15 dead line of presenting the constitution to the National Assembly. (Al-Mutamar is issued daily by the Iraqi National Congress.)



MORE TIME NEEDED FOR CONSTITUTION TALKS

(Al-Taakhi) - Mahmood Othman, a Kurdish Alliance member of the National Assembly, said many meetings will be held in the coming days to bridge the gaps in viewpoints and reach an agreement regarding the contentious issues in the constitution. He said he was optimistic after holding the first meeting, adding they needed more time to find solutions to the issues of disagreement before the August 15 deadline. (Al-Taakhi is issued daily by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.)



YOUTH IN KIRKUK PROTEST FOR ARTICLE 58

(Al-Ittihad) - Hundreds of youth in Kirkuk demonstrated peacefully before the National Council of Kurdistan office, asking for the application of Article 58 of the interim law. In their memorandum presented to the presidency of the parliament, they voiced their support for federalism, their belief that Kirkuk belongs to Kurdistan, and the rights of the Kurds should be stated in the constitution. Adnan al-Mufti, head of the National Council of Kurdistan, received them with some of the parliament blocs' members. (Al-Ittihad is published daily by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.)




SUNNIS NEED REASSURANCE THAT ELECTIONS WILL BE JUST

(Al-Mashriq) - Ahmed Abdul Ghafoor al-Samarai, head of the Sunni Endowment, described the Arab elements infiltrating Iraq as "outlaws." He asked that those elements be given the maximum punishment. He added the crisis of the Sunni Arab neighborhoods will calm down if they are sure that the coming election is fair and just. He asked for the withdrawal of the foreign forces from the Sunni cities, to be replaced by Iraqi forces to guarantee an active participation in the electoral process. (Al-Mashriq is published daily by Al-Mashriq Institution for Media and Cultural Investments.)



FOREIGN FORCES TO BE ASKED TO WITHDRAW FROM KURDISH, SHIA AREAS

(Al-Bayyna) - The Ibrahim al-Ja'afari government will ask the multinational forces to withdraw from Kurdish and Shia neighborhoods, which are stable and have good security. The move is seen as an initial step before foreign forces are withdrawn from Baghdad, Salahaddin, Mosul, and Diyala, which witness daily acts of violence. Addul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and  Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi are trying hard to put this move into practice. (Al-Bayyna is a weekly paper issued by the Hezbollah Movement in Iraq.) 


CHALABI: KUWAIT BORDER CRISIS IS BIG ISSUE

(Al-Iraq al-Yoom) - Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad al-Chalabi said the crisis of the border with Kuwait is a big issue and that Iraq is a sovereign state that respects United Nations resolutions. He added that the Iraqi elected government is trying to have good relations with neighboring states, along with taking all possible measures to defend its borders as per international laws. He said the government will equip the security forces to gain control of protection duties from the multilateral forces with modern equipment. (Al-Iraq al-Yoom is a weekly newspaper issued by Isra Shakir.)



SANDSTORMS SHUTDOWN BAGHDAD

(Al-Adala) - Iraq witnessed a sandstorm Monday morning that turned visibility to zero and made everything red. Life was paralyzed that the National Assembly apologized for the bad weather. Vehicles were rarely seen on the roads whereas the commercial shops were completely closed. Many activities were stopped and the city of Baghdad looked as if it was a ghost city.
(Al-Adala is issued daily by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in
Iraq.)


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