Iraq News Roundup Ash Sharq Al Awsat

Iraq News Roundup

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat does a report on Fallujah in which it alleges that of the residents who have returned after the US assault, many are living in tents because their homes are uninhabitable.

It also says that Iraq is asking the UN Security Council formally to lift the sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iraq in the Saddam period.

The same newspaper says that the Turkish military raided the Kurdish area of Eastern Anatolia near Iraq, in its continued fight against the leftist PKK.

Telling tidbits from the Iraqi press via BBC world monitoring:

“Al-Furat publishes on page 2 a 140-word report citing Nisrin Barwari, member of the Kurdistan Coalition and National Assembly member, calling for a larger role for the assembly’s female members. In a statement issued by the Kurdistan Women’s Committee yesterday, 11 April, Barwari demanded that the seats allocated for women in the assembly be increased to 40%.” . . .

“Al-Furat publishes on the front page a 100-word report citing a member of the Independent Democrats Grouping as saying that Grouping leader Adnan Pachachi plans to close the Grouping newspaper, Al-Nahdah, for financial reasons.

Al-Furat publishes on the front page a 1,000-word editorial by Chief Editor Shakir al-Juburi praising President Jalal Talabani’sre-assuring statements, especially his statement: “if the Iraqis decide to keepthe current Iraqi flag, we will bow before it.”

Al-Furat publishes on the front page a 100-word “exclusive” report citing news reports affirming that an Israeli company is exporting caravans through Jordan to Iraq.

Al-Ufuq publishes on the front page a 300-word editorial strongly criticizing the incomprehensible political dealings among Iraqi political forces in the formation of the new government . . .

Al-Mashriq publishes on the front page an 80-word report saying that Vice President Ghazi Ajil al-Yawir met yesterday, 11 April, with the four important religious scholars in Al-Najaf during his visit to the “sacred” governorate. The report added that the vice president met with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Muhammed Sa’id al-Hakim, Bashir al-Najafi, and Muhammed Ishaq al-Fayyaz . . .

Al-Zaman publishes on page 3 a 600-word report citing the Iraqi Humanitarian League of Human Rights as saying that the prisoners in the Al-Diwaniyah prison were severely tortured to make them confess. The report cites a source at the Diwaniyah Health Office as saying that some prisoners suffered food poisoning.

Al-Sabah al-Jadid runs on page 2 a 200-word report citing an official source at the Trade Ministry on the theft of 20 trucks laden with food on the Baghdad-Al-Kut road , . .

Al-Adalah publishes on page 3 a 75-word report citing Education Minister Dr Sami al-Muzafar on plans to appoint new teachers of all grades in Baghdad and the governorates. The minister adds that his ministry recently appointed 50,000 teachers.

Al-Adalah carries on page 3 a 100-word report citing a source at the Municipality and Public Works Ministry as saying that the ministry will adopt a new modern design in the construction of Al-Najaf.

Al-Bayan publishes on page 3 a 300-word article by Dr Hamid Abdallah saying that “the Hawasim” [in reference to those who took advantage of the chaos following the former regime’s fall to loot public properties] is of two kinds, the private sector Hawasim who looted banks and other state institutions, and the public servants who made their wealth by corruption. The writer says that they now form a new social class in Iraq which began expanding to neighbouring countries where some of them have established themselves

Al-Mada publishes on page 6 a 1,500 word column commenting on the suffering of Iraqi women throughout modern history in all aspects of life. The writer urges Iraqi officials to change laws that oppressed women and pass new laws that protect women’s political and economic rights.

Al-Mada publishes on page 12 a 1,000 word column by Mu’ayad Ni’mah strongly criticizing the decision of the dissolved Interim Council which granted pensions to all its members.