This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000015 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: IRAQI GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 15th 
ELECTION, TRANSPARENCY; BAGHDAD 
 
SUMMARY: The major themes in today's editorials include 
Iraq's future in 2006, the political discussions and 
conflicts surrounding parliamentary elections, and the 
utility of sending international observers to Iraq to review 
election results. 
 
In its third-page editorial entitled "Happy New Year to the 
Occupation," independent Al-Fourat described how Iraqi 
leaders selfishly cooperate with the occupation while Iraqi 
citizens are threatened by death. In "The New Year," PUK- 
affiliated Al-Ittihad focuses on the security and stability 
that all Iraqis crave in the new year. The editorial argues 
that security is the responsibility of the new government, 
which must put Iraq's affairs on the right path to prevent a 
repeat of last year's disasters. In its last-page editorial 
entitled "The Next Three Years," independent Az-Zaman 
asserts that after three years in Iraq, conditions remain 
dreadful for Iraqi citizens. The author raises the question 
of the next three years, and whether Iraq will be better 
off, especially after the withdrawal of U.S. forces. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶A. "International Committee" (Al-Adala, 1/2) 
¶B. "Elections and International Monitors" (Ad-Dustoor, 1/2) 
¶C. "Forming the Government" (As-Sabah, 1/2) 
¶D. "Division Is Better Than Death Based on Identity" (Al- 
Bayyna Al-Jadeedah, 1/2) 
 
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SELECTED COMMENTARIES 
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¶A. "International Committee" 
(Al-Adala, affiliated with SCIRI, published this third page 
editorial in support of the international committee 
investigating election results, by Dr. Ali Kleef) 
 
"Those opposing the election results have agreed to resort 
to an international investigative committee to look into 
their complaints. There is no doubt that winners also have 
their complaints, and the international committee will 
assess and study these objections on the bases of legal 
standards previously adopted by the IECI, which has 
confirmed that these complaints will not change the overall 
election results. If the international committee were to 
discover major violations in one or two polling centers, it 
would only be normal to disregard these votes. 
 
"The intervention of the international committee in the 
electoral process in Iraq will add a further sense of 
legitimacy and additional confirmation of its compliance 
with the international standards that were followed by the 
IECI and ignored by certain parties because they were not 
presented with results that met their exaggerated 
expectations. These expectations were supported by an 
ignorance of laws governing the elections and the work of 
the IECI. This led some to harshly attack the commission 
after its refusal to be the scapegoat for the losers. 
 
"This step might convince those who rejected the will of the 
nation and the initial results since they were the ones who 
demanded the intervention of the international committee. 
The initial results have revealed the size of each political 
entity and unveiled the will of the people. It is 
unreasonable for some to try and undermine the will of the 
nation, which has led to a true formula representing the 
components of Iraqi society that should be accepted and 
dealt with by all in a positive manner. 
 
"The world witnessed the Iraqi election and it knew that the 
odds would be on one side or the other based on a sound 
reading of facts, including the large majority of people 
whose rights were deprived by the previous regime and were 
finally granted the chance to have their say in the new 
government. They certainly had their say in the 
parliamentary election, which might have annoyed some 
parties. Surely the arrival of the international committee 
will confirm the people's decision and support their true 
representatives." 
 
¶B. "Elections and International Monitors" 
(Ad-Dustoor, independent, published this front-page 
editorial by Bassim Al-Sheikh) 
"The arrival of international monitors to follow up and 
investigate election results might be considered an 
important step to silence those who want to make the 
election process a major crisis, rather than a solution for 
all of Iraqis' problems. Whatever conclusion the 
international monitors reach, it will not greatly affect 
that which has been announced already. Followers of the 
electoral process will not find many violations. The whole 
process in its final form is almost perfect, and now it will 
be based on an international point of view. 
 
"While some political entities who questioned the electoral 
results demanded appeals to be investigated as a main 
condition for engaging in any political settlement, many 
accepted these settlements in spite of their extreme stances 
regarding results, as if the whole process, for them, is 
about getting posts, ministerial portfolios, and publicity. 
And some selfish people who opposed the results threatened 
to set Iraq on fire to provoke a sectarian war. 
 
"Whether political entities accept or refuse the election 
results, the international monitors' report, which is 
welcomed by all parties, will have the final say and will 
silence everyone in an attempt to calm the situation and 
reinforce the election results, melting away justifications 
that some publicized for well known reasons." 
 
¶C. "Forming the Government" 
(As-Sabah, Iraqi Media Network, published a front-page 
editorial by editor in chief Mohammad Abdul-Jabbar about the 
formation of the next government. The editorial reads in 
part) 
 
"Forming a government in stable democratic systems depends 
on electoral rights, which play an essential part. If a 
party wins enough votes, then it will form the government 
alone, but if it lacks a majority of votes, then it seeks 
alliances to form a coalition government. This democratic 
solution is difficult to implement in a new-born democracy." 
 
¶D. "Division Is Better Than Death Based on Identity" 
(Al-Bayyna Al-Jadeedah, affiliated with the Shiite Political 
Council, published a front-page unattributed editorial about 
the delay in forming the government. The editorial reads in 
part) 
 
"All indications suggest that the formation of the next 
government will be delayedfor a long time because of the 
illegal demands by groups that work against the United Iraqi 
Alliance and against electoral rights. All indications 
suggest that violence and terrorism will increase in the 
next stage due to the absence of a strong government. We say 
it frankly: people, especially in southern Iraq, are 
psychologically prepared for separation in the case of 
continually increasing violence and unrealistic demands by 
others. Many people therefore think that division is much 
better than a united country that is threatened by death." 
 
KHALILZAD