Al-Umma [Archives:2004/706/Press Review]

22 Jan 2004
Main headlines
– Customs authority complains the finance ministry and bureaucracy
– Destruction of a dome of a Muslim holy man tomb in Arhab
– Before the journalists syndicate elections, court passes verdict against al-Wahdawi newspaper to apologize and a money fine
– Islah shoura and YSP criticize the impoverishing policy
The religious leader of Iraq Sistani has brought down the present interim governing council and any similar body the occupying authorities would think of creating in future when he put forward holding general elections as a condition for the legitimacy of the transfer of power to the hands of the Iraqis. This condition has forced the American governor of Iraq Paul Bremer to had for Washington for consultation about the crisis. It has become clear that the American plan of post-war and occupation of Iraq is facing a dangerous dilemma as the equation is now between occupation and independence and nothing else.
The general elections would deprive the occupation authority of outflanking the issue of independence and regaining of national sovereignty by the Iraqis and implicitly dictates the restoration of international legitimacy through the return of the United Nations to the Iraqi affair by playing a role too difficult for the United States to play here. The U.S. administration playing the card of sectarianism and ethnicism to partition Iraq did not succeed in reaching its goals because the civilization heritage in Iraq does not permit the passage of such games.
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