|
|
|
News Analysis
By
Yasser Alaskary
November 3, 2003
- A
wave of highly orchestrated suicide
bombings hit Baghdad, targeting 4 Iraqi police
stations and the Red Cross, killing 35. The one attack
that was stopped against one of the police stations confirmed
suspicions that foreign Arab
fighters were behind the suicide attacks. A
US helicopter was hit with a missile, killing
16 soldiers.
- Neither
the talk of:
- immediate
withdrawal of the US from Iraq, which would
only be to abandon Iraqis once more to Saddam Hussein
and his loyalists - and now also foreign extremist
terrorists,
- nor
an increased
deployment of troops will help improve
security in Iraq.
- Instead,
the solution has always been what is now being referred
to as the 'Iraqification'
plan, which is essentially to speed up training of the
new Iraqi police and army and to train more. However:
- leadership
against the security problems must be Iraqi, in addition
to the extra number of police
- accelerated
training must not be done by cutting corners, specifically
regarding teaching of human rights and proper procedure.
Iraqi
intelligence and leadership are what are required, not
disrespect
of human rights. Furthmore, Iraq needs an extensive
border
patrol to keep out foreign fighters who are
specifically targeting Iraqis.
- The
judge heading the judicial commission to probe former
officials of Saddam's regime was assassinated
in Najaf by Saddam loyalists. De-Ba'athification
of Iraq must become more aggressive and rapid, to show
Iraqis that justice will prevail, and it must not be limited
to Iraq's borders. Only then can stability
be brought to Iraq.
- Syria
called a meeting of foreign ministers of countries
neighbouring Iraq and Egypt, to discuss Iraq, yet did
not invite the Iraqi foreign minister - only planning
to call him at the last minute to tell him what they had
decided. This shows the extent that Syria's Ba'thist government
is concerned about the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime
and the establishment of a government in Iraq whose foreign
minister is a Kurd. The Damascus talks had more to do
with a gathering to support Damascus than to assess methods
of regional cooperation to combat terrorism and establish
security in Iraq.
- In
further developments:
- Iraq
gets a flat
tax system of individual and corporate
income tax for 2004 and subsequent years of no more
than 15%
- Congress
finally agreed to make the $20
billion aid package in the form of a grant
and not a loan
- The
first ever university newsletter to be published after
the fall of the former regime went out last week to
the universities of Baghdad and Mustansiriya. The
newsletter is due to be published weekly, barring
CPA bureaucracy, and will soon be available online
on the IPO
website.
|
|
|
