A Review of Developments in Iraq Prepared by the Regional
Specialists of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
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HEADLINES
* IRAQI TROOPS CROSS 36TH PARALLEL
* SADDAM, SONS DIRECTLY LINKED TO MURDER
* UN CONDEMNS IRAQ FOR 'WIDESPREAD TERROR'
* THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WEREN'T
* SYRIA CAREFULLY CALCULATING IN TIES WITH IRAQ
* IRAQI FOOD RATIONS INCREASED FOR RAMADAN
* SUDANESE PRESIDENT TO VISIT IRAQ
* PRO-MOSCOW CHECHEN GOVERNOR TO VISIT IRAQ, LIBYA
* BELARUSIANS REACT TO PLANNED LUKASHENKA TRIP TO IRAQ
* SLAVNEFT PLANS OILFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ
* IRAQ TO OPEN EMBASSIES IN FOUR CIS COUNTRIES
* UK EMBASSY SECRETARY VISITS IRAQI KURDISTAN
* PKK MEMBER CLAIMS PUK PREPARING FOR WAR
* ASSYRIANS HIGHLIGHTED BY HUMAN GENETICS STUDY
* ASSYRIAN ARCHBISHOP ASKS FOR LIFTING OF SANCTIONS
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IRAQI TROOPS CROSS 36TH PARALLEL.
Iraqi military forces have entered areas lying north of
the 36th parallel, a reliable Kurdish source in Irbil has
told London's "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" on 10 November. The paper
noted that Iraqi forces are forbidden from entering these
regions which have been subject to British and American
patrols of the no-fly zone for the past nine years. This
latest encroachment reportedly took place in a village in the
Irbil plain close to the area which separates the governorate
of Ninaweh from the Kurdish regions outside of Baghdad's
control.
The Kurdish source said government forces "came to the
edge of the village where they dug trenches and set up
fortifications. The soldiers began intimidating the people of
the village to force them to abandon it." In the preceding
year, Iraqi forces had crossed the demarcation line at the
village of Unwaynah, between Irbil and Ninawah, and also
shelled the villages and areas along the line.
The source also reported that Iraqi authorities have set
up execution committees to kill women accused of moral
offenses without trial. These committees consist of officers
from Saddam's Fadayin militias and members of the Union of
Ulama from the Ministry of Awqaf. They have reportedly
beheaded more than 200 women in Baghdad and Mosul alone.
(David Nissman)
SADDAM, SONS DIRECTLY LINKED TO MURDERS.
Saddam Husseyn and his sons are involved in mass murder,
according to a defector from the Iraqi Mukhabarat, the
internal security service, London's "Observer" reported on 3
December. This is the first time that a senior member of the
regime has acknowledged what has been commonly accepted for
many years. According to Captain Khalid Al-Janabi, who
earlier gave a long interview to RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq, on
which the "Observer story is based, Saddam's office issued
directives in March 1998 which led to the "cleaning out" of
Iraqi prisons.
Janabi said that he and three other officers from other
state bodies were appointed as the "supervisory committee" to
select and oversee the liquidation of 2,000 prisoners at Abu
Ghraib prison. He added that in the section of the jail
housing the prisoners targeted - mostly prisoners from the
south who were accused of joining parties and taking part in
anti-government activities. And he commented further that
"there was, of course, no foundation for such activities, but
accusing people of such activity is standard procedure."
Under the direct command of Qusay Saddam Husseyn, the
president's son, all 2,000 were liquidated during the course
of a single day.
In other comments, Al-Janabi described phonetapping and
the use of the tapes as a tool for blackmail. The standard
procedure is that a woman employee of the Mukhabarat will
approach the victim. There are about 90 women employed in
this sphere by the Mukhabarat. Normally, the targets of such
operations are military officers suspected of plotting
against Saddam Husseyn. These operations are under Qusay's
supervision.
Asked why he is speaking out now, Al-Janabi said that
"we are the ones who protect Saddam, and it is we who have
brought Saddam to where he is now. We cannot remain silent
while Saddam dishonors us, in exchange for our positions and
our interests." (David Nissman)
UN CONDEMNS IRAQ FOR 'WIDESPREAD TERROR.'
The UN General Assembly condemned Iraq for using
"widespread terror" and systematic torture to repress
dissent, according to a Reuters report of 5 December. It also
urged the country to abide by international human rights
treaties.
The UN resolution also says that the Iraqi government
suppresses freedom of thought, expression, information,
association, assembly, and movement through fear of arrest,
imprisonment, execution, expulsion, house demolitions, and
other sanctions.
The resolution also says that Iraq should respect the
human rights of all ethnic and religious groups, and urges
the government "to cease immediately its repressive practices
aimed at the Iraqi Kurds, Assyrians, and Turkmen." (David
Nissman)
THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WEREN'T.
"Iraqis say that there has been no such thing as
'volunteering' [to serve in a jihad on Jerusalem] because
everyone [in Iraq] is a volunteer," London's "Al-Zaman"
reported on 30 November. Six weeks earlier, Baghdad had
announced that it was opening the door for volunteers to
fight on the Palestinian side, but the latest report shows
that those who were listed as "volunteers" were in fact
compelled to agree to take part. Most students became
"volunteers," the paper says, after the Iraqi authorities
decided that a member of each Iraqi family should volunteer.
Many of the participants in the training say that it was only
a propaganda exercise: the military couldn't afford to pay
them or even provide food. And as a result, the jihad
campaign is now over, and the students have returned to
school. (David Nissman)
SYRIA CAREFULLY CALCULATING IN TIES WITH IRAQ.
Syrian officials calculate precisely every step they
take in their relations with Iraq so as to not let them be at
the expense of Syria's relations with its international and
regional allies, according to a report from Damascus
published in London's "Al-Hayat" on 30 November. The paper
adds that this is why they received Mas'ud Barzani last week
immediately after Bashar Al-Asad's meeting with Izzat
Ibrahimov, vice chairman of the Iraqi Revolution Command
Council, and Iraqi Deputy Premier Tariq Aziz's talks in
Damascus.
Damascus also wants to "assure" Kuwait that the
development of its relations with Baghdad is based on the
principle that "Iraq's return to the Arab fold is in the
Arab's interest." Moreover, Syrian officials do not want
relations with Baghdad to be against the Security Council
resolutions that imposed the blockade on Iraq. In other
words, they are "sending a message to the Americans but not
to the extent of finally making them angry."
The thorniest matter of dispute at present is the
operation of the oil pipeline between the two countries. No
Syrian or Iraqi official has confirmed that oil is now being
pumped through the pipeline, but it appears likely that it
will shortly begin operations because the pipeline has
nothing to do with the sanctions against Iraq. External
factors also influence these developments, primarily the
decline of U.S. popularity because of close ties with Israel
in the Palestinian intifadah. (David Nissman)
IRAQI FOOD RATIONS INCREASED FOR RAMADAN.
President Saddam Husseyn has increased and then doubled
food rations to mark the start of Ramadan, INA reported,
according to an AP dispatch on 26 November. The official
Iraqi agency said that the monthly rice ration had been
increased 18 percent, to 7.7 pounds, the sugar allotment by
25 percent to 5.5 pounds, cooking oil by 40 percent to 3.85
pounds, and tea by 67 percent to 250 grams. Iraq has been
rationing food since the effects of the trade sanctions
imposed by the UN began to be felt. (David Nissman)
SUDANESE PRESIDENT TO VISIT IRAQ.
Sudan's president, Lieutenant-General Umar Hasan Al-
Bashir, has said that he intends to visit Iraq, according to
Baghdad Radio on 4 December. Al-Bashir told the Iraq News
Agency that his visit is to express solidarity with Iraq and
"enhance the good ties binding the two sisterly countries."
He said further that relations between the two countries were
"good and strategic" and noted that they will witness
noticeable development in the upcoming stage. The Sudanese
president also denounced what he called the "aggression"
launched by the U.S. and Great Britain, and demanded the
immediate lifting of the sanctions. (David Nissman)
PRO-MOSCOW CHECHEN GOVERNOR TO VISIT IRAQ, LIBYA.
Interfax on 4 December reported the Chechnya's Moscow-
appointed governor, Akhmad Kadyrov, plans to visit Iraq and
Libya in December to seek humanitarian assistance. The visit
was arranged when Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz was
in Moscow several months ago. (David Nissman)
BELARUSIANS REACT TO PLANNED LUKASHENKA TRIP TO IRAQ.
Belarusians are divided about the wisdom of President
Alyaksandr Lukashenka's plans to go to Baghdad, Minsk's
"Delovaya Gazeta" reported on 1 December.
Aleksey Vaganov, the president of a private corporation
and member of the House of Representatives of the National
Assembly of Belarus, said that the president needs not go to
Iraq because "the most promising markets for our country are
those of Africa, Southeast Asia, and, of course, the Middle
East." Meanwhile, Petr Nikitenko, director of the Belarus
National Academy of Sciences' Economic Institute, said: "We
need to be going to all countries so that the products and
manufacturing techniques of our commodity producers may enjoy
demand...To what extent might we have an interest in
cooperation with the Middle East? It would be good to have
various sources of energy resources. But it should be
considered how much this would cost, whether we could obtain
from there cheaper oil than from Russia."
Others queried expressed no clear opinion on
Lukashenka's planned journey. In general, the feeling was
that the trip might be useful, but it was not really
necessary at this time. (David Nissman)
SLAVNEFT PLANS OILFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ.
According to a report from the Minsk-based news agency
"Belapan" of 30 November, a Russo-Belarusian Slavneft
delegation will visit Iraq in December to draw up an
agreement to develop an oil field there. Company experts
believe the successful implementation of these plans would
gradually bring up its level of oil recovery to 20 million
tons a year. They reportedly now believe that the company
will reach that level in five years and not the 10 they had
estimated earlier. (David Nissman)
IRAQ TO OPEN EMBASSIES IN FOUR CIS COUNTRIES.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id Al-Sahhaf said on
3 December that Iraq will soon open embassies in four
countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States: Belarus,
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, ITAR-TASS reported on 3
December. Baghdad hopes in this way to smooth the negative
consequences of the international economic blockade imposed
by the UN after the Gulf War 11 years ago. Once these
missions are open, Iraq will have embassies or other missions
in 62 countries. (David Nissman)
UK EMBASSY SECRETARY VISITS IRAQI KURDISTAN.
KDP leader Mas'ud Barzani received in Salah Al-Din Dr.
Liane Saunders, first secretary of the British embassy in
Ankara, and two advisers for humanitarian affairs from the UK
Department of International Development, Irbil's "Brayati"
newspaper reported on 28 November. They reportedly discussed
Barzani's trip to European and Arab countries, the peace
process in general, and the role of the British government is
supporting the peace process. At a press conference the next
day, Saunders said that "we regularly visit Kurdistan in
order to bring closer the stances of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). She
also said that "the future of this region is linked to Iraq
and the extent of its compliance with the UN Security Council
resolutions." (David Nissman)
PKK MEMBER CLAIMS PUK PREPARING FOR WAR.
PKK Council of Leaders member Osman Ocalan said that the
PUK is preparing for war, according to a report in the
"Kurdish Observer" on 4 December. At the same time, Ocalan
explained that the PUK was cooperating with Turkey and Iran.
He pointed to PUK confiscations of private vehicles as
evidence of his charges. And he added that Turkey had sent 12
truckloads with weapons and ammunition, as well as a 70-
person group of military personnel who are carrying out
scouting and intelligence activities for the PKK.
Ocalan warned that "new clashes could occur within a few
days." He claimed that the PUK had held back from peace
talks, and that Jalal Talabani, the leader of the PUK, had
refused to accept a KHK (Kurdish National Congress - widely
believed to be in sympathy with the PKK) delegation in the
region. Ocalan stressed that "the situation is dangerous
here. Everyone must be aware of this danger and use their
capabilities to try to thwart a negative situation...The PKK
is strong in every respect and will give a response."
Concerning the visit of the KHK, Ocalan noted that the
delegation, invited by Talabani, had been waiting in Tehran
for a week. The KNK statement, issued after they realized
they were not continuing on to Al-Sulaymaniyah (the capitol
of PUK-controlled Iraqi Kurdistan), mentioned that they had
received a telephone message from the PUK's representative in
Tehran saying that only the leader of the delegation, I.
Sherif Vanli, would be permitted to journey to Al-
Sulaymaniyah. This suggestion was rejected by the delegation.
They also maintained that the PUK's attitude was "contrary to
the interests of the people of Kurdistan."
A Reuters report cited by the "Kurdistan Observer" on 4
December claimed that an attack by the PUK on 4 December had
claimed 15 lives on both sides on 4 December. The latest
clash took place in a region called Boti and also in
Kanicenga, close to the Iranian border. The clashes
reportedly involved some 5,000 PUK militia. (David Nissman)
ASSYRIANS HIGHLIGHTED BY HUMAN GENETICS STUDY.
A 1994 book entitled "The History and Geography of Human
Genes" has sparked a series of articles including several
about the Assyrians. One of these, "The Genetics of Modern
Assyrians and Their Relationship to Other Peoples of the
Middle East," by Dr. Joel J. Elias, appeared in "Zinda" on 27
November.
Elias points out that the object of the book was to use
core populations of the native indigenous people of an area
that could be used to trace human population origins,
relationships, and migrations. Some 491 different human
populations, including Assyrians, were examined.
Some elements that determine identification with the
group are obvious; overt factors, such as a shared language
as well as cultural, religious, social and geographic
features. Elias argues that "the use of language along with
genetics to define groups is very useful, but linguistic
change can occur much faster than genetic change and
languages are sometimes replaced by others of a totally
different origin in a very short time," as Cavalli-Sforza and
his researchers say in the 1994 volume. They also said that
"only genes almost always have the degree of permanence
necessary for discussing" the changes in population that took
place in the history of our species.
Analysis of the Assyrians shows that they have a
distinct genetic profile that distinguishes their population
from any other population. "It is important to understand
that this applies to the population as a whole, not to any
one individual."
One reason for the similarities in Assyrian genetic
makeup, Elias says, is "the relatively closed nature of the
community as a whole." A conclusion reached by Cavalli-Sforza
is that the "genetic origin of groups that have been
surrounded for a long time by populations of a different
genetic type can be recognized as different only if they have
maintained a fairly rigid endogamy for most or all of the
period in which they have been in contact with other groups."
The closest genetic relationships to the Assyrians are
with the native populations of Jordan and Iraq. There is also
a close relationship with seven populations of the region,
even though these populations contain members of three major
language families: Indo-European (Iranian, Kurdish), Turkic
(Turkish), and Semitic (Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese - Arabic;
Assyrian - Aramaic). Elias argues that "an underlying
genetic homogeneity has been 'masked' by great cultural,
religious, and linguistic heterogeneity."
The study thus does two things: it confirms the
uniqueness of the Assyrian population as a whole, and it
establishes genetics as a major criterion of a population
group, potentially overriding elements such as language,
religion, and other social and historical components which
were formerly considered to be primary determinants. (David
Nissman)
ASSYRIAN ARCHBISHOP ASKS FOR LIFTING OF SANCTIONS.
Assyrian-Catholic Archbishop Matti Shaba Matoka of
Baghdad told the Vatican news agency Fides that he hopes that
the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the UN will be
lifted, according to a report in "Zinda" of 27 November.
Matoka is the leader of the Assyrian-Iraqi Catholics, which
number about 50,000. He told Fides that Iraqi Christians are
leaving the country, trying to get visas for the U.S.,
Canada, or Australia. The Assyrian-Catholic Church has been
in communion with Rome since 1783. It has some 150,000
members, two-thirds of whom live in the Middle East (Syria,
Iraq, and Lebanon), spread over nine dioceses. The rest live
in the United States. (David Nissman)
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