Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro
de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
. -- - - - - - -- - - .... _ Tyler HlckslThe New York Times
Sayyed Muhammad Bahr al"Uloum speaking on behalf of the Iraqi Governing Council, the first interim government of Iraq•
.lraqi council inspires mixed views
On the street, hope for unity in.the fàce of u.s. influence
By Richard A. OppelJr. _views,with those in Khafaji'sneighbor- Hamid Me.hmoud, 50, declared:-
------------- hood offering a much more confident "What do you expect me to think about
BAGHDAD: Farouk Muhammad and viewof Americaninvolvement. . the new government? It's just a tool for
Nafaa al-Khafaji, both 55, with Butseveralcommonthemes emerged the Americans." Many of the council
.weathered faces; live in busy Baghdad in each neighborhood, among Sunnis members, he complained, "were raised
neighborhoods.They both believe that and Shiites as weIl as critics and sup- abroad. They're not capable ofrunning.-
the new Iraqi Governing Council will porters of the new counciL a country." Yethe praised Pachachi as a:
.be heavily influenced by its American There was agreement, for example, trusted consensus figure. "He's good,"
overseers. that the councilwouldbe ableto extract .Mahmoud said. .
Buttheir agreement stops there. more powerfromthe American-ledCo- Pachachi,a Sunni Muslim who'in re-
Muhammad,' a retired soldier who alition ProvisionalAuthority ifit could' cent weeks has been visiting' Shiite
livesin Adhimiya,an old and conserva- hang together as a un.ified body and neighborhoods and mosques, also has
tive .Sunni district where American avoidfissures amongthe varied politic- admirers in the Karadadistrict. Waelaltroops
have been attacked, describes- al, ethnic and religious factions repre- Rubai,34,a Shiite and electrical technithe
council's 25 members mostly as sented on the paneL cian, said he had difficulty trusting the
compliant trontmen installed by the Asked about the council's makeup, 12council members who are not Shiites.
Americans. severalpeople saidthey wereimpressed But of Pachachi, he said, "We trust
. "All these people, they don't repre- with Adnan Pachachi, who served as hiJlll,and I hope he will become the
sent the people," Muhammad said. foreign minister before Saddam Hus- head of the council." .
"Theydon'thave credibility.They won't sein tookpower,is now head of the Iraqi Abbas,a 40-year-olddriver in Karada
have any real authority as long as they Independent Democrats and is viewed who would not give his full name, was
represent the occupyingauthority.The with trust by a wide range ofIraqis. ambivalent. "Do you really think that
Americans came here to liberate, and Eventhose who criticized the council these25 people can ~ a decision
what do we get? No electricity, no ser- and the way it was selected neverthe- without the AmericlWSl"h~.!lSked.
vices.They haven'tdone anything good less expressedoptimlsm that the new Butultimately,"it-aöesn'tmatter who
for the country." governmentwouldrejuvenatethe econ- it is. on the council - we just. want
YetKhafaji,a.mechanicwho lives in omyand dilapidated social serviCeS. someone other than Saddam," hé said,
the prosperous Karada district, an eth- A typical view in Adhimiya was adding that political power should be
nically mixed neighborhood that is shared by Hussam al-Adhami, a 50- diffused. .
heavilyShiite,saysthe councilwillpave year-old businessman. "These people "If it ever gets down to one person,"
the way toward a better life for all really don'trepresent a true mix ofIraqi he added, "we cOl1ldhave another Sad- _
Iraqis. He says he is depending on society,"he said. "If they were going to dam on our hands."
American officials to strongly super-, make a council that represents. all of : The J'iew York TImes
vise the new.government.
Iraq, they should have done a census;
"Wehopethe Americanshavea lot of This is some sort of reality forced upon
influence," I he _said, adding -that the us - and reality and what should hap-'
newly appointed .council members pen are two different things."
"don'thave so much experience." With Yet Adhami conceded that many
: the guiding hand ~f the Americans,he Iraqis might embrace the new govern-
.said, "they should get jobs for the ment if it could simply demonstrate
people and provideelectricity." - someability to bring the country out of
After the council's first meeting on its chaos. "The Iraqi people will agree
- Sunday,many Baghdad residents.who because they want. security," he said.
were interviewedechoed the two men's "Thewheel oflife should start again."
International Herald Tribune
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
27