Bombing the UN "HQ" in Iraq could bring in the forces of Light!

[KoKo]

In my depression over today's events....I've been trying to think of repercussions.....I been trying to figure out how this could have any positive effect on our Occupation of Iraq.

One thought out of the gloom is that the UN has tremendous support by some "forces" in the US who may have been quiet through all of this......taking a "wait and see" attitude. Not only in the US but other countries look to the UN as "while far from perfect" a force for "airing of grievances," a force for "intervention" which can be more acceptable as a third party in disputes. The United Nations Childrens Fund" has worldwide support by charity groups of "well heeled influencial people." And, there are folks who have always felt it could be a larger force for good in the world than it has been allowed to be.

Maybe this shocking attack on UN headquarters in Iraq will "wake up" the silent.......give a new voice to the "Anti-PNAC" crowd and a new movement will be birthed the world over.....but most importantly here.....for those who believe that US/GB dominance in the Middle East is maybe not what it was portrayed to be.......That no one will be safe as long as Blair/Bush continue their conjoined evil alliance for the good of the Multinational Corporations.

I don't know......maybe I'm offbase. But I'm old enough to remember when the UN was seen as a wonderful organization and the world's hope for peaceful negotiations to end the threat of war and nuclear disaster. I still have that vision for the UN although it has become the target of the RW'ers who never supported it in the first place.

If our "Forces of light" who have power and influence can now come out to beat back the "Forces of Dark" maybe there is hope that all of this we are suffering through......to say nothing of those all over the world.....will in the end be worth something if it can cause a mobilization of these "silent" folks.......thatwe know are out there.
:shrug:

[Cha]

1. I hope you are right, KoKo! I always try to look for the silver

lining in any catastrophe personal or Global and this has gotta have one.


I heard our Congress People were visiting the UN in Iraq, but I'm not really sure what all happened because I've been gone most of the day.

Here's to letting the "Light" shine in!

[LeftCoast]

2. Maybe, but I think the rest of the world will take this as yet another

reason NOT to get involved. After all, didn't the UN and most of the rest of the planet (including many here at DU) practically BEG the Idiot in Chief not to go to war in Iraq? Then of course, came the insults. Why would any country now want to get involved in what has basically turned out to be Gulf War II's worst case scenario?

Frankly, I'm think a lot of the rest of the world is pleased to no end by this state of affairs. I'm sure that most aren't over-joyed at the suffering of Iraqis, but the suffering of GWB...well, that's another story.

[Kbowe]

3. I believe in your "Forces of Light"

I only hope that they believe in themselves.
It is not wrong, unpatriotic, or anti-American to want, pray for, and hope for peace. It is light and enlightenment that will bring this about. Dark and ignorance will only keep in place the depravity of the human soul and spirit that we are now witnessing with this administration and its henchmen. The bombing in Jerusalem and Baghdad today prove that there is no amount of security -- no matter how sophisticated or how brutal -- will protect any of us from those who believe or who feel that justice has been denied to them and who see themselves as hopeless, helpless, and oppressed. When we learn that human dignity is deserved among even the most wretched and poorest among us learn to deal fairly and justly with all peoples...the LIGHT will have come. Until then, we can light one little candle in the darkness...who knows the light that will come from so many candles?

[Stevendsmith]

4. I've Been Think Along the Same Lines

This blow to the U.N.--which claimed the life of a highly respected diplomat and personal friend of the Kofi Annan--could really hurt the BushBlairCo. imperial adventure. But I’ve gotten my hopes up before, only to have them shattered time and time again.

Where is the justice?

[NNN0LHI]

5. I am afraid you are whistling past the cemetary

The only plan that had any chance of working was to get in, turn the country over to someone, and get out of dodge. The problem from the start is who is going to be that someone? No one knew. Bush and his minions had grandiose hopes of putting Chalabi in charge and the Iraqi's would just love him. Any sane person would have known that was a pipe dream. All we can do now is keep writing checks to pay for the damage we caused until America is bankrupt and let the chips fall where they may in Iraq. It was over before it began.

Don

[KoKo]

6. BTW: To Hijack my own thread: Lou Dobbs (of all people) attacked Bush &

Bombing tonight and gave a quote from deMello (I can never type his whole name..but he was a great guy) and grilled his guest over where Bush was going and was he going to change his strategy for the "rebuilding" of Iraq. Dobbs asked
it over and over......and got his guest to say: We Americans with our Super Power know how to go in and Bomb a country, but this shows there "Wasn't" a plan for "reconstruction. Without a "plan for reconstruction" our bombing and power might at some point be in question." (loose quote)

I wouldn't have expected that coming from Dobbs who really trashed Bush Amin. for what's going on in Iraq and pinned down his guest and "Barbara Starr" (the CNN gal with square glasses) about how long we have to be there and what it will cost us to "Occupy Iraq."

Now, I will read all your replies......to my thread...I just had to put that in....because Dobbs....at least tonight seemed to be a "Force of Light." Who knows what he will turn tomorrow.....but somebody or maybe it WAS himself...got him to hammer home....that what's going on with Buch/Cheney's description of "Democracy building" in Iraq, isn't what is really happenening there.

[sierrak9s]

7. Rubbish.

The UN has never been "the world's hope for peaceful negotiations to end the threat of war," except as a false hope for those who shut their eyes to the UN's reality. The UN is not a forum for peoples; it is a forum for governments, far too many of which are despotic tyrannies interested only in their own power.
The UN was supposed to prevent war and genocide. Since the creation of the UN in 1945, UN member states have invaded or attacked in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Sinai, Lebanon, Panama, East Timor, the Falkland Islands, the Dominican Republic, Hungary, Tibet, Czechoslovakia, the Balkans, Iraq, and dozens of other places. Exactly two of those wars were with UN authorization, and one authorization (Korea) was only possible because the Russian delegate was absent.
Genocide? Instead of listing the acts of genocide since 1945, it is easier to list those that the UN managed to stop or prevent.


There. Consider that a complete list.
Cambodia, 1.7 million dead. UN -- nowhere to be found.
Indonesia, 500,000 dead. UN -- nowhere to be found.
Bangladesh, 1 million dead. UN -- nowhere to be found.
Burundi, 200,000 dead. UN -- nowhere to be found.
Rwanda, 800,000 dead. UN -- wrangling over whether genocide was actually happening.
Srebrenica, 7,500 massacred in a single town, the perpetrators since convicted of genocide -- UN troops were present, but were ordered not to intervene.

And for reasons of space and diminishing interest, I won't go into the systematic corruption that infests the UN's various programs.
"U.N. Halted Probe of Officers' Alleged Role in Sex Trafficking"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A28267-2001Dec26¬Found=true
and lots more...

[KoKo]

8. Hey, Rubbish! I've heard all this before! UN is ineffectual, bought and

paid for by the "Super Powers," has been sponsors of corruption world wide....is filled with "bloated, posturing, third world folks who enjoy the "perks of NYC, Limo's with Diplomatic License Plates," they take the money from UNICEF and buy drugs.....they don't help children....they are corrupt.....bloated...no accountability.

POOH! Barf a Fur Ball!

The CONCEPT MUST BE KEPT ALIVE! The US didn't even give money to keep UN going for years and years....and still we don't give them what they need.

Your argument I could have found on Faux News........I've heard it for many more years than you can imagine.

I want a United Nations that can really serve as an "Impartial Body" Yeah......I know....that doesn't EXIST.

I want it to EXIST! Many of us.....since the founding.....want to support a force for "MEDIATION."

We NEED UN! If it has problems....we need to fix them.....we need to support such a voice! If we had been stronger in the US.....we might have stopped the Iraq Invasion.....we might have been able to "outvote Bush/Cheney/PNAC!"

It's my HOPE.........RENEW the UN! Or, we end up with the Fox News Perspective.....the PNAC perspective...on what's good for the US is Good for the Whole World!"

[sierrak9s]

9. You don't want it renewed...

you want a new one, because the UN that you actually want has never existed in reality.
You say that "The US didn't even give money to keep UN going for years and years....and still we don't give them what they need," as though that exonerates the UN from everything I described. The Dutch peacekeepers in Srebrenica didn't stand idle because the eeeeevil Americans failed to pay them -- they stood idle because they were ordered to. The UN didn't ignore the Cambodian genocide because nobody was paying them to pay attention -- the UN ignored the Cambodian genocide because nobody gave a shit about the mass murder of little yellow people.
Even you admit that you want something that doesn't exist. Great. I do too. Me, I want a winged horse that won't shit on my lawn. Let's see which one of us gets our wish first.

[KoKo]

10. Yes, Major flaws and warts....all of it. But would I support PNAC or

Libertarian Views of how Government should work or should "not" work. NO!

So, for all it's warts and flaws.......I would prefer to make the UN BETTER.......than to sustain the alternative.

Altruistic ideals are good! They are as good as the flawed models of "Supply Side Economics," "Empire Building," and an "Emperial Presidency......a New KING GEORGE!

When one or two countries seek to be Colonialists all over the world........then a renewed hope for a United Nations working for the good of all nations.....flawed and filled with corruption, and patronage as it is.....becomes a new goal we should hope to work towards.

What is the alternative? PNAC? Global World Bank Domination?

[sierrak9s]

17. The alternative...

is a forum that admits only representative governments, not thugocracies and kleptocracies. A forum that does not give its member states a veto over the actions of another member state, thereby enabling a country with colonial economic interests to thwart humanitarian intervention. A forum in which the principles of intervention are laid out ahead of time, and adhered to.
I don't want another Cambodia; another Rwanda; another Srebrenica. If there is truly to be a "United Nations," let it be something more than a dictators' lounge and debating society. Okay?

[Kellanved]

12. Srebrenica caused a major uproar

The probe in the incident caused the Dutch Gouvernment to resign, the liberal Dutch Gouvernment.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

11. i pray that this is so... but oh with Sergio de Mello's death

the world got much darker :(

[KoKo]

13. Here's a report of his from late May......an interesting scan....on what

he did for the UN: How much of this has been addressed since then?

Iraq: Humanitarian Situation Report No. 39

HIGHLIGHTS

The Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), Sergio Viera de Mello, will
arrive in Baghdad early next week.

The Authority has begun establishing City Advisory Councils (CAC) in Baghdad at the
neighbourhood level as a joint initiative between coalition forces and citizens.

On 25 May, the coalition announced its plan for local governance in Basrah.

On 27 May, Kimadia restarted drugs distribution in Hilla and Mosul.

The security has been gradually improving in the Baghdad Metropolitan Area during the last
few days, while conditions outside of Baghdad in Anbar and Diyala Governorates
deteriorated sharply.

The Authority has released the new weapons policy, which allows for small arms to be
owned at private homes

KEY DEVELOPMENTS - HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND
RESPONSE

A national NGO coordination meeting was held in Baghdad on 26 May. After a short
briefing of the current countrywide humanitarian situation, the Humanitarian Coordinator for
Iraq (HCI) presented SCR 1483 (2003) and commented on its implications for the role of
the UN in Iraq. He also informed the participants that the Special Representative of the
Secretary General (SRSG), Sergio Viera de Mello, will arrive in Baghdad early next week.

The Authority has begun establishing City Advisory Councils (CAC) in Baghdad at the
neighbourhood level as a joint initiative between coalition forces and citizens. The CACs
will provide a forum for citizens' views and concerns on the management and delivery of
services. The Executive Council for Baghdad will respond to citizens' concerns on service
delivery. CACs have been established in four pilot neighbourhoods, however in two of the
four, women were not represented.

The first meeting of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare currently headed by Senior
Adviser to the Ministry was held recently. The discussion mainly focused on humanitarian
assistance to vulnerable groups, particularly orphaned and disabled children.

The coalition announced its plan for local governance in Basrah on 25 May. Two bodies
will be formed, the Basrah Interim Governorate Committee (BIGC) and the Civic Forum.
BIGC, a "non-political body", will focus on the working of public utilities, and will include
the representatives of different ministries and town councils within the governorate. BIGC
will be chaired by the coalition, which will then pass the chairmanship to ORHA. The first
meeting of BIGC will take place on 1 June. No details were provided concerning the
formation of the "political body", the Civic Forum.

MCI cell phone service to Baghdad is slated to begin on 1 June. ORHA will initially
distribute 2,500 cell phones, 2,000 of which will be given to municipality leaders and
functional managers in municipalities.

SECTORAL DEVELOPMENTS

HEALTH: Kimadia restarted drugs distribution on 27 May in Hilla and Mosul. Distribution
to all governorates will continue shortly, with the intention of completing the distribution
cycle to all 18 governorates within 3 weeks. In order to address urgent needs, NGOs will
distribute Kimadia drugs during the next two weeks.

WHO reports that as of 26 May, there are 56 confirmed cholera cases in Basrah. About
70% of the cases are children under 5 years and 59% are female. Civil/Military Operation
Centre (CMOC) informed that 200 copies of a WHO document on health education in
Arabic are ready to be distributed to hospitals, health centres, and mosques to enhance
community awareness on diarrhoeal diseases.

In Basrah, WHO will hold a three-day workshop on strengthening disease surveillance
within the health information system on 2 June. The objective is to bring together national
health stakeholders and other partners to discuss the early warning surveillance system and
response strategies.

ICRC medical teams have assessed 34 medical facilities countrywide and have identified a
number of key problems:

Security continues to be of primary concern, particularly for female staff returning
home after late shifts;

Electric power is available for only a few hours a day directly affecting refrigeration
systems and the treatment of water and sewage;

Many medical staff remain only partially paid for their work.


NUTRITION: In recent weeks UNICEF has delivered 14,000 cartons of High Protein
Biscuits (HPB) totalling 112,000kgs to assist the recovery of 56,000 malnourished children.
2 MT of Therapeutic Milk (THM) have also been delivered to Baghdad Paediatric
hospitals. However, most hospitals have a good supply of THM. This is because 167 MT
of THM was pre-positioned at hospitals across the country prior to the war. There are
plans to deliver HPBs to 20 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in Baghdad. Each PHC
will receive between 150 and 200 cartons. Each carton contains 8kgs of HPB.

A campaign in support of the ratification of the International Code on Marketing Infant
Formula is underway. If the Authority ratifies the code, infant formula will be removed from
the food ration, and organizations will be prohibited from distributing infant formula to the
population.

The Authority has announced that in response to micro-nutrient deficiencies in the Iraqi
population, a contractor will be delivering food fortification equipment and technical
assistance which will allow the four largest grain mills to fortify flour with six different
vitamins and minerals.

EDUCATION: UNESCO held meetings with Ministry of Education (MOE) counterparts
on 25-27 May. Among those issues discussed were the timetable for forthcoming
examinations at all levels of education; concerns over the examination copybook, especially
with regard to changed specifications; the review and printing of new text books for the
sciences; changes to, and coordination of, the national curriculum; teacher training and pay;
MOE outstanding procurement contracts; MOE equipment requirements; and school
rehabilitation.

The Authority has announced that over 30% of schools are now open. Attendance is now
90% in many locations, compared to 40% only a week ago. College and university students
are also completing their first full week of classes.

The school year has been extended by one month to make up for the two months that
children were unable to go to school because of the conflict. UNICEF is playing a major
role in the exam process to ensure that children do not lose an entire year of school.

PROTECTION: The Sector Working Group on Child Protection met on 24 May in
Baghdad. Enfants du Monde has assessed 29 institutions, where orphans, children with
disabilities and children in conflict with the law are sheltered. 150 children (of the 2,000
children accommodated in institutions prior to the conflict) have returned to institutions. No
abuse or exploitation were observed during the inspection. The following recommendations
were made for improving the institutions: increased staff salaries; psychological counselling;
staff training; and de-institutionalisation (placing more children in foster homes). The
problem of street children and the necessity of an urgent solution for this vulnerable group
were unanimously recognised. Consensus was also reached on the need for special training
on protection issues at police academies.

On 27 May, the first meeting of the National Protection Working Group (NPWG) was held
in Baghdad. The proposed preliminary functions of the NPWG were identified as:

Facilitating the exchange of information relating to protection issues;

Identifying protection issues, prioritizing needs, and proposing responses to issues;

Identifying expertise/partners within and outside PWG on relevant issues;

Developing methodological tools to collect, analyse and share information;

Developing and implementing coherent, comprehensive and coordinated strategies to
address protection issues, including advocacy tools; and

Developing training and raising awareness as necessary.


It was decided that the NPWG be convened on a weekly basis to identify and chart
protection issues and trends in order to respond to them. The meeting will take place every
Tuesday at 14:30 in Canal Hotel. The meetings will be chaired by the UNOHCI Senior
Human Rights Adviser.

SECURITY: While security gradually improved in the Baghdad Metropolitan Area during
the last few days, conditions outside of Baghdad in Anbar and Diyala Governorates
deteriorated sharply.

The Authority has released the new weapons policy, which allows for small arms to be
owned at private homes (including AK 47's, shotguns and pistols). The policy authorises the
following groups to carry weapons: Coalition Forces, police forces, security forces, military
and designated militias. The policy bans the possession of arms with ammunition larger than
7.62 mm, (e.g. machine guns, anti tank and anti aircraft weapons, indirect fire and
self-propelled arms, armoured vehicles and all explosives).

Iraqi police stations in Baghdad are now operating 24 hours a day. Some 26 out of 61
former Iraqi Police Force (IPF) stations that have been out of service are now scheduled to
reopen by 30 June. Additionally, 7,297 out of the original 8,205 members of IPF have
reported back to work. The coalition now conducts around 2000 patrols a day, of which
100 are joint patrols with Iraqi police.

Attempts to conduct a controlled explosion of UXOs in the vicinity of the Canal Hotel
detonated undetected munitions. This scattered the UN encampment with some debris and
smashed windows. Nobody was hurt.

Highway 8 (Basrah-Nassriyah-Baghdad) remains insecure. The incidence of car-jackings
and banditry remains high, and humanitarian personnel are advised to exercise extreme
caution when using the road.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) reports that there are seven checkpoints on the road to
Diyala. The checkpoints have been set up by three political groups -- Mujahideen-e-Khalq
(anti-Iranian regime), Peshmerga (Kurdish PUK) and the Iraqi National Party. In most
cases, militiamen manning checkpoints were equipped with tanks, armoured personnel
carriers and heavy machine guns.

POPULATION MOVEMENTS

On 25 May, a UNHCR team assessed the humanitarian situation of refugees in Makhmur
Camp. Camp management and security personnel left during the war resulting in
deterioration of the camp. The camp administrator's office and the police station were
looted by the camp population. Garbage was found all over the camp and the water supply
has been reduced from 6 to 3 hours a day. Refugees can no longer obtain documents
permitting them to travel outside the camp area. The local mayor appointed a new camp
administrator who took up his position with immediate effect and promised to improve the
water supply and security.

On 25 and 26 May, an interagency assessment mission visited the Marsh Arabs in the Nahr
Al-Iez region. Although there is no humanitarian crisis, the overall situation has been
described as very difficult as this population has been subjected to prolonged displacement.
The area suffers from a severe water shortage, and available water is of poor quality. There
is also a total absence of medical staff in the area. Only one unfurnished and unequipped
school (with one teacher) is open. Given the prolonged displacement of this population, and
the lack of development suffered by the region, the mission recommended urgent
intervention.

UNHCR visited Al Tash refugee camp (Anbar) on 26 May. While many of the refugees
intend to return to Iran, another group would prefer to be temporarily resettled in the three
northern governorates. Provision of water supply to the camp continues to be an issue.

FUEL

Ministry of Oil (MoO) representatives have stated that looting of the water injection plant in
the southern oil fields has affected production. In the south, extraction at full capacity is
possible only if water is injected into the wells to maintain pressure. In the north, production
of oil and LPG is improving. Deliveries of national LPG to Baghdad has reached 50,000
cylinders/day (120,000 before the war), against an estimated need of 80,000 cylinders/day
(most restaurants and small industries are closed, thus consumption is lower than before the
war). An estimated 25,000 cylinders are sold through the private sector, and the rest
through the MoO marketing network. The MoO agents selling price is 250 ID/cylinder. On
the market, prices of LPG went up to ID 15,000 after the conflict, and are now stable at ID
5,000. As the supply from the north is now steady, MoO expects that prices in the private
market will soon drop to ID 1,000/cylinder.

All government owned fuel stations in Mosul have extended opening hours and are able to
distribute 25 to 50 litres of fuel to each car. The majority of privately owned fuel stations
are also open. Fuel queues are siginficantly reduced.

AREA ROUND-UP

NORTH

In the three northern governorates, the UN is focussing on the revision of Oil for Food
Programme funded projects, and the identification of 'essential' and 'less essential' projects
in order to prepare the hand-over of the programme.

BAGHDAD

The Iraqi Postal Service is beginning to move mail within Baghdad, as post offices become
operational. Assessments of ministry buildings are underway, while several ministries have
begun rehabilitation and reconstruction. Traffic remains a problem in the city as only 72 of
the existing 230 traffic lights are functioning due to electricity shortages. Approximately 25%
of backlogged rubbish (82,000 of the estimated 300,000 cubic metres) has been removed
from Baghdad streets. The Authority has provided US$100,000 to Baghdad
neighbourhoods for rubbish collection and plans to disburse a further US$300,000 for
rubbish collection next week.

The Baghdad Water Authority conducted an assessment of the capital's overall water
distribution network. They found that 40% of the network was damaged with over 500
separate "breaks" in the in the system. Estimates are that up to 50% of the city's water is
lost as result of these breaks.

UNICEF has begun rehabilitation work on the Al-Wihda water treatment plant (WTP) in
Baghdad. They also have Bills of Quantity (BoQ) for the rehabilitation of 2 Compact Units
(CU), and contracts are being tendered for their rehabilitation. They assessed a total of 66
water projects in Baghdad, including 9 WTPs, 53 CUs, and 4 boosting stations. UNICEF
continues to supply and transport fuel to run the generators at the cities water projects.

UNICEF has paid a total of US $46,000 in incentives to 15,000 Baghdad Water Authority
staff who continued working throughout the war and in it's aftermath. This is a one off
payment to reimburse them for the two months they worked without pay. ORHA will take
over paying civil servants' salaries in the future.

On 28 May, the exchange rate on the streets of Baghdad was at approximately 1.200 ID
per USD.

CENTRAL

The UNOHCI Centre Area Office convened its first meeting of the Protection Working
Group on 25 May. This meeting was attended by 14 agencies and NGOs concerned with
the issues relating to the protection of civilians. During the meeting, a common understanding
on prioritised protection issues facing civilians in the Centre Area was agreed upon, as was
a reporting framework to ensure that the UN and implementing partners are fully apprised
of the protection situation. This will facilitate the development of coherent, comprehensive
and coordinated strategies to address protection issues, including advocacy tools with the
relevant authorities. The next meeting of the Protection Working Group is scheduled for 1
June 2003 in the UN Centre Area Office in Mosul.

The IDP sub-group held a meeting on 27 May 2003 discussing an action plan for the rapid
start of an information campaign for the Kurdish populations planning to return to Kirkuk
from the three northern governorates.

UNOHCI Centre Area signed the lease for the Kirkuk sub-office and expects it to be
operational within one week.

LOWER SOUTH

UNMAS reports that the UXOs situation in Basrah is far worse than expected (100s of
MT of UXOs in various sites). A dangerous development was reported at a site where
apparently rocket fuel had spilled over. AMACT is urgently looking for the supply of about
20kg of a chemical called Super Tropical Bleach used to clean up the fuel spills.

For further information on the situation in Iraq please see the Weekly Updates.



Top

With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in
whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source.

Related Documents:
Latest Emergency Updates: Iraq
Latest By Country: Iraq
Other ReliefWeb documents by: UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq

[KoKo]

14. And here's his probably last report in August from UN Web Site!

Source: UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq
Date: 3 Aug 2003

Iraq: Weekly Update 28 Jul - 3 Aug 2003

Key Developments

Although precise figures about street children are hard to determine, it is certain that
the number of street children is increasing in Iraq. The Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs has warned against the tendency to exaggerate the problem of street children,
stating that the real problem is child labour, rather than homelessness among minors.
The Iraqi law prohibiting labour for children under 15 years has been suspended
given the present economic hardships.


On 27 July, the General Corporation for Water and Sanitation (GCWS) presented
procedures to be followed when undertaking water and sanitation projects.


This measure is intended to raise awareness on existing rules and regulations among
humanitarian partners and avoid duplications.


CF reported that the debate on property law reform in the three northern
governorates (3NG) started in the 3NG 'parliament' on 29 July and that a new bill
would be ready within the next two months. CPA has yet to come up with a national
policy on property restitution and compensation.


The Governing Council has agreed on a rotational presidency from a 9-member
group, including five Shiite, two Sunni and two Kurds. Each member will serve for
one-month.


The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq urges the country's religious
leaders to foster the spirit of solidarity, which is essential to recovery.

Addressing the inaugural meeting of the Executive Committee of the Iraq Inter-religious
Council/Religions for Peace on 2 August, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq
(HCI), Ramiro Lopes da Silva said the spiritual guidance of participants will be crucial for
the country's future. The HCI also recalled the country's historical importance in the spiritual
development of humanity: 'it is in Iraq that Christianity and Judaism had flourished for
centuries and coexisted peacefully with Islam, both Shiite and Sunni'. The current
democratic transition in Iraq must be guided by a spirit of unity he said, and added: 'since
the military conflict began on 20 March the UN has made a robust and sustained effort to
respond to the humanitarian needs of the civilian population. The conflict did not produce a
humanitarian situation of catastrophic proportions, as some of us had feared. However, the
high levels of vulnerability and dependency that existed prior to the conflict have increased
further as access to basic services has been significantly reduced. The UN have been able
to swiftly respond to the evolving situation thanks to substantial contributions by the donors
-- approximately US$900 million so far -- and resources, in the order of US$1.1 billion,
available under the 'Oil-for-Food' Programme. Voicing concern about 'the present frailty of
public services, the tenuous state of law and order, the general lack of employment and
poverty', the HCI expressed hope that the meeting would serve to identify areas where the
UN and the Executive Committee can work together 'so that the assistance conveyed
through us becomes even more effective'

Vulnerable Population

IDPs. An inter-agency mission visited Ba'aquba (Diyala) on 31 July, where protection of
IDPs remains a concern. In the Khanaqin and Kifri areas, Arab populations continue facing
expulsions by Kurdish groups. Shelter conditions are precarious and there are no alternative
sites for relocation in the governorate. Coalition Forces (CF) authorize relocations only if
the sites identified are not subject to claims by either private owners or local public bodies.
Given the complex issues related to population movements in the governorate, the newly
elected governor has given the overall coordination responsibility for IDP resettlement and
assistance to one of his three deputy governors.

In the Central Area, World Vision identified 3,000 IDP families in Ninewa. Only 9% need
medical assistance, while 94% requested shelter support. The Canadian Relief Foundation
started a water project for 130 IDP families living in Ayn Zala army camp. In two locations,
the CF are giving IDPs a one-time payment to move out of public buildings slated for use
by the Mosul Police Academy. World Vision will monitor the situation.

The City Council of Hawidja District (Tameem) welcomed the first visit of a UN team on
30 July. Unemployment and lack of diesel for agricultural activities have been identified as
the main issues. About 35 families currently living at the military compound in Hawidja fear
expulsion by the CF. In a village southwest of Hawidja, 11 IDP Arab families from Daquq
district returned to their places of origin, but the villages do not have the capacity to receive
them.

An assessment of the IDP situation in Salah al-Din Governorate, carried out by Concern in
late June, indicates that most IDPs and squatters living in the area have chosen to move to
places where they have relatives or tribal connections, or the areas where they were born.

In the northern districts of the governorate, a large proportion of IDPs are Arab families
who fled Kirkuk and Mosul after the return of Kurdish populations from the three northern
governorates.

In the southern portion of the governorate, most IDPs identified are families that moved
from Baghdad and Ramadi (Anbar) fearing violence because of their links to a certain tribe
or political group. Displacement within Salah al-Din governorate -- resulting in the
occupation of public buildings - has also been identified, and it is frequently a manifestation
of urban poverty and government policy (e.g. ex-political prisoners denied the right to buy
property).

Only a relatively small proportion of the IDPs in Salah al-Din live in public buildings, and no
major humanitarian needs have been detected. IDP relatives provided the most urgent
assistance, thus exhausting local capacity to cope with an additional influx. The assessment
encourages long-term interventions for the improvement of services such as potable water,
sanitation and housing for the whole community, rather than focusing aid exclusively on
IDPs, which might become an incentive for other urban poor to occupy other public
buildings.

Despite their poor living conditions, IDPs in Salah al-Din identified as their priority the
compensation for loss of properties and support for resettlement, rather than the provision
of services (water, health care), and food/non food items distribution. The issue of
compensation -- however -- cannot be resolved in absence of a national framework. The
UN has expressed its concern that localized solutions for compensation and resettlement
risk doing more harm than good, and has advocated for the formulation of a national policy.

REFUGEES. UNHCR facilitated the first organized return via Kuwait of 244 Iraqis who
have lived as refugees in Saudi Arabia since the 1991 Gulf war. The group, comprising
members of 17 families and other individuals, had an emotional reunion with their relatives
on arrival at Umm Qasr.

UNHCR and the CPA are working on repatriation from Iran under the 2000 Iran-Iraq
bilateral agreement. A pilot repatriation of 100 persons (classified as "non-contentious"
profiles) to Basrah is planned for 7 August. There are about 204,000 Iraqi citizens
registered in Iran at the Bureau of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants'.

UNHCR has completed the registration of the most vulnerable persons among Palestinian
refugees living in a camp in Baghdad. The registration

process continues for the rest of the camp community. UNHCR expressed concerns related
to the general security conditions of Palestinian and Syrian refugees living in the capital.
Requests presented to CPA for the provision of security to these groups have yet to be
answered.

Protection and Human Rights Issues

Representatives of the Ba'aquba Lawyers' Association expressed the population's concern
about the methods used by CF when patrolling streets, carrying out house searches and
while executing detention procedures. According to the lawyers, house searches are carried
out without consideration of local culture and social norms, insufficient involvement of the
Iraqi police, property confiscation and destruction. Detainees -- roughly 100 in the last
month -- have no access to legal aid/counselling and families. The Lawyers' Association and
some political parties have expressed their concerns to the CF, to no avail. Similarly, during
the Human Rights Roundtable in Mosul a member of the Lawyer's Association briefed
participants about a visit carried out to the airport detention facility in Mosul, where CF
keeps alleged 'security cases'. The lack of due process characteristic of this caseload is a
matter of serious concern. In both cases Lawyers' Associations requested UN intervention
to redress the situation.

Since June, CF legal advisors in Diyala are considering compensation claims for property
damage/destruction presented by the population. Most of the cases are related to damage/
destruction or confiscation of property during CF house searches. Claims are presented to
the CMOC, who is responsible compensation actions (e.g. house repairs).

Due to the protests of religious groups, The CF had to suspend indefinitively the swearing-in
ceremony of the first woman as a judge in Najaf. Iraqi laws permit women to serve as
judges.

CHILD PROTECTION. During the meeting of the Child Protection Working Group on
31 July, the sub-committees on advocacy and strategies; street children, and psychosocial
protection presented their strategies and ongoing interventions. The recognition of the
existence of street children has since long been a sensitive issue. The Ministry of Labour and
Social Affairs (MOLSA) has warned against the tendency to exaggerate the problem of
street children, stating that the real problem is child labour, rather than homelessness among
minors. The Iraqi law prohibiting labour for children under 15 years of age has been
suspended given the present economic hardships. Although precise figures about street
children are hard to determine, it is certain that the number of street children is increasing in
Iraq. One of the measures sought by the working group participants is the reform of the
relevant legislation. Before the conflict, the definition of a street child was 'a child living
physically in the streets, i.e. playing and sleeping in the street'. Enfants du Monde/Droits de
l'Homme, has adopted instead the following definition: "a street child is a child spending
most of his time in the streets, whether or not he has legal referents". The working group has
adopted a plan to cater for the four most essential needs of children:

Life saving needs, such as the provision of food, water, money, health care and shelter.
Street children are most vulnerable to social problems such as drugs, prostitution and
violence.

The need for education, vocational training and information. Although the most ideal
environment for a child is school, a realistic approach should take into consideration the
actual possibilities available to street children. UNICEF proposes to seek the improvement
of working conditions with a view to enhance the child's skills and facilitate his/her
reinsertion in society. The child has the right to hear about drugs, prostitution, criminality,
AIDS, and how to protect him/herself from those risks.

The need for protection in the legal and social framework. To a large extent, redressing the
problem of street children resides on the degree of success to which society is persuaded
that street children are innocent and vulnerable members of society, and that they deserve to
be treated with consideration and respect.

The need for family reintegration, whenever possible, or assisting street children to acquire
the skills required for self-support.

Insecurity, erosion of previous living standards, and the anxieties that come with the
perception of an uncertain future affect children's lives. Due to economic hardship, boys
have been taken out of school and have to work to help their families. Long-standing
traditions to draw girls into early marriages are compounded by the prevailing insecurity that
prevents many families from sending their girls to school. The working group has
recommended the expansion of the existing humanitarian programme activities to respond to
the psychosocial and development needs of children, and proposed the establishment of a
comprehensive monitoring system involving communities and creating a proper referral
system.

Security

Anti-CF attacks and CF raids continue throughout the country. The majority of incidents
are concentrated in Baghdad city and the Centre Area. The security along the road to
Baghdad International Airport remains of deep concern due to the continuous stream of
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and ambushes in the area.

The situation in Mosul (Ninewa governorate) is calm, but unpredictable. On 30 July, an
attack against an MOT warehouse (close to the WFP warehouse) was reported. The same
day a hand grenade attack took place outside a police station located about 400 meters
from the UN Office in Mosul. No casualties or damages were reported. UNHAS
humanitarian flights have been landing at Erbil instead of Mosul airport since 8 July.

In the three northern governorates the situation is stable, but there are reports of a
resurgence of Islamic fundamentalist groups in eastern Sulaymaniyah (Khurmal, Biyara,
Thawella and Halabja areas). In Dahuk, the PKK militia is reported to be active in the
northern mountainous belt bordering with Turkey, increasing the likelihood of clashes
between the PKK and the Turkish military forces, thereby putting at risk humanitarian
operations in the area. In Erbil, the Balakian village is now reportedly stable and UN staff
resumed travelling between Erbil and Soran.

In Baghdad, a national driver working for Architects for People in Need (APN) was killed
on 28 July at a fuel station after resisting looters from stealing the car he was driving.
Eyewitness stated that five Iraqi civilians were killed - including a family who was passing by
in a car - during a CF raid at a house in Al-Mansour (Baghdad). There appeared to be no
arrests and no explanation has been offered.

Oil for Food Programme

In the centre/south the prioritization of applications continues. To 1 August 2003, 2,061
contracts, valued at US$ 3.38 billion had been deemed to have relative utility and were
cleared by OIP. In the three northern governorates, the preparation of project checklist is
almost ready. The question of authentication of goods remains under discussion.

In addition to previously approved projects for the procurement of medicines, cold chain
equipment for veterinary vaccines and fertilizers, the 661 Committee approved last week
four projects valued at US$ 185.6 million on the recommendation of the OIP Executive
Director. The CPA, Iraqi Ministries, the relevant UN agencies and UNOHCI had
previously agreed on the following four projects:

Printing of more than 66 million textbooks for the next school year, needed by 5.5 million
students and 25,000 teachers. Two-thirds of the books will be printed abroad. Priority is
given to texts for the 1, 6, 9 and 12 grades. Books for vocational training and teaching
materials will be printed in Baghdad and Erbil.

Procurement of fertilizers for the 2003-04 wheat and barley winter crops to cover 40% of
the existing needs and respond to the scarcity of the product caused by the paralysis of the
market in Iraq;

Procurement of fungicides that will help prevent smut (a fungus that spoils cereals)
contamination of wheat and barley during the next planting season; and Emergency
rehabilitation of 31 irrigation pumping stations currently operating at 50% of their capacity.

UNDG/WB Needs Assessment

As indicated in the Report of the Secretary General to the Security Council of 22 July,
activities of UN agencies in Iraq should progressively move focus from humanitarian
assistance to reconstruction, recovery and development. During an informal meeting on the
reconstruction of Iraq held on 24 June, over 50 member states, the World Bank, IMF and
UN agencies, defined a framework for the coordination of reconstruction and development
efforts, which includes a joint United Nations Development Group/World Bank needs
assessment in 14 key sectors over the coming months, and the convening in October of an
international donor conference. In addition to the 14 priority sectors, four crosscutting
themes have been identified: gender, environment, human rights, and governance.

The focus of the October reconstruction conference will be on the 2004 budgetary
requirements (capital and recurrent) to bring social indicators back to pre-sanctions levels.
The UNDG/WB needs assessment exercise will not only focus on the 2004 priority needs
and funding requirements, but will also look beyond 2004 to include a preliminary outline of
reconstruction, rehabilitation and investment needs over the medium term. The assessments,
which should be finalized by 31 August, will focus on:

The establishment of policy and regulatory frameworks;
Institutional needs;
The reconstruction/expansion of essential social infrastructure and services;
The protection of the vulnerable during the transition phase;
The immediate creation of employment opportunities;
Humanitarian assistance requirements that may exist beyond the duration of the
revised humanitarian appeal (31 December 2003).


While a number of missions are visiting Iraq, and a desk review of available information is
ongoing, all sectors -- through the existing coordination mechanisms -- already started
discussing with the CPA and national counterparts the process and some preliminary
findings. In August meetings and workshops will be held by various sectors for the
discussion of the reports. The final version of the report will be published by the end of
September.

A Core Group (CG) of member states (Japan, EU, EC and the UAE) acts as a steering
committee for the preparation of the conference. This group meets regularly with the CPA,
UNDG, World Bank and the IMF. A Liaison Group acts as a virtual entity for information
exchange, largely via a UNDG website (http://iraq.undp.org). The website contains update
information on the needs assessment exercise.

In Baghdad, a meeting of the focal points for the needs assessment exercise was held on 30
July. The meeting provided a forum to exchange information on progress in the different
sectors, review methodology and assess bottlenecks. The issue of how to synchronize the
assessment process and priority identification to the CPA budgeting process in order to
minimize parallel planning processes remains an outstanding question. The Humanitarian
Coordinator emphasized that the involvement of Iraqi institutions is crucial for a correct
understanding of the priorities in different sectors. Limited participation of Iraqi counterparts
in the discussion is a matter of concern in several sectors.

For more information on the UNDG see: http://www.undg.org/undg.cfm

Sectoral Highlights

Food. During July, dispatch of commodities into Iraq totalled 434,562 MT. Cumulative
dispatches since April reach 1.69 million MT. Preliminary distribution figures collected for
most governorates indicate that 99-100% of July Public Distribution System (PDS)
distributions have been completed. Some governorates, including Dahuk, Diyala and Salah
al-Din, are still compiling the distribution figures.

During the past week, the MOT announced the August ration of the PDS, which, in
addition to the commodities distributed in July, will also include an increased ration of
vegetable oil, powdered milk and salt. Distribution of the August ration has commenced
throughout the country.

WFP started the distribution of 290 MT of food items -- to be carried out during a 10-day
period - to a first group of 17,512 IDPs in Ba'aquba (Diyala), displaced from Khanaqin
due to ethnic tensions.

Procurement of 1.25 million MT of the 2003 local wheat harvest continues. Some 627,000
MT of wheat have been delivered to silos and bunkers, representing 50% of the target.

Food Security. In response to an urgent request from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA),
FAO designed an emergency programme to supply Iraqi farmers with much-needed
fungicides to combat loose smut, the widespread infection that spoiled a large part of the
country's grain crops last winter. According to MoA estimates, about 80% of the 2.6
million hectares of wheat and barley scheduled for cultivation this coming winter are at risk.
Flour milled from infected grain is grey, foul smelling and unfit for human consumption. FAO
is planning to import seed-dressing fungicides to cover part of the national requirements.

Last week, at the 13 FAO nurseries scattered throughout the three northern governorates,
5,540 seedlings of peach, 3,692 of apple and 1,400 of palm were budded -- a process that
grafts young and delicate fruit buds onto hardy local root stocks well-adapted to the north's
peculiar environmental conditions. Since this project was launched in 2001, FAO imported
more than 60,000 plantlets, introducing new fruit varieties with higher yields to help restore
and revive local orchards, 150 demonstration orchards to train farmers in modern fruit
cultivation techniques were established and 150 existing orchard have been re-habilitated.

Water and sanitation. On 27 July, the General Corporation for Water and Sanitation
(GCWS) presented procedures to be followed when undertaking water and sanitation
projects. The NGO consortium, NCCI, is working on a document to comment on the
procedures and to clarify the role of NGOs in the sector. Meanwhile, during a sectoral
working group, it was agreed that all IOs/NGOs would visit GCWS by 15 August to report
on existing and planned projects. This information will be included in the UNICEF/GCWS
database.

GCWS informed that OFFP imports in the sector will cover only 10% of the needs, and
requested IOs/NGOs to provide a list of items they are ready to supply. This will facilitate
planning of activities, as the delay in the supply of OFFP items is affecting implementation of
activities.

UNICEF, UNDP-IREP and WHO programmes on solid waste, network and sewage
repairs in Ninewa and Tameem continue. WHO and the Kirkuk and Mosul local authorities
are engaged in water quality control activities. Samples are obtained on a weekly basis and
are tested according to WHO standards. Last week results on 234 water samples collected
in Mosul indicate that 50% of the rural, 100% of urban, and 67% of semi-urban samples
failed quality control. Network damages, lack of chlorination pumps and of water
department personnel training are among the reasons for the high level of contamination.
Major problems were detected in the network of Sinjar, Al-Ba'aah, Al-Hadher,
Al-Eyadhiyya, and Al-Shimal districts. UNICEF and WHO are providing purification
materials for water treatment in Tameem, and 25MT of chlorine gas was delivered in
Mosul. UNICEF is supporting the repair of two major water treatment plants to increase
water supply, particularly in rural communities.

Two temporary landfills are under construction in Tameem, and work will also commence in
Ninewa this week. UNDP-IREP employs over 500 workers for garbage clearance in
Mosul and provides vehicles on a daily basis for garbage collection and clearing of green
areas.

Sulaymaniyah city water supply relies on two sources: Sarchnar Springs, developed in
1948, and Lower Zab River, developed in 1980. Sarchnar Springs comprises 10
water-pumping stations with 56 water pumps. During a recent visit to Sarchnar Springs,
only 21 of the pumps - 38 % of total capacity - were operating due to the limited flow of
raw water.

Sulaymaniyah City (900,000 inhabitants) requires 10,000 m3/hour, all year-round. By 29
July, the water pumped from the two feeding sources was 8,500 m3/hour (6,000 m3/hour
from Sarchnar Springs and 2,000 m3/hour from Dokan Lake). It is expected that later in
the year, at the lowest water production point of Sarchnar Springs the water deficit will be
6,000 m3/hour. The phasing out of three UNICEF-led projects (expansion of the Dokan
water supply facilities; construction of Kotal water pumping station; and construction of
Peerqurban pumping stations) may worsen the situation.

Mine Action. On 31 July, the first students who will staff the National Mine Action
Authority and the Iraq Mine Action Centre graduated from the one-month course
conducted by Cranfield University with input from key mine action role players in Iraq
including the UN Mine Action Coordination Team.

In Basrah, the UN Mine Action Coordination Team and Danish Church Aid are conducting
an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators and EOD Medic course. When
graduated,

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. The UN and the 500 lb gorillas in the Security Council

Unfortunately for the world, the UN is usually the Security Council, when it comes to major decisions. Even that is hamstrung by the veto power of the participants. The question, "Why didn't the UN act?", should really be "Why didn't the Security Council act?" Or, "Why wasn't the UN allowed to act?" The answer to that question usually involves the interests of the individual member states of the SC and their client states.

The US may invite the UN in, but only under American control. To do otherwise would invite far too much scrutiny of the boy emperor's lack of clothes. BushCorp can't risk having spoiling their charade of "liberation" ruined by a bunch of busybody UN types poking around the rubble and raising hell about the plight of the "liberated".

The good news is that the UN isn't going away. Some of the SC members may push for more freedom to act, forcing BushCorp to either ignore the UN, or use it's veto. Either way, the truth will out.

Action in, or through, the UN is only a part of the picture. The work of NGO's, the growing revulsion of people all over the world, the unworkability of occupying a hostile country against the wishes of it's people, and the sheer stupidity and arrogance of the Dubya regime, all bode ill for the continuing occupation.

Observe the empire in action. They are already blaming, "outside forces" for the problems. Invoking the bogeyman Al Queda for the acts of resistance by the Iraqis. There are already calls for more troops from congress. For a "war" that was proclaimed a victory by the stooge in the flight suit? What more can they do? Blame Syria? Iran? The rest of the world? Will the American people buy into another war to protect the "interests" of Iraq? Even if the Bushies could convince them, what now? Attack and occupy another hostile country? With what? How to pay for it?

Even though, morally speaking, I doubt BushCorp wouldn't hesitate to spill more blood, there are material limits to it's power. I don't doubt that there are a lot of people around the world enjoying watching the US pay for it's arrogance, and willing to sit by and watch it pay that price. Unfortunately, it comes at the cost of the agony of the Iraqi people.

Iraq, and the "War on Terrorism", is what's propping Bush up. It's also the Achilles heel of the regime. As the situation continues to worsen (and, it will), the fratboy warrior and his cronies will grow more desperate, heavy handed, and clumsy. I, for one, don't think it will work. Sooner or later "the question" that BushCorp fears the most will be asked more and more. "For what?"

[KoKo]

16. Excellent Post, Badera....... My hope is the same and I enjoyed this quote

"The good news is that the UN isn't going away. Some of the SC members may push for more freedom to act,
forcing BushCorp to either ignore the UN, or use it's veto. Either way, the truth will out.

Action in, or through, the UN is only a part of the picture. The work of NGO's, the growing revulsion of people all
over the world, the unworkability of occupying a hostile country against the wishes of it's people, and the sheer
stupidity and arrogance of the Dubya regime, all bode ill for the continuing occupation."


I have to hope that today's bombing will be some kind of "turning point" where the "wake up call" goes out to those who've managed to shrug off what US/GB are doing. This is too serious for the world not to put pressure on us to make some changes in how we are running things in Iraq.