Constitution draft?

Link to a pdf (english) draft of the constitution via moron99. Please note I have not had a chance to even read let alone verify this yet, so do not know how accurate it is, or even if it is the real thing (or the whole thing, it's apparently the assoc press translation, which was only translated in part last week - posted here a few days ago so apologies if it's just exactly the same thing). I do know that Salam posted last week about several different versions which were presented to various parties, which the various parties did not expect to be different until they began comparing notes and realised they were being asked to consent to different things. Go figure. Anyway, am posting the pdf link for readers to view and evaluate at their own discretion.

One other thought, I had assumed the constitution was written in Arabic and then translated into english - but what if it has happened the other way around: written in english originally and then translated into Arabic and then tanslated back into english by the associated press? This might partly explain the different versions Salam mentioned and still makes me feel extremely uncomfortable about it all.

If anyone has anything else, please add. The sum of all of us creates ah, um, running out of eloquence - creates for more intelligence.

Waiting to find out what he photocopied - it couldn't be, could it?

UPDATE: damnit, something has happened to salam's blog - it won't display. Crap crap crap, I swear I was reading a note buried in amongst his minute by minute updates that he's seen the actual thing and that it looked hurriedly written and had lots of bits crossed out. B*gger. I hardly ever swear onlog but this wouldn't be the first time his site's been knocked over at a crucial moment.

Update update: phew, maybe it was just me, justzipit won't open in firefox right now at this end but can view it in ie. Well, at least part of it, all the archives have vanished.

Updated update: must've just been one of those minor hitches , all his archives are viewable again (in firefix too).

New blog

Really is a new one this time, Freedom of Thoughts: randomness.

New: 1
Total: 156

Vague update

This must look like I'm just sitting about posting updates at random, but am actually right this minute going through each one of 155 blogs trying something that may or may not work. Am up to #64. If it works, good, if it doesn't - it may be some time before I touch an auto-generator again.

Update: neurotic iraqi wife blogs one year anniversary.

Update - A Glimpse of Iraq

Thankfully, an author emerged from the pit of despair ...in little doses.

Lot of traffic?

Ok, who lanched ihath ? Getting message that her monthly traffic quota has been exceeded and no-one can visit now.

Luckily it's the end of the month in a few days so she should be viewable again soon.

Update: and how long has Road of a Nation been gone for?

(Don't mind me, am just doing something and noticed somethings).

New (erm) Blogs

Iraq Blog Count has erred again. Not only did it not count Fayrouz's one year new Catholic Thoughts blog, it also overlooked ZZ's one and one half year new the revelations of an immigrant blog.

I just double checked to make sure I'm not doubling up, but nope, really did miss them and there really are 155 Iraq Blogs (as real as virtual can get). I think things are all fairly much balanced out (thank you) now. Hopefully. Please email if there are any more to add.

New (stretching it): 2
Total: 155

Update & thought

No blogs to count so far today, and still looking for something to do with something (blogroll rss related).

But in the meantime, a thought. Not trying to be controversial, but. So, looks like someone is really keen on pushing through the constitution, and while I am concerned about how this may affect women, there is another thing. And unfortunately, it means that I am going to have to write the "O" word.

Whoever is keen on getting the draft through as it is, is straightset on securing the south - and it's doesn't have much to do with people. "Ethnic" divisions and all the other fears that seem to crop up every time somebody mentions federalism are sort of subterfuge for the real lurgy - because it's a natural resource issue that is driving the preference for federalism. Because somebody is building something down south near the border, I don't have a clue what it is but I'm betting it's transport infrastructure for moving lots of big heavy stuff. Near Al Muthanna, it's where all of Japan's engineering troops were dispatched, and it's where some of Australia's forces have been sent too. Now, this is a fairly quiet district, from what I can make out, in terms of war, and compared to the rest of Iraq has a fairly low density population (which was probably why Saddam thought it made such a good spot to warehouse weapons manufacturing stuff in the late 70's and all through the 80's). So, it's not really the kind of place anyone would bother sending troops unless they wanted them to construct something out of the media limelight, the official line is that they're repairing bridges and things - implying "bridges for the people". Except that as I pointed out: low population density. If bridges are being "repaired" it's probably some kind of up-grade work to deal with heavyduty trucks that might be carrying heavy loads. Oh gee, I wonder where trucks with heavy loads might be heading and what they might be carrying...

It makes sense really, noone would try building oil-lines from Iraq across Saudi Arabia (yet). It would just be a prime target (media and otherwise). Where as oil tankers, while still targets, are smaller ones and not so much is lost if one is shot.

Betcha, if you look up local natural resources in Al Muthanna you'll find it's oil rich. Then look at a map and where it's situated. Then think about the best way to control the region and oil flow. Then think about how this could be implemented "legally" through a "democratic" constitution. Voila, an oil state. An oil state, controlled by foreign armies, providing foreign engineers with work, that won't be tied to the rest of Iraq's population.

I think this is my first "oil" post. It's a bit sketchy, a journalist could probably, like, fill out the story some more and go there to find out. Anyway, nevermind. This is a blog and today I have no blogs to count.

Add your own blogger alert !

Find out when bloggers are in trouble ! Put a blog alert in your sidebar. Get the blogger in danger jailed bloggers code.

Especially designed by the committee to protect bloggers.

What else can you do? Sign a petition, post about it, write poetry, write to an embassy etc.

A question...

Is Western Journalism "garbage"? - TTAI

Which raises another one really: Is western journalism "garbage" or do bloggers just know how to put it all together now, having had some experience, ourselves, at how some things work. In other words, is it just that bloggers now know how much effort it takes to check facts and stuff and run around trying to find out who's fibbing about what and why?

No, that probably wasn't very clear either.

Update: what I mean is, has garbage in the media changed, or have bloggers just added to it? I suppose this is where I should be a bit careful before I start offending anyone, again.

More arrested bloggers - Iran

Embracing the wider blogsphere:

Sign the petition for the release of Motjaba Saminejad, an Iranian blogger hungerstriking from a cell in Gohar Dashat, where he is serving time for having reported, on his blog, about the arrest of three other Iranian bloggers.

And

Sign the petition to drop the charges against Omid Sheikhan, who spent three months locked up last year for blogging (was tortured and kept in solitary confinement). His trial begins on October 8, 2005.

Send the petitions around, so far they have 417 and 326 signatures respectively.

Stop the Blog Purges.

As if the constitution weren't enough cause for concern...

Baghdad Dweller, showing it up, with sources (American ones):

Bush's Anti-Women policy.

More constitution thoughts

Even Omar, normally of optimal outlook, considers doubt:

it's not like the January elections when they had 111 slates from all colors of the political spectrum to choose from but now they're left to choose between a constitution they don't agree with all its contents and a possible dangerous political vacuum in case they reject the constitution. more

Political vacuum? In Iraq? But Iraq is the political hub of the world right now! Why else would an "Iraq Constitution" google news search show up 50,700 results and "US constitution" only show up 26,400? Optimistically speaking, one might approach it as the perfect test for "emergent democracy". Ie a chance to rebuke second rate goods and write a proper constitution.

But then, one would need to be prepared to convince oneself.

TTLB Iraq blogs

The Truth Laid Bear Iraqi Bloggers Community. At the moment it seems to be a blogfeed type situation, with automatic updates to recent posts from blogs (from or about Iraq) that are part of the larger TTLB ecosystem. So I suppose, if your blog does not appear on the Iraqi Bloggers community page, and you would like it too, all you would probably need to do is go here and submit your Iraq blog url to the TTLB ecosystem and you would probably turn up on the Iraq blogfeed community page - just a guess. Or else drop a note to IB community admin about your blog.

Please don't be put off by TTLB's link ranking system - everyone knows it's rorted anyway (at least that's what all the sitemeter addicts whine about when they have no other scandals to break. Meaning that's what all the warmongers I used to chat to used to grumble about when they weren't grumbling about their spouses or trying to find out what I was wearing. I don't know, do pacifists dress better or something? Maybe it's all that extra time we're meant to have to groom ourselves seeing as we're not wasting precious moments on shopping for ammunition. I suppose this is the sort of carefree and unrepentant humour that made Stephen decide chatting with me was too dangerous).

Other TTLB communities here.

This is what TTLB has to say about setting up communities under his mantle:

I have an idea for a new community; how do I get one set up?

By asking. Just let me know what the purpose of the community is and a few example blogs you would list as members. I reserve the right to decline to host any community, but as long as you aren't doing anything illegal or blatantly offensive, I'll most likely be happy to set you up: the more the merrier.

Basically looks like you can set up anything you like (if there are blogs about it). So say, if you wanted you could have an Iraq emo community, and an Iraq metal community, and an Iraq ambient community, Iraq autumnal community, Iraq mature and jaded community etc etc ad infinitum. Although you might not want to spread yourself too thin on the ground, most of the communities seem pretty new and only have one or zero active members each (with the exception of Gossip Celebrities and Fashion which had four active, The Academy: three active and Raging Rhino's: two active members when I looked just now).

NOTE: NZ Bear is not a New Zealander and not a Bear. He is a man. Nobody knows how hairy he is. The TTLB Iraqi Blogger community is administered by Omar and Mohammed. No I don't know how hairy they are either.

Shut-up? No !

You probably have gotten the picture by now, Salam is posting regular updates at the moment so I'll try not to do too many more "wo look at this" nuisance posts about it. Just keep watching his blog. It's as reliable as anything in any mainstream publication (if not better) and that's not something I think I've ever said about a blog before. I know he hates the responsibility, but really, he's pretty damn astute and has his eyes open.

Update: that's not something I've ever said about a blog since last week anyway, when I wrote Raed was posting like a newspaper columnist. Well, there's a subtle difference. Forgive me?

Making it up as they go along

Juan Cole's rendition:

According to the interim constitution, the permanant constitution should have been presented to parliament and passed by August 15. There should have been two readings of it, two days apart, before the vote. Otherwise, parliament should have been dissolved and new elections called. Parliament avoided this fate with a last-minute amendment... (etc) read Juan's translation of partial draft

Update: Juan disparaging of alternate translations

AP's translation of some articles is online. frankly it is so untechnical as to be almost useless with regard to some key paragraphs. It leaves out the bit about no legislation contradicting the laws (akham) of Islam. You can't tell what is going on with regard to personal status law, etc. News organizations ought to hire bilingual lawyers as free-lancers for this sort of task.

Counting the hours (in absence of blogs)

Live blogging from Iraq - the Assembly on telly:

23:50
The Assembly's president is gone again!!? We're dying here. Actually I am, just need to go pee real bad but don't want to miss this. read it all

Partial translation, constitution draft

Translated by the Associated Press, partial text, via Sahir. In case anyone is interested (and hasn't read the original already).

Chapter One

Article One

The Republic of Iraq is an independent state.

Article Two

The political system is republican, parliamentary, democratic and federal.

1. Islam is a main source for legislation.

a. No law may contradict Islamic standards.

b. No law may contradict democratic standards.

c. No law may contradict the essential rights and freedoms mentioned in this constitution.

2. This constitution guarantees the Islamic identity of the Iraqi people and guarantees all religious rights; all persons are free within their ideology and the practice of their ideological practices.

3. Iraq is part of the Islamic world, and the Arabs are part of the Arab nation.

4.

a. Arabic and Kurdish are the two official languages, and Iraqis have the right to teach their sons their mother language like the Turkomen and Assyrian in the government educational institutes.

b. The language used orally in official institutions such as the Parliament and the Cabinet as well as official conventions should be one of the two languages.

c. Recognizing the official documents with the two languages.

d. Opening the schools with two languages.

Article Three

Federal institutions in Kurdistan should use the two languages.

Article Four

The Turkomen and Assyrian languages are the official languages in the Turkomen and Assyrian areas, and each territory or province has the right to use its own official language if residents have approved in a general referendum vote.

Article Five

Power is transferred peacefully through democratic ways.

Article Seven

1. Any organization that follow a racist, terrorist, extremist, sectarian-cleaning ideology or circulates or justifies such beliefs is banned, especially Saddam's Baath Party in Iraq and its symbols under any name. And this should not be part of the political pluralism in Iraq.

2. The government is committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms, and works to protect Iraqi soil from being a center or passage for terrorist activities.

CHAPTER TWO

Article 35

a. Human freedom and dignity are guaranteed.

b. No person can be detained or interrogated without a judicial order.

c. All kinds of physical and psychological torture and inhumane treatment are prohibited, and any confession is considered void if it was taken by force, threats and torture. The person who was harmed has the right to ask for compensation for the financial and moral damage he/she suffered.

Article 36

The State guarantees:

1. Freedom of expression by all means.

2. Freedom of the press, printing, advertising and publishing.

Article 37

Freedom to establish political groups and organizations.

Article 39

Iraqis are free to abide in their personal lives according to their religion, sects, beliefs or choice. This should be organized by law.

CHAPTER THREE

Article 66

A presidential candidate should:

1. Be Iraqi by birth and the offspring of two Iraqi parents.

2. Be no less than 40 years old.

3. Have a good reputation and political experience, and be known as honest and faithful to the nation.

Article 75

The prime minister should have all the qualifications as the presidential candidate and should have a university degree or its equivalent and should not be less than 35 years old.

Article 104

A general commission should be set up to observe and specify the central (government) revenues, and the commission should be made up of experts from the central government, regions, provinces and representatives.

CHAPTER 4:

Article 107

Federal authorities should preserve Iraq's unity, security, independence and sovereignty and its democratic federal system.

Article 109

Oil and gas are the property of all the Iraqi people in regions and provinces.

Article 110

The central government administers oil and gas extracted from current wells, along with governments of the producing regions and provinces, on the condition that revenues are distributed in a way that suits population distribution around the country.

CHAPTER FIVE

Article 114

1. A region consists of one or more provinces, and two or more regions have the right to create a single region.

2. A province or more has the right to set a region according to a referendum called for in one of two ways:

a. A demand by one-third of all members of each of the provincial councils that aims to set up a region.

b. A demand by one-tenth of voters of the provinces that aim to set up a region.

Article 117

A region's legislative authority is made up of one council, named the National Assembly of the region.

Article 118

The National Council of the region drafts the region's constitution and issues laws, which must not contradict this constitution and Iraq's central laws.

Article 120

The executive authority of the region is made up of the president of the region and the region's government.

Article 128

The region's revenues are made up from the specified allotment from the national budget and from the local revenues of the region.

Article 129

The regional government does what is needed to administer the region, especially setting up internal security forces, such as police, security and region guards.

Article 135

This constitution guarantees the administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of different ethnic groups such as Turkomen, Chaldean, Assyrians and other groups.

CHAPTER SIX

Article 144

The Iraq Supreme Criminal Court continues its work as a legislative, independent commission to look into the crimes of the former dictatorial regime and its symbols, and the Council of Deputies has the right to annul it after it ends its duties.

Article 145

a. The Supreme National Commission for de-Baathification continues its work as an independent commission, in coordination with the judicial authority and executive institutions and according to laws that organize its work.

b. Parliament has the right to dissolve this commission after it ends its work, with a two-thirds majority.

Article 151

No less than 25 percent of Council of Deputies seats go to women.

Article 153

This law is considered in force after people vote on it in a general referendum and when it is published in the official Gazette and the Council of Deputies is elected according to it.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors.

Note: this blog is not for profit and educational. Full partial text posted with source. Visitors advised to visit cbs2 link at top of the post so that I'm not hanging on so tightly to the edge of the "copyright" precipice. Thanks.

Constitution unconstitutional - either way

Andrew Arato in his piece points out... there is an amendment rule in the TAL it just wasn’t put in there to be used for this sort of amendment. more via s

And this is why a rushed constitution is not such a great thing. Too many bendy definitions cancelling each other out, almost by design. How many other flaws are lurking in it?

Well that's my two cents, I will pipe down now.

Last link for the day

One last little link to try and chirp up TIWWW who is feeling pretty down about what his-her guvunmint has gone and all done.

Breaking News - Constitution "Unconstitutional"

And the truth could only come from one reliable source. Read it all. ALL of it. The constitution has busted it's own rules already. Oh what a lot of faith we all have in democracy, emergent and otherwise.

Bottom line is that after months of deliberations when the 15th of August came everyone involved realized belatedly that the draft each group had was different from the next and it all became a bit of a mess...

(you're telling me, and I thought the blogsphere was trouble)

I have to go now, so if you want to complain about me and my bias's, be my guest - I'll read it later and decide whether it's worth replying too.

Re counting etc - updated blogroll, Bruno would like to point out that Sahir's links and sub-commentary on Raed's blog are worth reading - if you haven't already. Click and ye shall find.

Update update: oh yay, one of the Iraqi metalers wants to be arrested too. Good, I'll have company in there - let's hope I am deported to Iraq when they finally come for me.

Please inform if any link omissions. Tks.

One last little thing today

Anybody seen this movie? It's finally in my area, thought I might go. Been looking up all the www reviews about it, which I don't usually do, but it's just a bunch of bloggers talking about how there was no cocoa at the opening night and journalists writing proper newspaper columns and things. Probably better to just go see it I think.

New blog plus conversational chat

A citizen asks; "What do you do to have to get a link here?" (more or less word for word but changed a bit). What do you have to do? Well, not much. I'm sorry, I guess that cheapens it a little. But really, all you have to do is wave a link under my nose and if I'm not in a sniffy mood I might publish an excerpt and pathway to the rest of your whatever. You could also wave a link under the nose of anyone else who posts here - but seeing as most of them are busy surviving war it's usually me who ends up publishing stuff as I have such an immense amount of time at my disposal and considerably more reliable connection (barely) then if I were in, say, Baghdad or Mosul.

So, here is the link;

Truth About Iraqis - Introduction

Good day. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a citizen of this green and fertile planet... the link

He does not say much about himself but he certainly has a lot to say about everybody else. Actually, I found it quite refreshing. And to tell the truth (a fashionable thing which everybody seems to like to do these days, but still fairly questionable) I am linking to his (written in lecturely manstyle) passages for no reason other then that today, it is nice to let someone else do the factual unraveling and pointing out of things. Now I don't feel like such a pariah.

Read it all if you want to listen (metaphorical) to another moany charlatan with no name grizzling about the blogosphere. Features special whinges on famous bloggers; River, The Model Brothers, Ays, The Mesopotamian and probably other stuff which I did not deeply read (how liberating to be so shallow). I suppose that must mean the author reads Iraq blogs a lot (I bet it's Juan Cole or some other elitist educator. Not that anyone would want to go making uninformed presumptions).

Minor note; blogger comments used to be spam proof but somebody is trying to create loopholes and advertise stuff. Pay it no notice. I will delete it afterwards - still, am wondering if I leave the "x-box" one up a bit longer might be able to squidge a few extra visits out of google from people who might be looking for "x-boxes". I really should delete it. Nobody would want this site to get slovenly, would they.

Actually, to be perfectly truthful (can never have enough of it) I never really got why people try to get extra visits from adds that are totally unrelated to the rest of the site - it just doesn't make any sense. I'd rather one visitor who actually wants to read or post then 1,000 who are just going to click and ride away again. Maybe that's my monogamous side showing through.

New today: 1
Total: 153

Constitution reminder and disappeared dissident alert

Anybody remember this blog?

نحن شعب العراق...

ان بلدنا الموغل في القدم منذ أن توحد قبل أكثر من أربعة الآف عام وهو يتفاعل بالحروب والهجرات. وقد نجمت عن ذلك علامات حضارية مضيئة في تأريخ الإنسانية. كما نجم عنها تأريخ مضطرب مليء بالصراعات ونشوء مزيج متنوع من السكان تطغي عليه الصفة العربية-الكردية قومياً مع وجود أجناس أخرى تتعايش معهما منها الحديث نسبياً ومنها الضارب في عمق التأريخ. وقد صبغ الفتح الإسلامي قبل أكثر من أربعة عشر قرناً كلا القوميتين بالصبغة الإسلامية مع وجود أديان أخرى تتعايش معها.
read rest

No idea what I just copy-pasted there, but it's something to do with part of a constitution that a (disappeared) blogger drafted last June (2004, preemptively).

Also Raed, talks constitution. You've probably already read it but here;

Another two weeks!
Another two hours!
Another two minutes!

The Iraqi constitution committee is begging for another last minute, as if the world is ending tomorrow. With all the internal pressure (i.e. the daily insurgent attacks) and the external pressure (the US administration's imposed deadlines), the committee finds itself between a rock and a hard place. read all of it

His style has really changed this last half year. He writes like, a newspaper columnist basically. It's highly publishable material. Serious, engaging, insightful, smart, clever, less angry more focused. It's the kind of writing, that actually is extemely effective and very powerful. All the more so, for his critics. I'm not generally especially lavish with praise when linking blogs here, so I guess that's saying something. It's turned into a damn good blog.

At any rate, am hoping Abu Khaleel is alright, he has been in the pit of despair since July 17. Nearly 30 whole days. I hope he is ok down there. The whole Khalid scenario just keeps flashing before my eyes, only without anyone noticing this time. Please let him be just taking time out.

Plus Salam has disappeared again, which is nothing really new. But I really miss reading his stuff, he seemed to be podcasting for a bit but I'm not sure if he's still doing it.

Raghda's fourteenth

Happy Birthday. May the next year bring some kind of peace, because I can't bear the thought of drafting kittens.

Blog jewelry

Ok. Here are the final "arrest me I blog" amnesty badges. They are good for all sorts of occasions - kidnappings, job terminations, and, of course, arrestings. Absolutely *free* so you can give them away to your friends to wear on their blogs and nobody need exchange a cent.

One to wear on white and one to wear on color templates (I know I know, they look almost the same, but there is a subtle bevel difference and they do show up better this way). Here's what they look like on;

















wear on white












colour templates







And here's the unbeveled artwork, so if anyone gets really keen and wants to print them on real live badges use this (or if you prefer .psd mail me).













Symbolism? erm, they just turned out this way.

Update; the Arrest me amnesty kitty;













It took a lot of finding the right kitty for the job. Use this no-fuss code in your sidebar;

{img src=
"http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5693/199/320/amib-amnesty-kitty-f.gif"
border='0'}

(replacing { and } with <> ).

Since Feb 2005

Oh, look what I just found. Number 152. If it’s already counted, kick me. But I’m sure I haven’t seen this one before.

i only wanted to post a comment

New today: 1
Total: 152

On propaganda

When you generously link to all and sundry, you get a lot of mail from individuals/organisations/organisations disguised as individuals/individuals disguised as organisations, all asking you to help beat their own particular drum. And when you link to stuff about stuff that's sort of to do with a place that's kind of in a WAR zone, you get the cream of the crop. If it's not someone driving a knife between Sunni and Shiite, it's someone with evidence that the jews roast and eat their babies. What will this week bring I wonder, A Tibetan plot to overthrow Amman? Photographs of Buddhist monks stomping on bugs?

I hardly can wait.

Excuse me while I go tweak the blogger amnesty mouse logo, it needs to look good on light and dark templates.

(At least the shareholders are happy. Am I a sellout?)

Just in case

Blogger amnesty badge.

Latest

The Iraqi Roulette is a fresh Iraqi blog which concentrates on the day to day suffering of Iraqi people.

Pay a visit and add it to your bookmarks. I highly recommend it.

New today: 1
Total: 151

Khalid's account

I found myself...

Sleeping in a grave-size space, defined by two walls touching both my head my and feet, and surrounded with human bodies touching me from both sides , in a way that hardly leaves any chance to move at all during the long… long night, in a 12 square meters room stuffed with 35 people trying to sleep… read the rest

This is the kind of account keeping that hardens my heart and stiffens my lip, and sets my fingers to the keys. I believe Khalid was released for the same reason he was captured - because he and his family keep online diaries. And because if he had died in there, or been harmed especially unpleasantly in any way, the crap would have hit the international media fan big-time. Because people spoke out in support of him, and blog jaws collectively dropped, and online diarists published their complete surprise. Khalid ?! Captured ?! How could that be - Khalid, our brave courageous - lamb ! Diarists published, large and small, in various ways, left right and center.

All those others still suffering in obscurity in Iraq's new generation detention centres are suffering because their captors believe they can get away with murder and the stories will never get out.

Send me your blogs, send and I shall link.

The contractor

A contractor, just about to leave Baghdad, been there two months. His blog; George in Iraq.

New Blog

New blog, one post old, Al-Shekhili.

So far; Marouf (carpenter brother) in trouble, militia (various) at large;

In one of the most tragedian and horrifying accidents of what is going on in Iraq now-a-days is what happened to my younger brother Marouf, age 45.

He was so peaceful man, so kind, so real believer in God and his wills. He served his country for all his life. after those dam usless wars of saddam and after a long... read rest.

New: 1
Total: 150