Iraqis protest US presence as meetings on new government begins; new currency
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/16/2003

Upon the US declaration that it has already imposed its control on all the Iraqi territories, thousands of Iraqis took the streets in demonstrations of protest in various Iraqi cities from al-Nasiriyah in the south until al-Musil in the north through Kerbala, al-Kout and Baghdad in protest of the American occupation and its attempt to impose a pro- American administration.

The acts of protest coincided with the first step taken by the occupation forces to form an Iraqi administration in a meeting which was held for hours yesterday in the ancient city of Ore near al-Nasiriyah. The meeting was described as to get acquainted with each other. The participants in the meeting of former Iraqi opposition agreed to meet once again after ten days.

The meeting, which was attended by the American presidential envoy Zalmai Khalil Zada and the chairman of the rebuilding office, the retired army gen. Jay Garner, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Ryan Crocker, the political advisor for the US Gen. Tommy Francs, David Lee adopted a declaration stressing that the "ruling regime in Iraq will be a democratic and federal," based on the supremacy of the law, rather than to be sectarian.

The declaration stressed that Iraq will not be ruled by a ruler imposed from abroad. It also stressed the need of desolving the Iraqi Baath Party and eliminating its traces.

The participants also discussed the role of religion in the state and the society. The declaration considered that the "Iraqis and the coalition should work together on matters relating to founding security and basic services which requires an immediate move.

American officials say that Ore meeting will be the first in the series of local meetings, before convening a decisive meeting at the nation-wide level within several weeks.

A lot of doubt was shed on the extent of the Iraqi people's representation at yesterday's meeting. The meeting was not attended by the Islamic Dawa ( call) party nor by the "higher council for the Islamic revolution in Iraq." Even Ahmad al-Jalabi who has a firm relation with the Pentagon was careful not to appear as a hireling for the American who supported him and preferred to be absent and to delegate a representative on his behalf.

However, an American official said yesterday that canceling "Saddam's Dinar " currency and debating the "Swiss dinar" might be the best solution for the question of the Iraqi currency for the short run, despite the fact that the provisional government in the country has to choose a currency by its own.

However, there are three currencies debated in Iraq, including " Saddam " dinar which bears the picture of Saddam Hussein. One USD equals 2700 Iraqi dinars, while one Iraqi dinar used to be equal to three USD in 1p79, before the Iraqi invasion of Iran. The "Swiss dinar" which is the most stables and is named so because it was printed in Switzerland, it is the oldest currency used in all parts of Iraq as an official currency before Saddam Hussein assumed power. This Swiss dinar is currently is use in the northern part of the country. More than 20, 0000 citizens of al-Nasiriyah demonstrated yesterday to express their total rejection of both the rule of Saddam and the US as well as those who were meeting under the American umbrella of opposition groups and figures in the adjoining Ore city.

The demonstration stressed that they are not in need of help from the Americans after the collapse of Saddam Hussein and stressed their rejection to the occupation and the authority to be installed in Iraq.

In al-Musil some 12 persons were killed and other 100 wounded when the American occupation forces opened fire at a civilian gathering while demonstrating in front of the governorate's building in protest of appointing the chairman of the Iraqi national party Mashaan Jabbouri as a governor for the city.

On yesterday's late night the American forces positioned in Palestine hotel in the downtown of Baghdad was exposed to fire exchange in an incident which was the second of its kind within two days, in remark to that the situation in Baghdad is not stable and that the "resistance pockets" in the city are still able to target the occupation forces even in their main headquarters.

Previous Stories:
  US fails its pledge to protect Iraq's national museums   (4/15/2003)
  Pentagon daily briefing on Iraq   (4/15/2003)
  Iraq uses the EURO in its trade deals   (9/7/2001)

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