Bush asks for lifting Iraq's sanctions; al-Hakim accuses US of organizing a civil war
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/17/2003

The American occupation forces in Iraq, which are facing anger overthe Iraqis over running the deteriorated conditions in Iraq, has formed a provisional government and a municipal commission in Baghdad, close to the leading figure at the Iraqi National Congress Ahmad al-Jalabi who yesterday entered Iraq for the first time in 45 years. Commander of the American forces to Iraq. gen. Tommy Francs also came to Baghdad.

This coincided with the formation of people's local committees for running the daily life affairs in the cities of south Iraq.

Meantime, the chairman of the "higher council of the Islamic revolution in Iraq" Muhammad Baqer al-Hakim warned against "a civil war" organized by the Americans in Iraq and called on "the believers" to meet in Kerbala on April 23 to "celebrate the death of Imam al-Hussein," while his cousin Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and the second rankingman in the council has stationed in the council in al-Kout.

Meantime, US President George Bush asked the UN to lift the sanctions imposed on Iraq. Bush repeated the US commitment not to impose any government or authority on the Iraqis. He said that the US will only help to build an Iraqi government from the Iraqis and for the sake of the Iraqis.

An American military spokesman said that the commander the central American military leadership Tommy Francs is "currently in Baghdad where he is holding meetings with the leaders on the ground."

The military spokesman abstained from giving more details on the objective behind Francs's visit to Baghdad after the "end of the major military operations" in Iraq, according to Washington. The central American leadership stressed that Francs is the only one who is able to announce the end of the war.

Meantime, Muhammad Mohsin al-Zubeidi, who is close to the leading figure at the Iraqi National Congress Ahmad al- Jalabi yesterday claimed himself as the head of government in Baghdad, while Jawdat al-Obeidi, who is close to al-Jalabi as the chairman of the municipality of Baghdad, amid complete carelessness from the citizens who have no means to be briefed on the course of events.

Lt. Gen. Jawdat al-Obeidi said in a press conference that a group of al-Ayan (prominent social figures ) and clergy men "elected" Muhammad Mohsin al-Zibeidi, as chairman of a provisional government in Baghdad, at the approval of the British and American occupation forces. He added that he himself was chosen as a chairman for the municipality of Baghdad.

The representatives of the Iraqi opposition who met on Tuesday in Ore near al-Nasiriya issued a statement in which they stressed that the ruling regime in Iraq will be "a democratic federal regime." Al-Obeidi who spent long years in the USA said "our first mission will be the formation of committees to run the city" which is overwhelmed by disorder and destruction.

In the same context. One of the leading figures at the Iraqi National Congress Nabil al-Musawi said that al-Jalabi left al-Nasiriya yesterday heading for Baghdad. He added that al-Jalabi is returning back home and intends to stay there." Another assistant said that al-Jalabi was brought up in a house in northern Baghdad currently occupied by the Indian embassy before he had left Iraq following the coupe of 1958.

The US Department Of State said yesterday that the American army spent 20 billion dollars on the war in Iraq and 2 billion are expected to be spent per month to cover the spending of thousands of soldiers of the American forces in Iraq until the end of the current fiscal year which ends on September 30th.

Previous Stories:
  U.S. Central Command daily briefing on Iraq   (4/16/2003)
  Rumsfeld briefs on situation in Iraq   (4/16/2003)
  Iraqis protest US presence as meetings on new government begins; new currency   (4/16/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search