Arabic News Weekly Edition for Iraq, 2/2/2004
Weekly Edition, Iraq - Week of February 2, 2004
- Annan does not rule out postponing authority transfer to the Iraqis; Bush results of investigations after the elections
In a brief statement he made yesterday the US President George W. Bush announced the formation of a committee to probe pre intelligence information on Iraq's having mass destruction weapons ,which have not so far been found after months of search. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/7/2004 - Al-Seisatni survived as assassination attempt in al-Najaf
The office of the Shiite Clergy, Ayatullah Ali al-Seisatni, in al-Najaf announced that he survived an assassination attempt he was exposed to on Thursday. A security official in the office said that gunmen opened fire at Ayatullah al-Seisatni while he was greeting people in al-Najaf but he was not damaged. Iraq, Politics, 2/6/2004 - One American soldier is killed, an aggregation for foreign fighters, NATO interferes in Iraq this year
The US announced yesterday that the NATO has a strong intention to perform a greater role in Iraq, while a diplomat said that NATO will assume as from the current year the leadership of the Polish occupation troups in Iraq. Iraq-USA, Military, 2/6/2004 - Saddam orders to write the Koran from his blood
After his son Ode was exposed to an assassination attempt which he survived miraculously in 1998, the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ordered one Iraqi calligrapher to write the full text of the holy Koran from his ( Saddam ) blood, according to this artist who is currently living in Amman. Iraq, Politics, 2/5/2004 - Victims of Irbil's twin explosion toll 109, Japanese forces prepare to deploy in Iraq
Some 90 military men constitute the first Japanese unit to be deployed in Iraq, arrived yesterday at Abdullah al-Mubarak air base near Kuwait. Most members of this unit are engineers in addition to security men for protecting them. Iraq, Politics, 2/5/2004 - Switzerland rejects a request by Barazan al-Takriti children to free their assets
The state secretariat for economy affairs in Switzerland said that Switzerland refused in January the release of a large sum of the assets of four of relatives of the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who asked the Swiss authorities to unfreeze their assets so that they can use them. Iraq-Switzerland, Politics, 2/5/2004 - Wolfowitz highlights importance of building Iraq's security forces
Helping Iraqis take control of their domestic security is the key goal of U.S. forces stationed in Iraq, said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who visited U.S. military facilities in Germany January 31 and in Iraq February 1. Iraq-USA, Politics, 2/4/2004 - Sheikh Zayed confers with al-Baja Jee United Arab Emirates-Iraq, Politics, 2/4/2004
- Japanese forces head to Baghdad; Missile bombardment at Baghdad's airport, US soldier killed
One American soldier was killed on Tuesday and another wounded in a bomb explosion implanted on a roadside to the south of Baghdad. Iraq-Japan, Military, 2/4/2004 - Maher to take part in the meeting of Iraq neighboring states FMs Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 2/4/2004
- 58 persons killed in Irbil; 20 killed south Kerbala; Wolfwitz in Baghdad
The number of persons killed in two suicide explosions that targeted the headquarters of the two main Kurdish parties to the north of Iraq increased to 57 persons, at least, and wounding more than 225 persons, while a Kurdish minister said that the number of killed might increase to more than 100. Iraq-USA, Military, 2/2/2004 - Lebanon returns back to Iraq millions of frozen dollars
Member of the Iraqi Governing Council, Muwafak al-Rube, said that Lebanon will give back a sum of 500 million dollars of the money deposited by the former regime in Iraq in the Lebanese banks before the invasion. Lebanon-Iraq, Economics, 2/2/2004 - Barazani commits to federation despite Irbil double bloody attacks
Chairman of the Kurdistani Democratic party, Masoud al-Barazani, said that he is clinging to demand a federal Iraq despite the suicide attack which targeted the headquarters of his party in Irbil to the north of Iraq. Iraq, Politics, 2/2/2004 - Three Americans killed; Interim Council punishes media for criticism
the Iraqi Interim Governing Council decided to ban al-Jazeera channel from entering the headquarters of the council or to attend its press conferences for one month. The statement came in protest over a comment on the conditions in Iraq by one of the guests of the "opposite direction" ( al-Itijah al-Mu'akis) last week. Iraq-USA, Military, 2/2/2004