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News Analysis November 3, 2003 A wave of highly orchestrated suicide bombings hit Baghdad, targeting 4 Iraqi police stations and the Red Cross, killing 35. The one attack that was stopped against one of the police stations confirmed suspicions that foreign Arab fighters were behind the suicide attacks. A US helicopter was hit with a missile, killing 16 soldiers. Neither the talk of: - immediate withdrawal of the US from Iraq, which would only be to abandon Iraqis once more to Saddam Hussein and his loyalists - and now also foreign extremist terrorists, - nor an increased deployment of troops will help improve security in Iraq. Instead, the solution has always been what is now being referred to as the 'Iraqification' plan, which is essentially to speed up training of the new Iraqi police and army and to train more. However: - leadership against the security problems must be Iraqi, in addition to the extra number of police - accelerated training must not be done by cutting corners, specifically regarding teaching of human rights and proper procedure. Iraqi intelligence and leadership are what are required, not disrespect of human rights. Furthmore, Iraq needs an extensive border patrol to keep out foreign fighters who are specifically targeting Iraqis. The judge heading the judicial commission to probe former officials of Saddam's regime was assassinated in Najaf by Saddam loyalists. De-Ba'athification of Iraq must become more aggressive and rapid, to show Iraqis that justice will prevail, and it must not be limited to Iraq's borders. Only then can stability be brought to Iraq. - Syria called a meeting of foreign ministers of countries neighbouring Iraq and Egypt, to discuss Iraq, yet did not invite the Iraqi foreign minister - only planning to call him at the last minute to tell him what they had decided. This shows the extent that Syria's Ba'thist government is concerned about the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the establishment of a government in Iraq whose foreign minister is a Kurd. The Damascus talks had more to do with a gathering to support Damascus than to assess methods of regional cooperation to combat terrorism and establish security in Iraq. In further developments: - Iraq gets a flat tax system of individual and corporate income tax for 2004 and subsequent years of no more than 15% - Congress finally agreed to make the $20 billion aid package in the form of a grant and not a loan - The first ever university newsletter to be published after the fall of the former regime went out last week to the universities of Baghdad and Mustansiriya. The newsletter is due to be published weekly, barring CPA bureaucracy, and will soon be available online on the IPO website. News Analysis brought to you by the Iraqi Prospect Organisation: http://www.iprospect.org.uk _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk