[News] Iraq: Disastrous and Shocking Official Statistics

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Sabah al-Baghdadi - Iraq: Disastrous and Shocking Official Statistics

Aug 7th, 2009 at 15:21
http://palestinethinktank.com/2009/08/07/sabah-al-baghdadi-iraq-disastrous-and-shocking-official-statistics/

Translated and adapted from Arabic by Khalil Nakhleh

The following official governmental statistics, 
up to December 2008, show the disastrous 
conditions prevalent in Iraq since the American 
invasion and occupation of that country.

1.      One million widowed Iraqi women 
(according to Iraqi Ministry of Women Affairs).

2.      Four million orphaned Iraqi children 
(according to estimates by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning).

3.      Two and a half million (2,500,000) Iraqis 
killed (according to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and Forensic Medicine).

4.      800,000 Iraqis have disappeared in secret 
holding places connected with the different 
ruling parties (according to registered 
complaints at the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior).

5.      340,000 Iraqi prisoners, detained without 
charge, in U.S. army prisons, the prisons of the 
Iraqi government, and the prisons in the 
Kurdistan District (according to Iraqi, Arab, 
international and UN human rights organizations 
and agencies).  US occupying forces admit 
officially that the number of Iraqi detainees in 
their prisons is about 120,000.

6.      Four and a half million (4,500,000) 
Iraqis are refugees outside Iraq (according to 
statistics of those seeking passports (category 
C) from the General Directorate of Passports.

7.      Two and a half million (2,500,000) Iraqis 
are refugees inside Iraq (according to the Iraqi Ministry of Refugees).

8.      76,000 registered Iraqi cases of AIDS; 
this number did not exceed 114 cases before the 
invasion and occupation of Iraq (according to the Iraqi Ministry of Health).

9.      Frightening spread of the use of 
addictive drugs imported from Iran, among youth 
(according to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and 
the Center for Combating Drugs and 
Addictions).  I have written a series of 
well-researched articles about the various 
methods used to smuggle drugs, some of which are 
highly toxic, and how they are collected in 
different storage places in the southern 
districts, under the total control of some of the 
parties and the militias participating in the 
government, and how the profits from these drugs 
are used to buy (pay off) government officials, 
in order to gain their support and silence, and 
to finance their election campaigns.

10.  Three out of every four marriages end up in 
divorce since the invasion and occupation of Iraq 
(according to Iraqi Ministry of Health).

11.  More than 40% of the Iraqi people are under 
the poverty line (according to the Iraqi Ministry 
of Human Rights).  I believe, however, that the 
actual percentage is much higher, and surpasses 55%.

12.  Decline in the level and quality of basic 
and tertiary education, according to statements 
made by officials in UNESCO, which led this 
organization to refuse to recognize university 
degrees issued by Iraqi tertiary institutions (universities and colleges).

13.  Tens of thousands of forged university 
degrees are granted to high government officials, 
high ranking officers, directors generals, and 
senior officials of political parties (according 
to statements and statistics from the Iraqi 
Honesty and Transparency Commission).

14.  There exist about 550 political bodies and 
party coalitions (according to the Iraqi 
Independent Public Elections Commission), and, as 
of today, there is no law regulating this large number of political bodies.

15.  There exist about 11,400 civil society 
organizations (according to the Iraqi ministries 
of the Interior, Justice and Social 
Welfare).  These organizations have public and 
secret objectives, and it is not clear what these 
are, and how they are financed.

16.  There are 126 security companies controlled 
by foreign secret service agencies, and 
registered at the Iraqi Ministry of the 
Interior.  The declared objective of these 
companies is to protect foreign embassies, 
foreign diplomats, and visiting VIPs.  However, 
their hidden objectives are unknown.  In this 
case, what is the value of having today one 
million persons under arms in Iraq, distributed 
among the Ministries of Defense, the Interior, 
the various governmental security agencies, in 
addition to the security agencies of the various ruling parties.

17.  There are 43 officially registered armed militias connected to parties.

18.  There are 220 newspapers and media 
publications financed by foreign secret service 
agencies (according to Iraqi Journalist 
Union).  The specific objectives of these 
publications is to do brainwashing of Iraqis, to 
remove their thinking about the various projects 
aiming at fragmenting Iraq into sectarian, 
regional, and ethnic mini-states, and to destroy their national identity.

19.  There are 45 TV channels financed by foreign 
secret service agencies (according to statements 
by the Management of Nilesat and Arabsat satellite service providers).

20.  There are 67 radio stations financed by 
foreign secret service agencies (according to 
statements by the Iraqi Information Commission).

21.  There are 4 networks of digital 
communications, the estimated value of each is 12 
billion dollars, financed in favor of party 
leaders.  Among which are the following companies:

·         Kork Company owned exclusively by 
Mas’aoud Barazani (the President of the Kurdistan District);
·         Assia Company owned exclusively by 
Jalal Talbani (the President of Iraq);
·         Zein Company (Kuwaiti), 50% is owned by 
Ahmad Jalabi and the Islamic Da’wah Party;
·         Atheer Company owned exclusively by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim.

22.  There are more than 11,400 official and 
unofficial party headquarters.  These could be 
the offices of fake contracting company, or an 
NGO, or a political group.  However, these 
headquarters in reality are public premises for 
the Iraqi government that were taken over from 
their legitimate owners after they were 
eliminated, or forced to vacate and seek refuge 
somewhere else.  All are paid for from the Iraqi national budget.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s 
happening in “their new democratic Iraq”, since 
the American invasion and occupation of the country.

The article appeared originally in 
<http://www.kanaanonline.org>www.kanaanonline.org, no. 1973, on 30.7.2009.

Sabah al-Baghdadi is an independent Iraqi 
journalist and researcher; he may be reached at 
<mailto:sabahalbaghdadi at maktoob.com>sabahalbaghdadi at maktoob.com.

Translated and adapted by Dr. Khalil Nakhleh:

Dr. Khalil Nakhleh is an independent Palestinian 
researcher and development consultant; he may be 
reached at <mailto:abusama at palnet.com>abusama at palnet.com.





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