Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Iraq: Al-Anbar Launch Special Terrorism Courts | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat- Governor of the Al-Anbar Province Mamun al-Alwani has denied that the city of Al-Fallujah had refused to raise the new Iraqi flag. He said, “The state flag is the one that was approved by the Chamber of Deputies and everyone is committed to raising it”.

In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Alwani said as the Chamber of Deputies was approving the flag, a person who wished to distort the image of the province said that Al-Anbar refuses to hoist the flag. The Al-Anbar governor denied that Al-Fallujah or any other city in Al-Anbar refused to fly the flag. He pointed out that democracy does not mean contravening public decisions that are made by the Chamber of Deputies that was elected by the people. He said that all the statements in the media on this subject were intended to distort the image of the province they some of those that wish to harm Iraq.

Regarding the disputes between the Al-Anbar Salvation Council and the Islamic Party and the request made by the chairman of the Salvation Council on the Islamic Party to leave the city immediately, Al-Alwani said that the dispute between the Salvation Council and several members of the provincial council who belong to the Islamic Party is no more than political bickering. He emphasized that the province does not tolerate any attack on anyone in the province. If an issue reaches the stage of threats, it will be referred to the courts, he said. Al-Alwani pointed out that what took place was no more than political arguing between the two sides and cannot be described as a side dispute. Regarding the presence of the Al-Qaeda organization and whether there are residues from this organization that may pose a fresh danger to the sovereignty of the law, Al-Alwani emphasized that the sovereignty of the law is represented by the army, the police, the information departments, and the intelligence departments. They are in control of the entire province. However, this does not preclude the possible presence of some terrorist residues that can be controlled by the intelligence departments that is fed by information from the people themselves about the presence of such residues. Al-Alwani said: “Al-Qaeda has failed on the religious, political, and social levels. The members of society, which is a tribal society, have rejected this presence among them out of several religious, political, and social considerations thanks to the mosque preachers. They are not thinking of building the country but of destroying it. The people have rejected the presence of these alien bands among them. They are terrorist and takfiri [Muslims that hold other Muslims to be infidels] bands”.

Al-Alwani pointed out that the Al-Anbar Province “enjoys total stability due to the cooperation among the tribes, the awakening councils, and the provincial council with the army, the police, and all the supporting organs. The unified and concerted efforts led to total security control over the province where no armed man can be seen in the province now. The elements of the army and police are in control of the Al-Anbar street”. Al-Alwani disclosed that a court specialized in terrorism has been formed. He said, “We have established a special court to fight terrorism that examines cases related to terrorism only. It is now looking into 50 cases. Verdicts have been taken and ratified by the Court of Appeals in Baghdad on 25 cases while the remaining cases continue to be investigated and are awaiting the final verdict. This court too was established as a result of the cooperation between the inhabitants of Al-Anbar and the security organs that were alerted to cases that may pose a danger to the people in the context of terrorism. On how the province can safeguard and protect what it has accomplished so far in the province, Al-Alwani emphasized that unity between the security organs, the tribes, and the Awakening Councils are the road to preserving the victory that has been accomplished on the security level.