Three provinces looking into federalism
(Al-Sabah al-Jadeed) - Communications are underway between the governing councils of Basra, Nasiriya and Amara provinces to hold the first regional federal congress to establish the southern region that will include the three provinces. An authorized source in Amara province said the congress has named its specialised committees. They will inaugurate the congress within the coming week in participation of envoys from Basra and Nasiriya, in addition to representatives of political and religious parties and tribe leaders of different Iraqi communities. Researches and studies have been made about the historical, economical and legal aspects of federalism. (Al-Sabah al-Jadeed is an independent daily paper.)

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Ministers clarify application of 'safety' law
(Azzaman) - Minister of Justice Malik Dawhan al-Hassan said the National Safety Law would enable the transitional Iraqi government to impose the martial law on some locations of Iraq to confront any event that might threaten the country's security and stability. As for the death penalty, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said it had nothing to do with Saddam's trial, it was related to the random killings practiced by some terrorists in Iraq. He hoped that use of the law would end after the elections where Iraqis would decide whether to keep or stop applying it.
(London-based Azzaman is issued daily by Saad al-Bazaz.)

Iraqis support new government says poll
(Al-Mashriq) - A poll made by the market researches and consumer safety centre of University of Baghdad revealed that 89% of Iraqis are willing to cooperate with the new government to rebuild Iraq. 84% said sovereignty could be achieved through an elected government. 54% agreed on imposing martial law and curfew to control security and stability, while 29% showed their conservatism about the law. The results of the poll, despite the opinion diversity, showed that 88% were with the government, and they would aid the law once it was in Iraqi hands.
(Al-Mashriq is published daily by Al-Mashriq Institution for Media and Cultural Investments.)

Saddam 'condemned' by his own law
(Al-Adala) - A former Iraqi military judge, preferring to remain anonymous, said Saddam Hussein will be sentenced to death as per the laws he issued during his own reign, and that his Jordanian defenders will face a failure that will lead Saddam to his execution. The defenders kept saying Saddam should be judged as per the Iraqi law and constitution made by Saddam. Accordingly, item B of article 59 of the military penalty law would apply against Saddam as commander-in-chief. It included that "anybody who quit the battle field or a besieged military area should be immediately executed". The law was clear in this aspect as the military man had no excuse to quit even if he paid with his life.
(Al-Adala is issued daily by the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.)

Chalabi to remain in charge of Saddam's trial
(Al-Taakhi) - Sources close to the head of the special board of Saddam's trial, Salim al-Chalabi, have denied news about his being stopped from heading the board. Chalabi, who left for London, has met Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and negotiated with him the issue of the trial of Saddam and his supporters. Chalabi's secretary, Haithem al-Chalabi, has refuted the allegation of Chalabi's partnership with an Israeli business man in having a law firm. He added that Saddam's health is stable and that nothing bad had happened to him.
(Al-Taakhi is issued daily by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.)

Saddam's mines a continuing threat
(Al-Sabah) - The manager of the Iraqi organization for mine clearance said there are oilfields completely out of action due to the presence of mines such as the Bazargan fields and some of the Northern area fields of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniya as well as the southern fields of Rumaila. Many of the working staff have been killed or have lost a limb because of the mines. Saddam laid 26 million mines, which means one mine for every Iraqi citizen. He laid the mines in farms and city centres. They are valid for many years, and they can be explode any time. The organization has succeeded in clearing 75,000 mines from Hai al-Furat, the College of Agriculture and Abu Ghraib of Baghdad.
(Al-Sabah is issued daily by the Iraqi Media Network on behalf of the Coalition Provisional Authority.)