Neighbouring states dump nuclear waste in Iraq
(Al-Mashriq) - Information revealed in southern Iraq that the marsh area has become a dump for nuclear waste. Trucks carrying nuclear waste entered Iraq from neighbouring States, taking advantage of the insecurity and the absence of authority. Political sources said the act was an illegal attempt to hide the nuclear projects of those States.
(Al-Mashriq is published daily by Al-Mashriq Institution for Media and Cultural Investments

Mahdi Army deploys near Imam Ali Shrine
(Al-Nahdhah) - Elements of the Mahdi Army in Najaf have deployed in streets close to the shrine of Imam Ali, and in the cemetery of Wadi al-Salam, using the huge numbers of graves and the difficulty of reaching them without infantry forces. Police chief Ghalib al-Gazairi said his forces decided to control the city to give no chance to the outlaws to interfere with the security of the innocents. He added there would be no need to ask for the assistance of the multilateral forces to impose law and order. Joint forces from the Iraqi army and police were patrolling the city along with American units, but no one from the Mahdi army assaulted them.
(Al-Nahdhah is a daily newspaper issued by Adnan al-Pachachi, GC member and head of Independent Democrats Movement.)

No war nukes for the new Iraq
(Al-Mada) - Minister of Sciences and Technology Rashad Mendan Omar will concentrate on having scientists establish a peaceful nuclear research programme unlike the destroyed one of the deposed president. He added that Iraq needs $15 billion to make repairs and to supply the laboratories that were polluted during the years of war and UN sanctions. The minister said the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq would continue and that his ministry would be free of such programmes.
(Al-Mada is issued daily by Al-Mada institution for Media, Culture, and Arts.)

Sumerian artefacts looted in Italian zone
(Al-Bayan) - An informed source in the general board of relics said Tel Khoja site has been subjected to organized looting in an area of some seven square kilometres as far south as al-Rifaee of al-Nasiriya. The looters used generators in their night raids. They might have been aided by local and foreign groups to loot Sumerian Dynasty artefacts. The area was under the patronage of the Italian forces. The Ministry of Culture seemed not to be serious in putting an end to the looting of the historical treasures.
(Al-Bayan is issued four times weekly by the Islamic Dawa Party, chaired by Ibrahim al-Jafari, Governing Council member.)

Oil ministry announces new competition initiatives
(Al-Mutamar) - The Ministry of Oil has announced a number of oil projects on the internet to be executed in Iraq to give scope to international oil companies through a free trading competition. Minister of Oil Thamir al-Gadban said the policy of his ministry is based on openness and a rejection of monopoly. He denied giving tenders to certain companies. He added that improved security would help encourage international oil companies to participate in rehabilitation of the oil sector.
(Al-Mutamar is issued daily by the Iraqi National Congress.)

Another mass grave discovered
(Al-Sabah) - Minster of Human Rights Baktiyar Ameen has announced the finding of mass graves including the corpse of Abdul Kareem Kasim and his close supporters, who took part in the July 14 revolution of 1958. The minister did not mention the location of the site for security reasons. He said DNA tests would be made to be sure of the corpse and that forensic science would be applied to discover the clues of torture and mutilation. Ameen sent his condolences to the families of the victims, promising to announce the location of the cemetery very soon.
(Al-Sabah is a daily independent publicly owned newspaper).