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Assyrians in the expanded Iraqi Opposition National Assymbly Conferance / New York, October 29, 30 and 31, 1999. First, lets have a breakdown of the Assyrians who participated in the Iraqi Opposition National Assymbly, gathered in New York Oct 29-31, 1999, and see how they got there. ***ADM (Assyrian Democratic Movement) *Younadam Yousif Kanna, ADM Central Committee, Minister of labor and work in the Government of Kurdistan, representing the Assyrians. *Younan Adam Hozaya, ADM *Shmael N. Benyamin, ADM *Judge Michael Gourgis, Independent, ADM ticket, from the Chaldean Church, Dohuk. *George Y. Mansour, Independent, ADM ticket, from the Chaldean Church, Ain Kawa / Now in Toronto. *Dr. Emmanuel Kambar, Independent, from Kalamazoo, Michigan / Assyrian Coalition. ***BNDP (Bet Nahrain Democratic Party) *Sargon Dadesho, Nothing needs to be added to how Sargon plays his cards. Instead of taking care of his own dilemma within the BNDP first (read the BNDP declaration issued on 10/19/99, signed by Ben Benyamin), he makes alliances with two or three baseless Assyrian parties in north of Iraq namely APP, ADU, ADP and ABCD, EFGH and the rest, whose total members and supporters does not even worth mentioning, to bring legitimacy to his so called ANC (Assyrian National Congress), those petty political organizations which are supported by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). *Pnouel Hurmiz, Chicago, from the Nochiya tribe, recommended by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). *Romeo Nissan, Diyana/Arbil, from the Nochiya tribe, recommended by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). *Fraydon Darmo, from the Nochiya tribe, listed as a member of the AUA, but voted against the AUA. ***APP (Assyrian Patriotic Party) *Nimrod Baito, president APP, previously member of the Assyrian Baath Party, which was established in July 17, 1973 (on the anniversary of the Baath take over in Baghdad July 17, 1968, even though they claim that it was July 14, on the anniversary of the Iraqi revolution, hence making it sound more like being established on an Iraqi national day rather than the Baath Party take over). This Party was established very conveniently by the Baath regime in Baghdad to kill two birds with one stone, sort of speech, for one to fulfill one of Malik Yaqus list of Assyrians demands presented to the Iraqi Government, during his visit to Baghdad in Feb. 1972 (the freedom to establish Assyrian political organizations in Iraq). From the other side Baghdad regime was planning to use this Assyrian party against the Kurds in the north, and to show that they truely mean political reforms. The newly eastablished Assyrian Baath Party was headed by William Shawil, a well known traitor to the Assyrians of Iraq, and included in its membership in addition to Nimrod Baito, members like: Benyamin Aprim Shindo, presently member of APP London office. Gewargis Yaqu, presently member of APP London office. Unfortunately, in 1975 the Kurds revolution collapsed and the need for the Assyrian Baath Party ceased. The Partys activities were frozen until August 31st, 1996, when Saddam Hussien invaded Arbil. the central government in Baghdad expected that Zowaa was going to flee and abandon Arbil permanently and hence planned to seize that moment by installing a puppet Assyrian organization steered and influenced by Baghdad. Hence, the members of the Assyrian Baath Party were gathered again except for William Shawil, whos known reputation was against him to be part of this, in the open at least, and were given a new identity, the APP (Assyrian Patriotic Party), and installed in north of Iraq with members who are negligible. ***KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) *Kristo Yalda Torkhan, Diyana/Arbil, from the Nochiya tribe, Ex-Central Committee KDP. Now Director of KDP Central TV station. He was, among others, behind the efforts to stop teaching the Assyrian language in North of Iraq in 1992. *Sargis Aghajan Mamando, Diyana/Arbil, from the Nochiya tribe, Deputy Minister of KDP for Budget and Economy, and member of the Kurdistan Parliament / KDP ticket. *Fawzi Toma Harriri, Son of Franso Harriri, Diyana/Arbil, from the Nochiya tribe. Was a candidate for many posts in Kurdish government but preferred to live in Europe. Worth mentioning here that Franso Harriri, Sargis Mamando, Kristo Torkhan and Romeo Nissan were the founders of the United Kurdistan Christian ticket which was listed in 1992 election in North of Iraq and won ONE seat out of the FIVE assigned for the Assyrians (the other FOUR won by Zowaa). ***Independent *Albert Yalda (pro Ahmad Chalabi). Got into politics when he was a member of ADM (until 1993). Was sent as a representative of ADM to Beirut/Lebanon Opposition Conference in March 1991. He is the Britishs ticket as the Assyrians representative, and is paid handsomely to run the so called Assyrian Cultural Center in London. *Yatron Darmo (pro Saad Salih Jabir). From the Nochiya tribe and Ex-BNDP (resigned in 1997). He was selected by Franso Harriri and the KDP. ***Two other Assyrians were present and they were: *Yousif al-Qass Hannah (Abu Hikmat) of the Labor Party for Independent Kurdistan. *Muwafaq Fatoohi (Abu Omar), calls himself Arab Christian, of the Iraqi Democratic Party headed by Aziz al-Ayan of Basrah). Dear Assyrians, Look at the names, and do your homework ... Ask yourselves, why 7 out of the 16 are from the Nochiya tribe (Nochiyayeh)? Is it because of Franso Harriri and the KDP? Of course it is. Since when people working for the Kurdish national agenda got interested in representing Assyrians? The Ex-qasha Emmanuel Baito (AKA Rev. E. Youkhana), brother of the APP president, Nimrod Baito, few days ago stated that Younadam Yousif (ADM) lost to Franso Harriris son Fawzi Toma Harriri 7 to 9 in a democratic way !! Some democracy Mr. Ex-qasha !! Well, if Franso Harriri of Nochiya, backed by the KDP, forced 7 of his own loyalist on the Assyrian ticket, what do you expect? How could we call this a fair process? This is only one side of the sad reality of the Assyrian politics and what some Assyrians are doing to the progress of the Assyrian nation in the Iraqi national matters and in the international arenas. The Assyrian people must be given the chance to elect who they want in such conferences, because that only is the true guage of democracy. I am not sure if there is a need to remind you with the results of the elections which took place in, for example, Diyana and Hawdiyan, the strong hold of Franso Harriri, in 1992. Younadam Yousif (ADM) beat the United Kurdistan Christian ticket 73% to 27%, and yes, the ratio is still the same even if a new elections were held today. By the way the 27% were won only because of the Chaldean support since the United Kurdistan Christian ticket ran under a religious ticket. These are the facts if we want to accept them or not. Yes, many issues are sensitive, and we Assyrians tend to let certain personal, family and tribal standards decide what we can post and discuss and what we can not. To me, any issue which affects the lives of Assyrians in general is a public domain matter and the Assyrian people should be made aware of it. Fred
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