BBC Monitoring

 Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic is observed to highlight the following political and security developments within its 1700 gmt newscast on 18 July:

    Al-Maliki meets Wasit delegation, criticizes media outlets

     - "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Wednesday accused Arab studies centres and media institutions of hatching plots against Iraq. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, a copy of which was received by Al-Iraqiyah, accused these centres of considering as jihad the killing of women and children, attacks on markets and historical buildings, and destruction of oil pipelines and power networks in Iraq."

    The announcer-read report is followed by a video report by Al-Iraqiyah correspondent Qays al-Murshid on Al-Maliki's meeting with a tribal delegation from Wasit Governorate.

    Al-Maliki meets Wasit delegation - Al-Iraqiyah TV

    In the report, Al-Maliki is shown saying: "We have inherited administrative corruption, bureaucracy, and lack of interest in citizens' needs. We admit this. However, we are continuing our efforts to put an end to such practices. The government and people should cooperate in this regard. The government, sometimes, does not see the corrupt ones in departments. There should be cooperation with citizens, who face negative practices by some state employees who accept bribes, fail to finish citizens' work, and practice other negative activities."

    Al-Maliki adds: "We are facing an organized rabid campaign of accusations which is led by media outlets and strategic studies centres in the Arab region and elsewhere. They all level various charges and hatch plots against the Iraqi people, government, and political experience."

    The report notes that the tribal chieftains expressed "satisfaction" with the results of the meeting.

    Government Spokesman Reacts to Turkish Shelling of Border Areas

     - "An official security source in Zakho District announced that the Turkish artillery shelled joint border areas between Iraq and Turkey at dawn today. The source said that around 250 shells were fired at Zakho District, Duhuk Governorate, in northern Iraq. It said that vast areas of forests were burned as a result of the shelling."

    Al-Iraqiyah anchor then conducts a live telephone interview with Iraqi Government Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

    Asked about reports about the Turkish shelling of border villages, Al-Dabbagh says: "The Iraqi Government expresses its regret at the Turkish troops' military operations, artillery shelling, and warplanes' bombing of Iraqi border cities and villages. It calls on the Turkish Government to stop these operations and resort to the language of dialogue and understanding through the trilateral committee and bilateral meetings. The Iraqi Government will send a memorandum, through the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, to the Turkish Government. The Iraqi Government will assert that it aspires to have good neighbourly relations with Turkey. The Iraqi Government hopes that the Turkish Government will adopt a similar approach towards this issue."

    Answering another question, Al-Maliki says: "We understand Turkey's concerns about the alleged presence of the Kurdistan Workers Party on the border areas. This is not a new thing. The area is a rough and mountainous one. The Iraqi Government had done all that which was asked of it. The Kurdistan Government also considered the Kurdistan Workers Party a banned organization that should not carry out any activities in Iraq. The Iraqi Government hopes that Turkey's concerns in this regard will be allayed. We had said that we will not allow making Iraq a passageway or base for threatening Turkey of any other neighbouring country."

    Source: Al-Iraqiyah TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1700 gmt 18 Jul 07