The Iraqi people hear many promises from their government, their representatives in Parliament as well as their political parties. Promises without implementation push people to act against the government.

Iraqis, since the invasion in 2003, have been patient enough to see the "fruit" of the promises of the government. People lost trust in all kinds of statements from politicians because they are empty promises, the independent Kul al-Iraq newspaper said Wednesday.

The false appearances

Many Iraqi politicians and officials complained of U.S. media reports that said U.S. forces in Iraq are spying on the Iraqi government.

It is reasonable to assume that the U.S. military, as an invading force -- though some call it a "liberation" force - knows what is taking place in the country it occupies. The U.S. forces are exposed to danger in Iraq, and it is only sensible to spy on the Iraqi government.

The Iraqi government should carry out business as usual if it has nothing to hide. The United States has shared Iraq with the Iraqi government since 2003. The sovereignty of Iraq is an illusion the Iraqi government holds to while U.S. troops have the right to go to any place they desire.

Concerns that the U.S. forces are spying on the Iraqi government suggest Baghdad is hiding things from the Iraqi people. The government has to leave aside "expired" statements mentioning the "sovereignty" of Iraq and focus on following through on the promises they made to the Iraqi people.

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The issue of false promises to gain sovereignty and provide municipal services was among the main features in various Iraqi newspapers.

The package of promises the Iraqi government gave to the people cannot replace their sufferings, al-Adala newspaper of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council said Wednesday.

Proficiency and capturing the chance

Iraqi officials escape people's questions by presenting excuses for their inabilities and lack of proficiencies in reforming ministerial duties. They need to provide municipal services for the Iraqi people.

Millions of Iraqis complain of the lack of services, yet officials give more excuses and ignore their duty to the Iraqi people. Iraqi officials must explain these excuses; otherwise the technical and administrative problems they mention do not really exist. It is the responsibility of the officials to find solutions for people's problems.

Officials must realize that an administrative position means having the ability to manage the institution and not possessing the capability to create excuses to "zip people's mouths" when they complain. Many officials have reached a point where they are required to allow others to replace them. The ideal administrative management in any institution is the one that has the ability to manage and control crises.

To obtain support for the new Iraq, the Iraqi government must put in place figures that could take Iraq from the current situation of corruption and non-proficiency and solve the people's problems.

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Power and strength are terms interpreted differently according to each country. For dictatorships, power means the domination of one political party and oppression in all aspects of life, whereas for democracies, variation of political parties represents its strength.

Force is the last technique to bring democracy, unless the government of a country, in addition to the military, is committed to apply the constitution transparently and accurately, al-Sabaah newspaper of the Iraqi government said Wednesday.

How to strengthen Iraq?

Some governments believe that strength comes from the military and the use of weapons. There are governments with strong armies and weapons that terrify people both inside and outside their country. In most cases, these countries suffer from serious problems with their people.

These problems are represented by the mistrust of the people, which leads to instability and other countless problems. The Middle East is a good example of a group of balanced countries in terms of owning weapons and armies as a means of strength. This balance should bring attention to the democratic process, not power, to achieve success in all aspects of life.

In a region where most countries are open to all possibilities, a well-trained and well-equipped army is important to defend sovereignty, borders and the interests of a country. However, Iraq must avoid a regional arms race. Instead, Baghdad has to consider that Iran has crossed several hurdles in building a strong army and maintaining an advanced weapons program.

Iraq can strengthen its position in the region and defend its sovereignty and interests when it strengthens society by building trust among various components.

The government of the new Iraq makes decisions, but then refuses to answer questions regarding their implementation all in the name of democracy. The decision to buy advanced weapons from foreign countries, for example, is unconstitutional. Its seriousness is that it pushes Iraq into a state of instability and creates conflicts with neighboring countries.