AMMAN, Jordan, May 23 (UPI) -- Arab press roundup for May 23:
Jordan's ad-Dustour blasted Tuesday the killing of a Jordanian driver in Gaza during armed clashes between Palestinian Hamas and Fatah gunmen as an attack on Jordan itself. The mass-circulation daily, which describes itself as independent but is partially owned by the government, insisted the man was killed as a "price for Jordan's honorable positions." The paper's editorial said the kingdom will not accept accusations against unknown people for having killed Khaled Radaideh, the driver of the head of Jordan's representation office in Gaza, adding that condemnations alone will not suffice. It said the killers expressed their hatred towards Jordan by assassinating Radaideh, and urged "those who admitted to the presence of al-Qaida in Gaza to review the reading of the smuggled weapons to Jordan, the new alliances and the chaos." Jordan has accused Hamas elements of smuggling weapons into the kingdom and plotting to target local installations and security officials.
The Palestinian al-Ayyam daily warned of serious repercussions unless there is reasonable intervention in the internal Palestinian conflict by all parties. The West Bank-based daily, with close links to the Fatah faction, said there is a shared responsibility to defuse the growing tension before it's too late. It urged starting by "giving ourselves a truce to stop the hostile instigation through the media and using the mosques to promote a spirit of cooperation, tolerance and unity to confront the external dangers." The paper also suggested referring power and jurisdiction disputes to independent legal commissions to decide their legitimacy and to punish those who violate the truce. "These steps are necessary to create an atmosphere of trust to allow a constructive dialogue to get out of the crisis," the paper's commentary said, adding that such confidence-building measures were needed before a national dialogue is convened. It argued the national dialogue has several options to find an exit from the internal Palestinian power struggle, including forming a new national unity government with an agenda acceptable at home, by the Arabs and the international community. Another option is to keep the current (Hamas) government and to act as a government for all, rather than one representing one movement, it said, adding that another non-partisan technocratic, independent "salvation government" could be formed. Or, the paper suggested, the dialogue could agree to hold fresh elections to choose a president and a legislative council.
Lebanon's an-Nahar commented that while the formation of a new Iraqi government was a positive step, the prime minister's failure to appoint the most important ministers related to security is not promising. The mass-circulation daily said the Cabinet was formed after arduous negotiations among the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, but failing to agree on the three security ministries shows that sectarian differences remain. It argued that bringing Iraq's former interior minister, after having been notorious for unleashing death squads, as the new finance minister was not a positive message for the Iraqis. In addition, it said, the first permanent and elected government since the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime three years ago has a virtually impossible task that requires it to review the constitution the Sunnis say give the Shiites and Kurds dominant power over the oil resources and divides the country. The prime minister and government, it insisted, should also answer questions on how they intends to dismantle the armed militias.
The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi said Kuwait is witnessing a political war between the opposition and government, although such wars are not new to the oil-rich emirate. The independent Palestinian-owned daily commented that this "new war" came early after a "honeymoon that was expected to last longer after the unity between the government and opposition over the Iraqi invasion" of Kuwait in 1990 and resorting to U.S. military help. It blamed the government for creating the current crisis over the number of voting districts and the dissolution of Parliament. It said the reformist opposition should also be partially blamed for the crisis by insisting on cross-examining the prime minister in Parliament "during such tense circumstances." It predicted both sides will lose from their confrontation, but that the government had more resources and political tools to "heal its wounds faster." In any case, the paper concluded, the political events in Kuwait are healthy and reflect a "democratic trend that is rare in the Gulf region, even though it remains a democracy under the umbrella of American occupation."
Oman's al-Watan daily commented that events in Afghanistan are similar to those in Iraq in terms of continuous attacks against the foreign forces, saying the American-led foreign troops in the central Asian country are now on full alert. The pro-government paper said the United States fears that it will need to seek help from Afghanistan's neighbors, as the case in Iraq. While Pakistan is ready to lend a helping hand to the Americans, it said, the country has to make a "thousand calculations" before it does so. The daily insisted the American predicament in Afghanistan has become very clear as it has become clear in Iraq, adding that as long as the wars in these countries are extended, the United States has to resort to Afghanistan and Iraq's neighbors.
