AMMAN, Jordan, June 6 (UPI) -- Arab press roundup for June 6:
Jordan's ad-Dustour commented Tuesday that the killing of eleven university students in Iraq, targeting professors, scholars and former army officers, cutting off heads and car bombs were organized crime to settle old scores. The mass-circulation daily said in its editorial the systematic killings don't seem to have anything to do with the ongoing political struggle, but are aimed at liquidating accomplished individuals. The paper, which describes itself as independent but is partially owned by the government, insisted that whether the Iraqi people are divided according to their sect, they are all victims of mass killings carried out by different parties. "It is unfortunate that some areas have now become labeled according to sect and ethnic backgrounds," it said, "and we no longer see the principle of a national government." The daily argued the results of a civil war are clear before its wide scale eruption, adding that those who plan to kill want to expand the "circle of fire to carry out liquidations and settling scores." It said there must be a neutral non-government party that can discover who is killing through the identity of the targeted victims and to punish them.
Bahrain's al-Ayam daily accused the United States of committing war crimes in Iraq, saying the disclosed massacres at the hands of U.S. troops were just the tip of the iceberg. The pro-government paper commented the "crimes in Haditha and Ishaqiya, in which tens of children, women and innocent civilians were killed, is one of the ugliest crimes in the history of wars, committed by American troops in the 21st Century in cold blood, to avenge the death of one solider who was killed." It complained the massacres indicate these soldiers "have lost their humanity and prove they are forced to wage this war under the orders of the masters in the White House and their gangs... especially the war minister, Donald Rumsfeld, who has justified all the unprecedented inhuman measures and torture his troops commit." The daily insisted the American leaders in Washington approve of war crimes committed by their troops because of the "ridiculous courts" trying these soldiers. It criticized the Pentagon for trying to justify the acts of its troops in Iraq, although television footage has clearly shown that war crimes are committed.
Qatar's al-Watan said in a commentary that while the United States was not on its way to defeat in Iraq, it wasn't on its way to victory either. The pro-government daily added the mistake the Americans made in using force to topple Saddam Hussein's regime "are no longer aware of what they say or understand the repercussions of their decision." It argued the United States is trying to find an exit strategy out of Iraq, saying that an early withdrawal, "amid increasing corpses," means Washington has failed in achieving its declared political goals in Iraq. At the same time, the Iraqi state has failed to stand on its feet, adding that an American withdrawal before "accomplishing the mission means Washington will leave Baghdad on fire and escape, blaming the Iraqis for its failure." It insisted there are no solutions for Iraq, but that worse days are ahead after the new constitution, elections and governments have failed to achieve anything for the country. The daily said the "American escape" would mean leaving Iraq in total chaos for sectarian and civil fighting and terrorists, adding what is happening now is already a civil war that will escalate after an American withdrawal. "This is not an American defeat in a military sense, but a defeat in other terms: A defeat in the greater Middle East plan; in the idea of trying to plant and impose democracy on people; a defeat in the right-wing ideas and extremist thoughts; and a defeat in the principle of political pluralism," it insisted. The paper added the biggest defeat for the Arab nation is the total disintegration of Iraq.
Lebanon's Daily Star criticized Palestinian leaders for waging wars against each other and abandoning their attempts to retrieve their territories from Israeli occupation 39 years after they were captured. The independent English-language paper said that while Hamas came to power on promises to fight corruption and provide security and stability, it is proving to be no different than its predecessors in Fatah. It argued that Hamas promised an "efficient and clean Islamic government," but that Palestinian killing and threats against other Palestinians "is anything but Islamic." It insisted that no good can come out of Palestinian infighting, as "we have seen in Jordan and in Lebanon," adding that "such fratricidal conflicts only distract the Palestinian people from the objective of Palestinian statehood and undercut support for the Palestinian cause in the wider Arab world." The daily stressed that Hamas leaders will need to quickly move to salvage their credibility and make good on their promise to deliver better governance to their people.
The United Arab Emirates' al-Khaleej said the Palestinians have no other choice but to make their dialogue succeed if they want to contain internal fighting and struggles. The pro-government daily added in its editorial the leaders should have worked to prevent chaos and sedition to alleviate the pressures from the Israelis and Americans by strengthening their national unity and unifying their strategic, political, security, economic and social positions. It criticized the leaders, whether in government or opposition, for behaving as if they are not responsible and being preoccupied in factional struggles, saying the "enemy is waiting for internal fighting to wash its hands off the Palestinian blood and Palestinian cause." The paper said the dialogue might bring hope of real awareness on where the Palestinian issue stands and the threats facing it. It added there was still time to make the dialogue work and to save the Palestinians and their cause from collapse.
