AMMAN, Jordan, June 7 (UPI) -- Arab press roundup for June 7:
The London-based ash-Sharq al-Awsat said in a commentary Wednesday the Iranian government was like a good carpet seller trying to get the highest price for his rug as it waits for the highest offer from the international community over its nuclear program. It said the "goodies" the West is offering are still not acceptable to the Iranians because they want more. The Saudi-owned daily opined that if Tehran was given a choice between enrichment (of uranium) or an attractive reward, it would choose the latter, adding that Iran is not totally against the concept of stopping its enrichment. It said Tehran has big ambitions and is seeking a high economic, technical and political price to give up its program. The paper, distributed in most Arab capitals, added the country is insisting its nuclear program is a security necessity that is not negotiable, yet it is negotiating and is rejecting every offer it is receiving. It said the Islamic Republic has managed to buy time as it tries to get the best deal possible.
Egypt's opposition al-Wafd commented the Israeli "enemy" continues to show belligerence of power on the border by killing Egyptian troops every now and then without even apologizing. The daily complained the Israelis get away with "these crimes" because the Egyptian government does not want to lose its role as a mediator between the Israelis and the Palestinians, as if saying "let our sons go to hell. Because we receive the Israeli prime minister in our country, there is no need to ruin the atmosphere or create problems that could foil the visit," it said sarcastically. The paper, mouthpiece for the opposition al-Wafd Party, said Egypt prefers its historic role played in Sharm el-Sheik by inviting Israeli and Palestinian officials and for photo ops. It insisted that Israel knows very well that the blood of its own people is much more valuable than the blood of the Egyptian, and that's why it "commits these crimes and violations."
Kuwait's as-Siyassah commented the political and security failure in Iraq has directly affected all efforts for change in the Arab world and gave breathing space for all the repressive regimes. The pro-government daily said the failure in Iraq has affected the work of Syrian opposition leaders, adding they have a right to find all means to try to stop their country from turning into another Iraq. That's why, it argued, the Syrian regime "has nothing better to talk about than the Iraqi failure and the ugly myth that says the collapse of the Syrian Baath regime means the start of a civil war and additional chaos in the region." However, the paper said, while the sectarian diversity is also seen in Syria, the level of education and national allegiance among the Syrians is different than those among Iraqis. It added that unlike Iraq, Syrian opposition leaders have no allegiances to other countries in the region. "Our people (Arabs) are not like those in eastern Europe, for we are heavy with the heritage of religion, sect and fate," it said, adding that generations have been raised under dictatorships and repression. The daily stressed that the "whips of the mukhabarat (intelligence) will not vanish with a remote control and with demands from air conditioned hotels, but through struggle in the streets and international support from the powers of freedom." As for the bashful demands for reform, it said, they will only extend dictatorships.
The Oman daily said all the upheavals and crises in the Arab world in recent decades have not shaken the Arab silence and today the Arab regimes watch to see when a Palestinian civil war erupts without doing anything to try to stop it. The Arabic-language paper warned the continued Palestinian differences could unleash many problems for the Arab countries that could detonate the "Palestinian bomb planted" all across the Arab world. It said the explosion of the "Palestinian bomb" would add security burdens on countries that accommodate Palestinian communities that cannot remain silent over what is happening to their people. It argued that important Arab capitals are not taking into consideration the dangers they face if they don't intervene in the Palestinian issue. The daily said the fighting in Somalia is a reality and the fighting in Iraq is imposed and out of the control of the Arabs, but they can do something by not listening to the Americans and provide financial assistance to the Palestinians.
Jordan's independent al-Ghad published a cartoon criticizing the 22-member Arab League for pretending that crises, wars and hunger don't exist among member states to avoid doing anything about them. The cartoon shows an empty vault with a "Palestine" caption, an empty plate and spoon representing Somalia and four dismembered heads on the ground with a caption indicating Iraq. Facing the vault, plate and heads stands an ostrich with its head in the sand with a caption pointing to it reading "the Arab League."
