Iraq Press Roundup

Shabab Al Iraq newspaper in a front-page editorial by Ali al-Tuaimaat Monday accused U.S. forces of abuses against Iraqi civilians.

"The U.S. forces are killing and assaulting Iraqi civilians using the name of the freedom of Iraq as an excuse," he said.

The editorial said the "biggest crime against Iraqis was the occupation" and all other crimes seem small in comparison.

"What is frightening is that the more they (the U.S.) fail, the more arrogant and cruel they become," he said.

The editorial also quoted Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former head of U.S. forces in Iraq, as calling the U.S. mission in Iraq "an endless nightmare."

The editorial said Sanchez’s comments did not need to be verified. It is a shock in the face of those who believe the war is a victory against the Iraqi resistance, the editorial said.

The editorial said a U.S. assault in Al Anbar province killed 15 civilians, including women and children.

"They kill civilians and they claim they were al-Qaida members as an excuse to carry out their hateful mass killing against humanity," the editorial said.

Al Sabah Al Jadeed newspaper reported Monday that the U.S. State Department had indefinitely delayed the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad while the Kuwaiti contractor in charge of the project fixes problems.

The paper said the embassy was supposed to open last month but U.S. lawmakers said the contractor’s bad work and worse supervision from the State Department led to the delay.

The Hezbollah movement’s Al Beinaa newspaper reported Monday the Iraqi government was supporting "awakening councils'" and arming tribesmen across Iraq.

The paper said the Iraqi government called for security systems to be in charge of supervising those recruited, demanding that political parties should not interfere with choosing those qualified.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's spokesman said, "Doors are open for all of those who are willing to volunteer according to the conditions that the state has set up."

The paper noted that the United Iraqi Alliance, a Shiite political bloc in Parliament, rejected arming "awakening councils." The UIA sees the predominantly Sunni groups as a "threat to the Iraqi government.”

The UIA also accused tribesmen who formed awakening councils of committing "killings, kidnappings and hijackings of Iraqi civilians."