Iraq Press Roundup

The Saudi-based Al Baser newspaper carried an editorial Wednesday with the headline "Resisting the occupation doesn't come through negotiations."

"If people are not sure the occupation and the political process are two faces for the same coin dividing and dominating Iraq they should forget the word resistance," it said.

It said there was no reconciliation between the occupiers and the resistance, and if it happened, it meant one side went to support the other.

"The word reconciliation here means betrayal or illegitimate negotiations because the reasons for the disputes -- the occupiers and their political process -- are still present," it said.

The paper said the U.S. occupation had achieved tactical successes through the troop surge and by allying with tribesmen by taking advantage of disputes between tribes and jihadists.

The paper also said the U.S. "success" could be attributed to the "lighting of the match" between the Sunnis and Shiites in Baghdad, leading to people leaving the city and seeking a safe haven.

"The number of displaced Iraqis reached 5.7 million inside and outside Iraq," the paper said.

It said the the United States "succeeded" when it cut entire areas in Mosul, Dyala and Saladin provinces and handed them over to "Barzani's militia" that cooperate with the occupiers.

The paper accused the United States of letting the Badr militia, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council's army, to cooperate with U.S. private security companies to provoke the sectarian war, which strengthens the occupiers and weakens the resistance.

"It has become clear that the Samara shrine explosion was planned by the U.S. and Iranian intelligence and carried out by mercenaries. … This reveals there is a mutual interest between the U.S. and Iran to light the sectarian war in Iraq."

It also said the core of U.S. policy was to say the current struggle was being caused by Iraqis. It said the Iraqi resistance hadn't been weakened despite its disunity.

"The Iraqi resistance is working theoretically to build a wider national front to defeat the occupier and build an Iraq that is resistant to all kinds of divisions," it said.

It said the occupation had only brought an exodus from the country and destruction.