Iraq Press Roundup

In its editorial with the headline "Tehran's agenda in Iraq, a weapon to kick the U.S. away from its nuclear project," Azzaman newspaper said Wednesday Iraqis, after the change in 2003, faced suffering and pain from many sides.

It said this suffering increases daily due to the religious militias and terrorist acts that destroy Iraq and kill its people under the support of various sides, especially Iran.

"Iran is able through various … ways to achieve many political and economic goals in Iraq," it said.

The editorial said it is clear Iran has a big role in supporting terrorist groups and Iraqi Shiite militias serve Iran's interests.

"Iran interferes to escalate the sectarian and ethnic strife through their militias … who help them to smuggle Iraq's wealth especially from the south of Iraq," it said.

The editorial added that Iran benefits from the chaos, security gap, the Iraqi government's inability to control the country, and the empty political field.

"Iran is trying to build a government and a political system in Iraq following its example," it said.

The paper said Iran uses intelligence forces in Iraq to achieve its ambitions, stepping on the Iraqi people's blood and bodies. … These intelligence elements try day and night to ignite strife among the sects and ethnicities.

"The Iranian intelligence uses the excuse of fighting the American forces to smuggle their terrorists into Iraq to use them as playing cards against the U.S. pressure on Iran's nuclear program," it said.

It said the real reason for Iran's interfere in Iraq is to gain control in the region.

"The increase of chaos in Iraq would turn away international pressure from its nuclear program," it said.

The editorial held the Iraqi government responsible for not condemning Iran or revealing its negative role in Iraq. It said many Iraqi officials deny Iran interferes in Iraqi matters, though, according to Iraqi reports, Tehran has been involved in smuggling oil from the south of Iraq.

"Iran admits their involvement in Iraq but comments they are 'helping' to improve the security situation in Iraq," the paper said.

The London-based newspaper concluded that it has been clear for the Iraqi people that many of the crises in Iraq are caused by Iran, including the assassinations of scientists, professors and journalists.

The paper said Iraqi officials defend Iran, the country that forced the poor and sick of Iraq to compensate it for the Iraqi-Iranian war, though Iran refused to comply with U.N. attempts to stop the war.