Iraq Press Roundup

The Kurdish Al Ahali Newspaper said Thursday that after Turkish forces carried out their military campaign against Iraqi land, they decided to stop.

The paper said answers to questions such as why the Turkish forces invaded the Iraqi land, what they achieved and why they withdrew, vary.

"Turkey's strong and independent media, as well as research and civil society organizations, have started asking questions," it said.

The paper said U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced -- addressing the Kurds -- that force only doesn't solve the problem, adding there is a need for "political" and "economic" projects.

"This is a bad advice to be given to the Turks; neither military force nor political and economic projects can solve the Turks' problems with their Kurds," it commented.

It said "Turkey has the opportunity to use the one project to solve the one problem: The solution is to acknowledge the rights of the Kurds in Turkey."

Al Ahali Newspaper said it is the Kurds' opportunity to give up their weapons.

It said at the same time we ask the Turks to give up their military operations, we ask Turkey's Kurds to give up the military option and look for other means.

"The world, including Iraq Kurdistan region, will support a people who demand their rights," it said.

Kitabat Newspaper had an editorial criticizing Shiites and Kurds for the failure of the U.S.-led "liberation."

With the headline, "The U.S. occupation is a shame that crowns the Kurds' and the Shiites' turbans," the editorial said after the last U.S. soldier leaves Iraq, which could takes place in one or two decades, the fact that the U.S. existed in Iraq will remain a shame.

"It is a truth that Saddam Hussein's dictatorship and army didn't defend Iraq during the invasion. The strong Iraqi army allowed the U.S. soldiers, who are being attacked, to enter Iraq," the paper said.

The paper said some brave Iraqi soldiers defended Um Qasir in Southern Iraq against U.S. troops while Saddam and his prime minister and leaders hid in "rat" holes.

It also said Iraqi elements who came with the U.S. troops have "sold" Iraq to Iran and the powerful U.S. "empire" that claims it is against Iran while it cooperates with the devil for their dirty interests.

"The U.S. is a female dog that goes out at night to steal our wealth, oil as well as civilization," it said.

The paper held Shiites responsible for the miseries Iraqis face.

"These elements are ineligible to rule the country according to their Shiite law because they kill each other," it said.

"The rulers of Iraq currently, according to events taking place, are Iranians, which is not a shameful thing in terms of civilized humanity, but because they betrayed Iraq by handing their wealth to another country they have no right to rule Iraq except under the U.S. occupation," it said.

"The Kurds decided to distance themselves from the political rotten swage," it said.