Iraq Press Roundup

The Iraqi Hezbollah's Al Baynna Newspaper commented in an editorial Friday on the security situation in Iraq during February and March.

The editorial with the headline "The security situation and the zero point" said the Iraqi government, amid improvement in security in February, celebrated the first anniversary of the successful "surge." It compared the stability of the security situation in February with the rise in violence in March.

"The month of March was the bloodiest month of the year as escalation of violence and terrorist attacks took place in Basra city and then extended to Baghdad when tens of people were killed and wounded in addition to the destruction of public and personal property and belongings," it said.

Al Baynna said the reason for this is the slackness of security forces due to the positive developments in security. It said another was the way the Iraqi government slowed down in improving economic and political developments.

It also said that when the government decided the Multi-National Forces will stay in Iraq, it made people lose trust in their own government's capacity to govern.

"Considering the latest negative events, there is a big chance that the security situation will turn back to the zero point and lead to a more destructive catastrophe," it said.

The Basra-based newspaper said the government has to be serious in dealing with security because if security deteriorates further, the government will be the first victim.

"The role of politicians stays very important in improving the security situation, and the fate of Iraq and the Iraqi people is pawned to them," it concluded.

In its editorial with the title "Matter of Iraq makes us cry and laugh," Shebab Al Iraq newspaper said that war as a strategic option is a serious decision whether it is against a country or an armed group.

The editorial said war is the last option a state should consider, only when all other options are exhausted.

"It is hard to imagine a sovereign, independent, democratic government consider carrying out a war, exposing its people, reputation and interests to such a serious risk," it said, referring to the Iraqi government and its efforts to "stabilize" the situation in Iraq.

It said Iraqis went through the same episode when Saddam Hussein was in power and decided to go to war against Iran.

"Eight years into the war that brought death and destruction, the two sides decided to end it with no winners or losers," it said.

The editorial criticized imbalance between the two sides in the latest conflict in Basra, which resulted in the death of a large number of people. A war needs preparations such as weapons, a trained army and intelligence, it said.

"Sides of a war need to provide the citizens with enough food, ready and equipped hospitals, schools and valid roads," it said

It also said a war requires a suitable internal and external political environment, and should guarantee political support to military operations.

The editorial said that Iraq's military-civil leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, didn't take into consideration any axiom when he announced war in Basra city; instead, he decided that attacking was his only option, the paper said.

"The war resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives in addition to exposing Maliki and his forces' reputation to a great danger," it said.

It said Maliki was overtaken by the Mahdi Army's arming and organizing capacity while he didn't even prepare hospitals for at least the wounded from the Iraqi forces, and that led him to impose a sudden curfew on the city.

It added Maliki couldn't gain the agreement of any political party to carry out the war against the Mahdi Army militia except the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, a party born in Iran that is the only winner of the "pending" war in Basra.