Iraq Press Roundup

The Saudi-based al-Basaer newspaper, published by the influential Sunni religious group the Association of Muslim Scholars, said in its editorial Tuesday that confusion about the current situation in Iraq is created by the U.S. occupiers and those who support them -- a none-too-veiled reference to the Iraqi government.

The editorial with the headline "With or against the occupier's project" said that the confusion is created to marginalize the people's will by distracting their representatives with fake crises or minor issues, preventing them from attending to the main matter, which is the occupation of Iraq.

"In order for the occupier to accomplish their goals, they, with the assistance of their Iraqi supporters, tend to portray to the public opinion that the problem in Iraq is caused by interior and sectarian conflicts," the newspaper said.

It added that the occupiers aroused people against each other with promises of "human rights" and "representation" in the government, yet in reality ended by following their own agendas.

Targeting Iraqi population centers had been done since the first days of the occupation, the editorial said, under the propaganda of "liberation," "spreading democracy" and "human rights."

Recent military operations in the cities of Fallujah, Dyala, Mosul and several areas in Baghdad were similar to the extent that the public in Iraq know the reason any Iraqi city would be targeted before a military operation starts, the newspaper said.

"The main reason for carrying out offensives in Basra, Baghdad's Sadr City and Mosul is to send away those who disagree with the occupier's projects," it said.

The paper addressed the offensive in Mosul and said that the first two Iraqi citizens killed there by the U.S.-backed Iraqi forces were a woman and her child sitting in a car.

"When the Iraqi and U.S. forces were asked why an unarmed woman with her child was blown up in her car, the response was that the car they were sitting in was an insurgency target," it added.

The paper also said that such excuses would be used for atrocities that the occupier will carry out against women, children and the old -- in addition to accusing any young people targeted of being "figures involved in terrorist actions."

It added that "Iraqi's human rights, insurgency and terrorism" are terms used to cover up the occupier's major crime, which is the occupation of Iraq.

"The occupier and those who helped them in the assaulting of the cities of Iraq and implementation of collective punishments will fail with the unity of the Iraqi people that can defeat the occupier's plans to dominate Iraq," the paper said.

The paper demanded that the Arab countries differentiate between allegations and facts and take the occupation of Iraq in their consideration.

"The occupation of Iraq project affects not only Iraq but other Arab countries as well, because it is meant to dominate the region" and make clear that "any Arab country could be assaulted next. ... The Arab countries must play their role in opposing the occupation project," the paper concluded.