Iraq Press Roundup

In its Tuesday editorial, the Kurdish al-Taakhi newspaper highlighted the role the Iraqi government plays in preventing a sectarian war due to its representation of all Iraqis without distinction.

The editorial, titled "The national reconciliation is reassurance for the principles and factors that the government relies on to enforce law and security," said the Iraqi government differentiates between various Iraqi communities only when it considers their capabilities to serve the new Iraq and defend its national interests.

It said the new Iraq, as the cradle of civilization, the sciences and scientists, had faced critical catastrophes in the past, which is evidence of a country led by a government that doesn't represent the will of the people.

"The past regime and its policies forced Iraqis to be involved in several wars and obstacles leading to foreign forces entering Iraq," it said.

It said the people of Iraq have begun their generous effort to bring Iraq back to its position on the international stage, a policy that is less supported by al-Qaida and other enemies of Iraq.

"Those figures," the paper said, in reference to al-Qaida and other armed groups, "started the sectarian strife and brought foreign ideas of violence and terrorism to Iraqi society."

The paper defined the national reconciliation as the consistency of factors and principles upon which a new state is built, such as dialogue and negotiation.

When making a decision, there must be a consideration made for the figures put to a vote because the choice of the Iraqi people is held in high regard.

The Kurdish newspaper called the national reconciliation initiative a "mission" that a wide variety of components in Iraqi society have responded favorably toward, even to the point that tribal figures, non-governmental organizations and religious figures have attended reconciliation conferences.

The newspaper said a positive aspect of achieving national reconciliation is that it took place between the main factions of the Iraqi public before it was transferred to the Iraqi leadership.

It added that acceptance of national reconciliation was expressed when many people throughout the provinces protested against al-Qaida and rejected its murderous ideologies.

Al-Taakhi said Iraq no longer has anything to threaten the security and stability of the region or the world.

It said the national "elected government" of Iraq, through international conferences in Sweden, Kuwait and others, demanded Iraq be excluded from the U.N. Chapter VII mandate when considering its international debt obligations.

It said the national reconciliation is not an appeasement process between disputed parties as much as a commitment to comply with national interests, the rule of law, a rejection of violence and terrorism and a respect for diversity and other opinions.

"The most prominent success the Iraqi national unity government has gained is saving the country from sectarian war," the newspaper said, ignoring the civil conflicts of 2006.

Al-Taakhi praised the efforts of the Iraqi government in enforcing the law and maintaining security in many Iraqi cities and called these steps along the "right path" to "control" the security situation and "defeat" terrorist organizations.

"There is no doubt," it said of the current security situation, "that the feeling of stability is concrete in many Iraqi cities."

The Baghdad-based newspaper concluded that all political blocs and parties have agreed to support the government in its national security efforts to unite the visions of all parties to accomplish broader goals.