Iraq Press Roundup

Al-Iraqi lil Kul wire service said Tuesday that several factors are at play concerning international relations in the Middle East and the precipitous decline in world oil prices.

Arabs, oil and politics

For many countries in the Middle East, oil reserves serve as a tool to generate military deals and political leverage. Iran, the second-largest oil exporting country in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, for example, is one of the most active players in the international arena.

Before oil prices soared to all-time highs in July, Iran used dialogue as its political weapon of choice. Once prices hit $147 a barrel, however, Iran, given its newfound political capital, took the opportunity to issue verbal attacks against the United States.

This policy is disastrous, the newspaper said, as it was the policy of greed and irresponsibility on the part of members of the oil cartel that caused prices to retreat on the world market. OPEC members were previously confident oil would not fall much below $140, but now it seems likely that prices could fall below $40 a barrel as confidence in the economy pushes demand lower.

The relationship between oil and politics is evident in the way the political language of OPEC members softens as oil prices decline. Iran has quit talking about its multibillion-dollar projects, Gulf states are not as generous as they once were, and Russia has retracted from the Middle East altogether.

Al-Ittijah al-Akhar newspaper said Tuesday Washington and Jerusalem are waging military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine because they oppose the policies of U.S. President George Bush.

The defeat starts with statements

Much like it did during the Vietnam War, the United States is continuing with its failed military assaults that only manage to destroy countries and bring instability.

While the news media are busy pointing out their crimes, Washington goes on with its immoral behavior by rejecting defeat and pushing strategic agreements with countries in the Middle East.

Washington no longer can hide its failed policies, as evidenced by the massive multibillion-dollar financial bailout, its disastrous strategy in Iraq and the deteriorating situation in the many other countries it occupies.

Meanwhile, diplomats from U.S. allies are calling on Washington to lower its expectations of moderating the fundamentalist Taliban movement in Afghanistan, a sign of the diminishing relevance of American agendas.

These calls illustrate that the will of the people is often stronger than the plans of the state. If Washington continues to neglect the lessons of the past, however, it is bound to make the same mistakes, the newspaper said.

Addustour newspaper pointed to a case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that found Syrian President Bashar Assad was involved in the 2004 killing of U.S. contractors in Iraq.

Arab and American blood

Operatives with al-Qaida in Iraq in 2004 kidnapped and beheaded two U.S. civilian contractors, Jack Armstrong and Jack Hensley. The court earlier this month found Syria had acted in concert with AQI and entered a $412 million judgment against the government in Damascus. When U.S. forces kill Iraqis, however, their families only get around $2,500, the newspaper said.

Washington is responsible for failing to secure Iraq's borders and allowing terrorist groups and foreign fighters to enter the country. If these U.S. families are getting millions in compensation, it is only fair that all the Iraqi orphans and all the Iraqi widows are compensated for their wounds as well.

Meanwhile, American troops continue attacking and killing Iraqi civilians and other grievous assaults, but they get away with these crimes and are refusing even to comply with Iraqi law.