Iraq Press Roundup

Iraqis reacted to the election of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as the 44th president of the United States with mixed sentiments. While many see the policies of an Obama administration as the foundation for an American revival, others think their interests will be ruined by his presidency.

U.S. President George Bush is leaving the White House the same way former President Bill Clinton did while the situation in Iraq deteriorates, the Sunni al-Mashriq newspaper said Monday.

Obama: Iraqis between optimism and pessimism

As President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to move into the White House, many Iraqi politicians fear their homes in the Green Zone, the fortified home of the Iraqi government in Baghdad, may crumble. Other politicians, however, are hopeful as their potential to ascend to their dream positions may come to fruition.

But none of the Iraqis, who are themselves desperate for "change," hold Obama in high regard out of fear he will turn his focus on the interests of his people. As an African-American, Obama will put equality for all African-Americans ahead of his national policy, leaving Iraqis as a secondary concern, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, if the president-elect holds to his promise of pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq, it will be only to diminish American losses on the ground, not to end the suffering of the Iraqi people.

The independent Azzaman newspaper said Monday the Iraqi government has no other option but to sign the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement now that Barack Obama is the U.S. president-elect.

The fate of the SOFA through the times of the Democrats

The security pact is likely to be passed by Iraqi lawmakers, as Obama has no say in the agreement -- especially if Baghdad accepts Washington's conditions. The SOFA is in the hands of the Iraqi government to either sign or refuse, and since the power of the government of Baghdad could fade if U.S. forces left, they would be investing in all ways possible to remain in power.

On the other hand, as al-Qaida in Iraq is focusing its efforts almost exclusively on American forces, the retreat of the U.S. military from Iraq may be the only way to reduce the amount of terrorist attacks in the country.

Terrorism is a sweeping classification that refers to any opposing the U.S. occupation. Others, such as those loyal to former dictator Saddam Hussein and rival outlaws, make up the groups the United States didn't anticipate when they invaded Iraq. These groups, though they are low on the list of U.S. priorities, could form a problem in the way Washington sets about achieving its goals in the region.

The incoming Democratic Party, however, must understand the current government in Baghdad may be short-lived, meaning the negotiated Status of Forces Agreement may create problems further down the road.

If the Democratic government in Washington signs the agreement when it takes office, it may contribute to Iraq's instability, the paper said, as terrorist groups will have another reason to go on killing the innocent.

Overcoming the history of racism in the United States, and against the wishes of many, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential race Nov. 4 to become the first African-American elected to the highest office in America, al-Ittihad newspaper of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said Monday.

Choosing Obama as president is a sign of civilization

Analysts and observers of the U.S. presidential election agree that the reason so many Americans voted for Obama is because they were desperate for change, seeing beyond race or age as a determining factor. Added to that is the fact that the American people, young compared to some Arab populations, were able to learn from the lessons of history.

In terms of politics, the newspaper said, the United States is pragmatic.

When the results of the election were announced Nov. 4, John McCain, R-Ariz., the Republican presidential contender, offered an honorable congratulation to Obama and didn't claim the elections were stolen, as would have been the case in the Middle East. Now that the elections are over, Obama is left to manage the serious issues of the economy, the international counter-terrorism effort and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the Iranian nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to name a few.

The expectations for President-elect Obama are high, however, with many hoping he will be able to find magical solutions to the problems frustrating the American public, something the Iraqi people could learn from, the newspaper said.