Iraq Press Roundup

Those who gave up sold their country

Many Iraqi factions were angered by the government's decision to pass the military pact with the United States that replaces the expiring U.N. mandate.

By signing the agreement, the Iraqi Parliament showed its ability to control the situation, yet it forgot it stands accused of historically and nationally selling the country without negotiating a price, the Sunni al-Basaer newspaper of the Association of Muslim Scholars said Friday.

The decision to pass the influential agreement changes little for Iraqi leaders because the language favors U.S. occupation forces. Some of the political parties in Iraq played a game of "political reformation" as an excuse to coerce others to sign on to the agreement.

The Iraqi people, however, will be the only ones to pay the price for the agreement -- more bloodshed -- because the Iraqi government only cared about prolonging the occupation.

The promises made by the Iraqi Parliament regarding the end to the occupation proved false once the pact was signed and ultimately gave a victory to U.S. President George Bush.

The story of the agreement

Disputes over the security pact with Washington escalated to the point where many had believed compromises offered by the United States were nothing more than coverups for the real intentions of the agreement, the Shabab al-Iraq news agency said Friday.

When Tehran formally announced its rejection of the agreement, for example, many had assumed Iran had changed its policy toward Iraq for the better, but those who follow that dynamic had a clearer picture of Iran's real goals.

During negotiations over the agreement in Beirut in 2007, Iraqi officials tried to avoid mentioning Iran, the Iraqi government or the political process during the deliberations, yet many participants denied such conditions existed.

Many parties to the negotiations therefore refused to discuss the agreement on the condition it would have a negative impact on the Iraqi people. Iraqi negotiators in Beirut had hoped to raise the issue that the agreement should not be trusted.

Debates over the issue were only meant to facilitate plans toward passing the agreement and convincing negotiators a pact with the United States was a necessity.

Harming the future of Iraq and violating the constitution

The demographic variance in Iraq is a symbol of its strength and provides a foundation to achieving a balanced and structured democratic society, al-Ittihad newspaper of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said Friday.

Many components in Iraqi society have been marginalized, however. Few opportunities were given to minority communities despite their hopes for equality under the rule of law.

With the formation of a new government, however, the Iraqi minorities will be able to realize equal representation in the government, as the Iraqi Constitution provides fair distribution according to religion, beliefs and sect.

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(Edited by Daniel Graeber)