Iraq Press Roundup

Arguments during the lost time

Disputes among the various political parties in Iraq reveal a level of distrust that, if anything, divided the country along ethnic and sectarian lines, opening the door to further crisis as loyalties begin to solidify.

The growing rift between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite, and his Kurdish President, Jalal Talabani, shows the division emerging in the national leadership, Sot al-Iraq said Tuesday.

Maliki is facing pressure from Talabani over so-called Support Councils, which Talabani says are an illegal security force set up by the Iraqi premier.

Even though Maliki does not represent the entire Arab population, nor Talabani the Kurds, the growing tension between the two makes the people less hopeful for a united Iraq.

The Iraqi people display a great deal of national pride, but it is the growing tension among the Iraqi leaders that is having a negative impact on a society that wants only peace and harmony, the news service said.

Talabani and Maliki, therefore, should work together for the national interest and not focus on their differences.

The Iraqi brave resistance and the coming stage

The Iraqi resistance has been influential in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

American forces are still chasing members of the resistance and accusing them of attacking Iraqi civilians nearly six years after U.S. forces occupied Iraq, the Sunni al-Ittijah al-Akhar newspaper said Tuesday.

Fighters with the resistance turn their weapons only on occupation forces and their puppets in Iraq, the newspaper said. The resistance, though, is divided with varied ideologies, methods of attack and a wide range of alignments.

The resistance, however, has not lost its battle despite false accusations and claims. Many fighters from the former Baathist regime, the Republican Guards and other special units have all been equipped and trained to fight the occupation until the last foreign soldier leaves Iraq.

All resistance groups have been honorable in their attacks against occupation forces and their collaborators despite the broad policy scope among fighters. The Iraqi resistance remains active and will not hesitate to fight the foreign occupation, the newspaper of the Iraqi Homeland Party said.

The Iraqi government therefore is warned against supporting the occupation or it will be judged harshly once the day of liberation comes.

Reformation comes from the inside

International leaders and analysts portrayed the U.S. presidential contest as a global issue throughout the duration of the campaign.

It is the Arab world, however, that is unaware of the strategic game being played out between the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States, al-Bayyna newspaper of the Iraqi Hezbollah said Tuesday.

The bipartisan bickering in the public eye was for the benefit of the American people to portray an image of democracy and tolerance of rival opinions.

Iraq, for its part, was influenced the most by the U.S. presidential elections due to the pledged withdrawal plan promised by the U.S. president-elect. Barack Obama, however, is more likely to advocate the agenda of the current U.S. government instead of working for the benefit of Iraq.

This serves as a lesson to the Iraqi people, as there is no harm in collaborating with adversaries, especially since aggression brings only more bloodshed and instability to the country.

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(Edited by Daniel Graeber)