Iraq Press Roundup

When will Iraq enjoy peace and progress?

As promised by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, there has been a decline in terrorist and militia attacks as the security environment improves, al-Sabaah al-Jadeed said Friday.

The situation in Iraq, though stable, requires constant analysis and examination in order to ensure gains continue. The Iraqi people played a major role in the security situation as they routed out insurgents as public optimism increased. This optimism, in turn, brought higher employment rates and an increased standard of living for Iraqis.

These gains are fragile, however. Some have expressed concern that the security situation could deteriorate as Iraq moves forward under the Status of Forces Agreement with the United States. In order to guarantee Iraq progresses under the SOFA, sectarian and ethnic political parties must be replaced by competent lawmakers in order to achieve national reconciliation.

Settling the dispute between the federal and Kurdish governments is another important step in securing Iraq, as well as encouraging a bustling business environment. Most importantly, however, the government needs to work toward resettling displaced persons to help rebuild the war-torn country.

What kind of Iraq exists after five years of occupation?

The global economic downturn may add to the list of growing challenges as the Iraqi government struggles to confront the occupation and terrorist groups, al-Basaer said Friday.

Lawmakers in Baghdad are preoccupied with keeping their position in office and are paying little attention to the decline in oil prices, which has a direct impact on the Iraqi economy. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is oblivious to the fact that a declining budget for 2009 is spilling over to reconstruction funds and other state coffers.

Meanwhile, billions of dollars that were set aside for reconstruction projects launched in 2003 were wasted or disappeared because of government corruption, the newspaper of the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars said.

While lawmakers are stealing public funds to set up overseas bank accounts, Finance Minister Bayan Jabr suggested Iraq might need additional loans to pay government expenses amid declining wages.

The Iraqi people, however, lack the basic necessities to lead a dignified life. Electricity in Baghdad is on for no more than eight hours a day, while healthcare is non-existent due to national staff and equipment shortages. Meanwhile, a lack of municipal services is contributing to a general suffering and an outbreak of disease.

More than 70 percent of Iraqis live on less than $20 a month, and considering most families consist of at least six people, roughly 17 million Iraqis live on $1 per day. The government in Baghdad ignores this by guaranteeing a campaign budget for provincial elections later in January, leaving the Iraqi people five years after the invasion with a gloomy future.

The curse of Iraqi retired and the results of unemployment

Iraqi people suffer not just from car bombs and ethnic cleansing campaigns, but also from a lack of fuel, soaring prices and skyrocketing unemployment, Sot al-Iraq said Friday.

The retired community in Iraq is one of the hardest hit. The elderly are forced to stand in long lines to receive paltry pensions once every two months. Plans for a government-backed loan program are ill advised, as the elderly have little resources to pay back the high-interest loans. It is inconsiderate of Baghdad to boast of improved economic conditions when the people get little attention.

In Western countries, the retired class receives special attention for its services, but the situation in Iraq is different despite the insistence on compassion for the elderly under Islamic customs.

The retired are unable to provide an education for the youth, who in turn take to the streets in an effort to earn extra income.

The Iraqi government, however, imposes strict laws against the retired class but gives little attention to corruption among the elites. This leaves conditions ripe for an increase in crime and the likelihood of an insurgency that could send the country back into chaos.

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(Edited by Daniel Graeber)