2 May

By Daniel Kimmage

Egypt's "Algomhuria": Muhammad al-Izbi describes mounting tension between U.S. troops and Iraqis.

     "Another incident demonstrates the [Americans'] bad intentions and instructions to kill Iraqis who protest or lift up their heads. In one small town, the occupiers chose a school for their military barracks. The message was: 'The hell with learning, let pupils, teachers, and those in charge salute.' For a while, the people in this Iraqi town assumed that the presence of American forces in the school would be temporary. Classes would resume when it came to an end. But things stayed the same, angering the population and leading to a peaceful demonstration of only 200 people. They demanded a withdrawal from the school, not the city or the country. They were met with American bullets that killed 15 young men and children. The Americans claimed that Iraqis started the violence, while accurate reports confirmed that [the Iraqis] were unarmed innocents. The occupation of Iraq will not be a walk in the park for the Americans!"

Britain's "Al-Quds al-Arabi": Tariq Masarwa discusses how Syria should react to recent U.S. demands.

     "There are many intelligent people in the leadership in Damascus. If they are prepared to gamble that the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution [in Iraq], with support and coordination from Iran, will create difficulties for the American-British occupation of Iraq, then they will have reasonable room to maneuver as they deal with American demands and Israeli threats. Damascus is prepared to close the border with Iraq, hand over fleeing [Iraqi] leadership figures, evict the Palestinian resistance from Damascus, and even to remove the Syrian army from Lebanon. But it is not ready or willing to break up Hizballah."

Qatar's "Al-Watan": Bassam Duww sees one form of despotism replacing another in Iraq.

     "What we and many others expected to happen has happened. The Iraqis emerged from the despotism of Saddam Hussein's regime only to fall under another, similar type of despotism. The difference lies in power, propaganda, and claims. The Americans, who filled the world with their talk of spreading democracy, are working to impose a power structure that will serve their interests. They are holding conferences in order to pave the way for establishing a transition government under their care and supervision. How does this practice of imposition fit in with the concept of democracy? How does freedom flourish in the shadow of occupation? How can any democracy emerge unless it is domestic in its identity and rooted in the nation's heritage and people?"

Britain's "Al-Sharq al-Awsat": Al-Sirr Sayyid Ahmad predicts that the oil industry will play a key role in Iraqi politics.

     "The [Iraqi] authorities will find that they need to assert their own national identity and show that they are not subordinate to Washington. This will lead them to adopt policies that may not necessarily agree with American aims. It would seem that the Iraqi oil industry, with its history of technical proficiency, patriotism, and professionalism, is the most likely to lead the push for independence in the new Iraq. It also appears that the region is likely to enter an extended political game in which the oil factor will be the most potent weapon. The use of this factor requires an ability to cope with a changing reality while maintaining the oil industry's competitiveness. It is even more important to minimize the people's dependence on oil so that a one-dollar drop in the price of oil does not become an economic, and perhaps even a political, concern. This is what is likely to happen if economic growth fails to keep pace with a rapidly expanding population."