2 April

By Daniel Kimmage

Britain's "Al-Quds" (Palestinian expatriate): The editors see a parallel between the conduct of American forces in Iraq and Israeli actions in the occupied territories.

     "The most recent massacre occurred in the evening the day before yesterday [31 March] and claimed the lives of a family of seven, mainly of women and children. It is only the latest in a string of such massacres. It differs from the others only in that American forces killed the people in cold blood when a tank opened fire on a civilian vehicle under the pretext that it failed to stop at a coalition military checkpoint.

     "The massacre reminds us of the massacres that Israeli forces commit on an almost daily basis against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We would not be surprised if American forces had trained under the Israelis to commit such massacres, or if Israeli forces were putting on American military uniforms to carry out this slaughter."

Syria's "Tishreen": The editors draw a connection between Israel and what is happening in Iraq.

     "International inspectors testified that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction. Yet it is enduring an American invasion and missile and bomb strikes from land, sea, and air. Its cities and villages are being destroyed, and its people killed under the pretext of removing proscribed weapons. Meanwhile, 'Israel' actually possesses such weapons and develops more of them every hour. Moreover, it is waging a genocidal war against the Palestinian people, refuses to obey international laws and resolutions, and openly challenges the United Nations....

     "...'Israel' is the only danger to the region. It stands at the head of every conspiracy against the Arabs. No one can separate the current aggression against Iraq from Israel's plans of aggression against the Arabs. It is a double danger, and the Arab countries and the greater Arab nation have an obligation to challenge this American aggression."

Algeria's "Liberte" (Francophone): Achour Mouloud foresees a long conflict and worries about civilian casualties.

     "Less than two weeks after the beginning of hostilities, coalition members, with [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair at the forefront, are realizing that their strategy of 'restoring Iraq's freedom' has failed miserably. This admission is in and of itself terribly disturbing because it indicates the beginning of a protracted conflict. It will only worsen the murderous folly of those soldiers who thought that they would finish off Baghdad in a few days. It reminds us that the Americans are said to have sent 10,000 body bags to Iraq on the eve of Desert Storm [1991] in anticipation of losses among GI's and Marines....

     "...They are now straining to dig up proof that the shells that devastated the market in Baghdad did not belong to the coalition. If this is so, what origin should one attribute to the bullets that riddled bus passengers in Najaf?"

Saudi Arabia's "Al-Watan": The editors lament the intransigence of the Iraqi regime.

     "It is a strange regime. Even as it drowns, in its last gasps it keeps on attacking others for the mess it has gotten itself into. Saudi Arabia made, and continues to make, every effort to stop this destructive war, leaving no stone unturned in its quest to save the Iraqi people. [Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin] Ramadan then appears to speak of the regime's 'heroic deeds' and to attack others. We can only express our sympathy for the Iraqi people, who have endured the oppression, crimes, and treachery of this regime only to suffer now the burden of this destructive war. Despite all the lies, Saudi Arabia will continue to work to save the fraternal Iraqi people, for we want them to emerge from the crisis with a greater sense of unity in order to rebuild their country and break free from the oppression of tyrants."