Opinion: Negotiations in Baghdad
(By Asos Hardi, Awena: February 21, 2006)  There is little possibility that the Iraqi government will be formed. This is not an easy task because not only do the winning coalitions have different views for parliament, but they also are jockeying for power and trying secure influential cabinet posts. Our experience after the fall of Saddam's regime tells us that Kurds and Shias are close to each other, even though their ideologies are different, because both were suppressed under the former regime. They both support federalism, except Sadrists, (led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr) who are a strong part of the Shia alliance. The differences between Sunnis and Shias are too large to overcome. A large number of Sunnis still dream that Sunni superiority will return in Iraq. But all of these factors will not guarantee that Kurds and Shias will secure an agreement. We have the example of Ibrahim al-Ja'afari's government: The Kurds accuse him of authoritarianism, ignoring issues such as Kirkuk and maintain that he has not taken Kurdish views into consideration. Sardists supported Ja'afari and were successful in nominating him for the prime minister's post. Kurds prefer Adel Abdul-Mehdi to take the post. Kurds want (former prime minister) Ayad Allawi to participate in the government, which has created tensions between Kurds and Shias, as Sadrists in the Shia alliance don't want Allawi to hold any post in the next government. In these negotiations there are possibilities that new coalitions will emerge and others will dissolve, especially if the slates can not pave the way for an agreement.
(Awene is issued weekly by Awene company.)

Editorial: Khalilzad: Beware of the Fire
(Al-Bayyan, February 23, 2006, )  (US ambassador to Iraq) Zalmay Khalilzad has undertaken a project to stop a United Iraq Alliance-led Iraqi government even after Iraqis spoke in the elections. This has frustrated the evil power, which has try to ignite sectarianism and which is supported by the Arab and foreign forces that try to destroy the will of the people to choose their representatives. Since arriving in Iraq, the Afghani Khalilzad tried to place obstacles to a United Iraqi Alliance-led government by (saying that) America might accept or reject this leader and might approve or disapprove of that bloc. He tried to ignite a sectarian war among the Iraqi people by targeting the Shia interior minister, who successfully eliminated terrorism. The American pressure on the defence and interior ministries encouraged sectarian blocs to commit their deadly crimes. They targeted the Ali al-Hadi and Hassan al-Askeri shrine in Samarra, which Muslims in general and Shias particularly consider sacred. We warn America and the occupiers that the Middle East's oil will burst at any time, and America will be the first to suffer.
(Al-Bayyna is a weekly paper issued by the Hezbollah movement in Iraq.)

Opinion: Dancing with the Devil
(By Jasim al-Sageer, Al-Taakhi, February, 22, 2006)  The outer and inner forces of darkness have come together to kill both life and truth in Iraq. Some of the Arab elite and educated individuals who supposedly defend reality and humanity stood with that unholy alliance to distort the images of goodness, beauty and justice. They diverted from their morals and embraced dictatorial regimes. The best example of that was the scandal notorious oil-for-food scandal. The secret letters of former intelligence officers revealed that many writers and journalists like Mustafa Bakri, Abdul Bari Atwan, and Faisal al-Kasim were involved in scandal. (The former Iraqi government reportedly paid the writers from oil revenues to show solidarity with the regime). Those people will find themselves in the garbage of history, as did their ancestors who sold themselves to the devil and betrayed their nation.
(Al-Taakhi is issued daily by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.)

Opinion: New Government, Old Missions
(By Mohammed Shafeek, Al-Mada, February 21, 2006)  After the election results were announced, it appeared that the new four-year government would emerge. We do not want to put obstacles in front of this government. The new government will not come from another planet: It should know the details of the Iraqi situation and that terrorism is strong because of the security vacuum. It should be aware of corruption, unemployment, poor general services and polluted drinking water. Conditions will return to normal if all political entities work for the interests of Iraq and for building a democratic united Iraq to bring about progress and prosperity. This does not require more than the acceptance of one another and holding dialogue. The new government should aid Iraqis and rid them of their problems and crises. Iraqis have suffered a lot and worked hard to put the country's interests before their own, hoping to see Iraq as it was: prosperous and rich from its resources.
(Al-Mada is issued daily by Al-Mada institution for Media, Culture, and Arts.)

Editorial: Hope of the Iraqis
(By Ismail Zair, Al-Sabah al-Jadeed, February 20, 2006)  Will the hope of Iraqis, which spread throughout Iraq after more than 12 million citizens took part in the elections, vanish just like that? Are we really back to square one after weeks of waiting in agony for the election results to be investigated by local and foreign teams and ratified? All Iraqis urge their leaders to settle the issue -- to start building and working, and not to waste any more time. Iraqis are depressed about events on the ground as the world cautiously waits for the outcome of dialogues and negotiations. Iraq may gradually slide into a new cold war if Iraqis, especially those who abide by democracy, do not stand together to stop the deterioration. We need all parties to create practical solutions to solve our overwhelming dilemma.
(Al-Sabah al-Jadeed is an independent daily paper.)

Editorial: Jails
(By Mohammad Abdul Jabbar al-Shaboot, Al-Sabah, February, 20, 2006)  There cannot be talk of democracy unless human rights are intact. Human rights constitute the backbone of a fair and just democracy. And there is no talk about human rights unless they can guarantee rights for the weakest individuals. The strongest individuals can protect their rights because they are from rich families, hold high-ranking posts or they are socially strong and can defend their rights. Only the weak are liable to having their rights violated, especially in the new transition to democracy in which the understanding of citizenry and human rights are still incomplete and fragile. One of the worst types of human weakness is the "arrest" in which one does not have the rights or the means to defend himself and ensure that his rights are not violated. This is exactly what happened in the US prison in Iraq, Abu Ghraib, where serious human rights violations took place. The photos of the abuse of Iraqis were published in the foreign press. Those pictures showed the uncivilized way the American troops treated Iraqis, and those who were charged did not face penalties. There is no way to justify or to accept the inhumane American behaviour toward the Iraqi detainees.
(Al-Sabah is a daily independent publicly owned newspaper.)