Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London): Talabani: Let the so-called 'national resistance' join the peaceful process … Iraqi civil defense hands over to coalition forces Iranian rockets – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called on armed insurgents "who call themselves the honorable national resistance to reconsider their position" and join the political process. The U.S.-led coalition forces announced they received 14 Iranian-made, 107-mm rockets recently seized by the Iraqi civil defense.

Al-Gomhuria (Egypt): Sectarian violence restarts in Iraq and mass executions of women – Sectarian violence was renewed across Iraq Thursday, leaving dozens killed and injured, including three bombings targeting liquor stores in Baghdad. Baghdad's morgue said it received in one month alone the bodies of 130 women killed in "honor crimes." In the absence of state authority, Iraqis act on decrees issued by their clerics in cases of suspected adultery and out-of-wedlock sex.

As-Safir (Lebanon): Bush blasts Syria: Stop your interference, and Rice waits for its 'constructive role' in Lebanon – U.S. President George W. Bush took a step contrary to the position taken by the White House and State Department since the assassination of Lebanese army General Francois al-Hajj and issued accusations at Syria. He called on the Lebanese forces allied with Syria to "stop terrorizing," while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed her hope that Damascus would carry out a "constructive role" by encouraging its allies in Lebanon to elect a president.

Al-Hayat (London): Assad on ties with Tehran: Will not shake and to remain strategic – Syrian President Bashar Assad said strategic ties with Iran "will not shake for any reason or under any circumstance," in apparent response to speculation of tensions between Damascus and Tehran after the Syrian participation at the Annapolis Middle East conference. He made his remarks after launching two Iranian projects in Syria, including a car factory.

Al-Rayah (Qatar): Saudi Arabia lifts ban on al-Jazeera and allows it to cover Hajj – The Saudi government has lifted the ban on the entry of the Qatar-based al-Jazeera news channel into the kingdom, granting it permission to participate in covering this month's annual Hajj, or Muslim pilgrimage, in Mecca. The Saudi authorities have for years banned the television network from covering the religious event, in addition to other events, due to what Riyadh saw as biased coverage against it.