A roundup of commentary from Arab newspapers on October 12.
Frightening failure of immense proportions
Qatar's Al Rayah commented on a study published in a British medical journal The Lancet that placed the Iraqi death toll at over 650,000 people since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, saying these figures were "frightening."
The semi-official daily argued the study only confirms the failure of the occupation in bringing security to Iraq and the increasingly dangerous situation there.
The paper's editorial said the Iraqi security conditions reveal the failure of foreign forces and the Iraqi government despite tough security measures and the joint military operations. It warned that Iraq stands before destructive danger if its leaders don't "courageously face the situation in a nationalistic way, away from sectarianism."
All Iraqis, the paper said, regardless of sect and ethnic background, are victims of killing, a situation which demands urgent measures to stop the fighting to prevent Iraq from breaking into pieces.
"The Americans and their allies failed in achieving security, while the Iraqis have turned into fighting sects under the protection of the occupation forces," it added. The report in the British journal, the paper said, shows there are Western voices ringing alarm bells over the invasion of Iraq.
Worse days to come for Bush
London-based Al Quds Al Arabi said the study published in the British medical journal The Lancet came at a bad time for US President George W. Bush and his administration.
Such findings, it said, reconfirm that the US administration has lost the war in Iraq and is on the verge of "facing enormous financial compensation and possibly international trials of its figures for war crimes."
The independent Palestinian-owned daily added that this figure in Iraq is proportionally equivalent to 10 million Americans when asked what would be the American people's reaction to the death of 10 million of its people in an unjust and unethical war based on lies. It said it was expected for Bush to brush aside these findings as he tries to deal with the failure of his foreign policies and his deteriorating popularity at home.
"The American administration is committing unprecedented war crimes in Iraq that violate the UN charters," the daily opined, "which requires the whole world to confront this administration and its officials."
The Iraqi people are paying the price for a series of lies, it complained, and the country should demand compensation from all the countries "involved in the aggression" against Iraq and the killing of its people.
America in crisis
Jordan's Al Ghad said in a commentary that the North Korean nuclear test was a testament to the George W. Bush administration's continued failure in its foreign policies.
The independent daily said the North Koreans defied the US administration for having isolated it and Bush is now threatening international sanctions, through the UN Security Council, against a country that is on the verge of starvation.
It argued the basis of the Bush administration's foreign policy has been a hardline ideological one that put North Korea, along with Iran and Syria, in an "axis of evil."
Pyongyang, the paper said, responded with a nuclear test and Iran is heading in the same direction, with Syria under its control.
"America is in a crisis. But the price of this crisis is being paid by the entire world, especially the US allies whose American policies embarrassed and weakened them."
Yet the Bush administration continues to ignore the alarm bells ringing in many regions in the world, it said, and it does not seem Bush is learning from the "disastrous mistakes" his administration has committed.
The mass-circulation paper said the Middle East is paying a high price for the American administration's mistakes in Iraq, while the peace process with Israel is dead, adding Washington's policies have made the world a lot less safe than before Bush's administration came to power.
Review of Arab Editorials
TOOLBAR
To add a comment,
Please log in:
Don't have an account?
Register now to comment on stories and stay up to date on important events and issues in the Middle East with our newsletter.