Al-Rai_Al-Aam [Archives:2003/658/Press Review]

5 august 2003
Main headlines:
– Salafi-Islah conflict over a mosque in Aden
– Yemeni government signed an agreement with Saudi businessman Baqshan for fishing in the Arab Sea and Socotra for 25 years
– The president nominated to win International Understanding prize
– Iraqis living in Yemen appeal to president Saleh granting them Yemeni nationality even temporarily
The political editor of the newspaper criticizes the Iranian government for its dangerous step characterized by hastiness if not reckless towards the so-called the transitional council for rule in Iraq by recognizing it and its legitimacy. He says it implicitly means the recognition of the legitimacy of the American occupation of Iraq and the sectarian frames and modes the American imposed in Iraq in a prelude to staying in it permanently. The editor says we blame Iran for its reckless step regarding the American-British occupation of Iraq comes because Iran is an axial regional regime in the area and its step could be followed by similar steps in the region in race for recognizing Iraq's Karzais.
It was hoped that Iran would have pressed a little before the recognition of the existing American framework in Iraq towards defining a time ceiling by the occupation leaders to leave iraq, as the latter is a sisterly country for Iran and the countries and peoples of the Arab homeland in general. The occupation would not stop at the boundaries of Iraq or the Arab Gulf but would go beyond that and Iran would be the more probable major victim as it is the second station leg among the axis of evil countries on the agenda of the extremist right ruling in the American White House. It seems the speed of the conflict of interests between the Iranian reformists and the hardliner revolutionary trend has speeded up the decision by the declaration of recognition of the legitimacy of the transitional rule announced by the Americans in Baghdad.
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[archive-e:658-v:13-y:2003-d:2003-08-11-p:press]