UAE’s Al Khaleej newspaper argued that the battle to liberate Fallujah from the terrorists of Daesh (the self-proclaimned Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) has taken a new turn, the outcome of which may not be in the interests of Iraq, its people and its national unity. Since the key aim is to strike against terrorism and uprooting it, the consequences may not take the course that can lead towards achieving it — especially in the backdrop of the growing sectarian hostilities among the Iraqis. This is more likely to happen due to the engagement of Hashd (the Popular Mobilisation Force) in the battle, and their inhumane practices and acts of revenge. Therefore, the liberation of Fallujah must be a pure national battle, not sectarian, for a united and independent Iraq. Undoubtedly, the non-engagement of the Popular Mobilisation Force in this battle is better for Iraq and its people.
In its editorial titled ‘No sound is louder than the sound of battle’, Al Sabah, Iraq’s state-owned daily newspaper, said that the biggest mistake that can be made by the Iraqis is to allow their compass to “deviate from the right direction”. “There is no bigger danger than allowing the war to deviate from its main targets and fighting others instead of Daesh,” the paper said. “The military offensive launched by the Iraqi forces to recapture Daesh-held Fallujah is a fateful battle. The battle is against Daesh only. Using this battle to settle domestic scores or to let it drift in other directions is unacceptable,” the paper added.
The independent Iraqi newspaper, Al Zaman, highlighted the important role that the national media can play in supporting the Iraqi army against Daesh militants. “The army will be victorious only by the unity of the Iraqi people and their awareness of the importance of the media’s role in this respect. Iraqis must be more vigilant and conscious about deconstructive media that aims to divide them and should be fully aware of how they can deal with fabricated news and misleading media campaigns courageously.”
The paper warned that the media war is more dangerous than the war against Daesh, requiring all Iraqis to remain united and rebuff untrue news circulated by malicious media.
Qatar’s Al Arab daily newspaper recalled all battles that took place in Fallujah since the United States invaded Iraq, reminding Arab readers of the major assault and bombardment of the city in 2014 under the pretext of uprooting Al Qaida militants and insurgents. “Today, the same scenario is being repeated under the guise of liberating the city from Daesh, even as the US turns a blind eye to the engagement of Hashd forces in the battle. This will deviate the fight from its original target — the liberation of Fallujah.”
Saudi Arabia’s Al Youm newspaper said Iraq has been suffering from the same problems for 13 years as there is no balanced political power, security or stability. “The problem is that Iran always seems to be present in every detail whenever Iraqi governments face popular pressure, while the mission of religious parties is to justify policies that led to corruption and chaos in the country — already suffering from the aftermath of the 2003 events.”
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