| 2008: Iraqi newspaper calls for optimum use of budget |
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February 17, 2008 An Iraqi newspaper on Saturday called for an optimum use of the 2008 budget resources to best serve the Iraqi people, with another tackling the future of U.S. forces in the country. Under a headline that read 'The budget and citizens' queries,' the government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published an article by its Editor-in-Chief Fallah al-Mashaal in which he said, "After two months of patience and awaiting the record 2008 budget, people are looking forward to effective and major achievements by ministries and executive bodies." Calling for an efficient use of budget resources, the author urged the concerned ministries to carry out projects of major importance to the Iraqi economy and people. Al-Mashriq newspaper, an independent daily, published an article entitled 'Do not abandon us' by Hamid Abdullah. The author of the article criticized what he described as some Iraqi politicians' fears of the possibility of U.S. troop withdrawal from the country and lamented Iraqi armed forces' inability to defend the country against external threats. Quoting Iraqi policy makers, Abullah criticized the Iraqi government for seeking U.S. guarantees of protection against internal and external dangers. "The successive Iraqi governments did not succeed in building a new country and were unlucky enough to fail in building up an army that is capable of defending the country against foreign dangers and protecting its government against internal dangers…," Abdullah said. Al-Manara, another independent daily, published an article entitled '2003-2007: 2 million Iraqi martyrs, handicapped' by Aaliya Taleb in which she portrayed what she described as the agony of "the innocent victims of the U.S. invasion and its projects for establishing a new Middle East." According to the author of the article, the invasion has brought more benefits to the United States than to the Iraqi people, who paid a heavy price in terms of their stability and security. |