CAIRO, 26 May 2004 — Ordinary Arabs and commentators said yesterday the United States was offering a sham sovereignty in Iraq by pushing a UN resolution for a handover of power without setting a date for withdrawing troops.
Many also dismissed US President George W. Bush’s proposal to demolish Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, saying razing the building would not erase the images of US abuses. Some said the jail, also notorious for torture under Saddam Hussein, should be kept as a monument to those who suffered there.
“The American administration has a plan to give the Iraqi people fake sovereignty and according to this plan Washington controls the process of forming a transitional government in Baghdad,” Qatar’s Al-Watan newspaper wrote. “And under another name, US occupation forces will remain in Iraq.”
Ahmad Al-Dawwas, a columnist at Kuwait’s Al-Watan newspaper, wrote: “Decision making will be transferred from July to the American Embassy in Baghdad.”
In Iraq, few were convinced by Bush’s pledge in a speech on Monday to improve their living conditions.
“We don’t believe anything Bush says. The Americans have not done a thing for Iraqis. And now he promises to hand over power to Iraqis in a democracy after handpicking the people in the Governing Council,” Iraqi trader Haidar Majeed said.
“America has been all talk and no action,” said Jabbar Luay, 25, an ex-Iraqi soldier.
“Abu Ghraib should remain because it is a symbol of monstrosity and occupation,” said Reem Shehada, 21, a business student in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
“Abu Ghraib has already done irreparable damage. Its notoriety will stay forever in the hearts of Arabs and there’s nothing Bush can do to make it better,” Omani businessman Salem ibn Suleiman Al-Habsi said.
Many said they believed Bush’s apologies for the abuse and his speech are more about getting re-elected in November.
