‘Gains in Mosul have ushered in a new era’
The liberation of Mosul from the hands of Daesh and the continuing Qatar crisis were the two topics that captured the attention of newspapers in the region T he battle for Mosul is finally over with a major win not only for Iraq, but also for the other countries of the region and the world, wrote the Jordan Times. “The victory of Iraq over the tyranny and savagery of Daesh [the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] took many months and a heavy toll. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi was right in calling the recapture of Mosul the beginning of the end for Daesh, after the first bullet in the military campaign to retake the city was fired last October. These gains in Mosul usher in a new era in Iraq on the road to completing the liberation of the entire country from Daesh and its followers. Then — and only then — would Iraq be completely free and reborn from the ashes of the last few years of bloodshed and destruction. Yet, the battle for Mosul will not be truly complete until the city and its residents recuperate from the wounds of the war.”
The road to victory in Mosul has cost thousands of lives, and vast areas lie devastated, said Lebanon’s Daily Star. “Nations in the anti-Daesh coalition have unleashed the most sophisticated and destructive weapons in their arsenal on Iraqi houses and businesses, and for this reason, the militants’ defeat was only a matter of time,” the paper said. “The management of the battle’s aftermath must be far better, because unless something resembling a Marshall Plan is implemented in Iraq as soon as possible, things could go from bad to worse. Iranian influence must be pared back, as militias it backs pursue demographic change and have been responsible for sectarian massacres. There are many countries that want to help Iraq avoid this fate, but the government must prove it is capable of such a task.
The Qatar conundrum
Despite the ongoing isolation, the malignant cell that distanced Qatar from Arab ranks is still determined to continue its reckless policy of financing terrorism, said the UAE’s Al Bayan. “This cell is strenuously attempting to sabotage the attempts of friendly parties in dissuading the Qatari leadership from continuing on their misguided path.
There is no doubt that in the near future, Doha is going to find itself isolated, both regionally and internationally. Qatar has to realise that the only way to prevent such consequences is by resorting to reason, and by appeasing its brothers — not conspiring against them. This will not please the aforementioned malignant cell, which is controlling Qatar’s policies from behind the scenes and is leading it to self-destruction.”
It is sad to see the Qatari administration consider the roadmap endorsed internationally to combat terrorism as an infringement on its sovereignty, said Kuwait’s Arab Times. “Do the Qatari officials believe that issuing mere statements to deny their relationship with the groups in question or denying any incitement against the ruling regimes in the Gulf will cause the countries to relinquish their right to self-defence or they think the world will fall for such statements? Doha’s politics of throwing reality overboard did not allow it to see the negative implications on the country’s economy. Is Doha ready to bear the consequences for the sake of a bunch of terrorists it accommodates?”