MEDIA REACTION: PALESTINE, MAJLIS AL-SHURA, IRAQ

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SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: PALESTINE, MAJLIS AL-SHURA, IRAQ

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Housecleaning
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1. The government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" ran an editorial on
June 4 under the headline "The Need To Tidy Up The Palestinian
House":

"Despite Abu Mazen's efforts to tidy up the Palestinian house --
especially its security apparatus -- it seems that there are
still some Palestinians intent on creating instability. This
does not help the Palestinian Authority.... Although certain
sectors of the Palestinian population engaged in peaceful
demonstrations to improve their living conditions, it was strange
to see other Palestinians shooting their weapons in the air as a
way of expressing their demands. This not only damages the
interests of the Palestinian people, but also deforms their image
in front of important international and regional players."

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High Praise For The Lower House
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2. "Al-Watan," a privately-owned Arabic daily, published an
editorial on May 31 entitled "The Majlis al-Shura Continues Its
Developmental Role":

"The 14th session of the Omani Majlis al-Shura (Consultative
Council) was an excellent example of cooperation between the
Majlis and the government. The Majlis specializes in providing
political and social recommendations for policymakers, and is
tasked with supporting the people's demands in order to develop
the country. These recommendations play an important role in
creating clear strategies for the government's executive
ministries, who in turn make all necessary efforts to fulfill
Sultan Qaboos' vision for Oman's future."

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A House Divided
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3. Also on May 31, "Oman" carried an editorial entitled "Circle
Of Violence In Iraq":

"The circle of violence and killing between divided sectors in
Iraq continues without any indication of stopping. Bloody
episodes are pushing this Arab country into a dark tunnel, and
nobody seems to know how to get out of it. American troops were
unable to solve security problems, and activities such as
`Operation Thunder' only exacerbated the situation in Baghdad and
elsewhere. Instability and insecurity will be the slogans of the
coming period."

BALTIMORE