New day dawns for Iraq's press

Judy Pointon
BBC Monitoring

Iraqi readers have more choice post-Saddam

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, well over 100 newspapers have begun publishing in Iraq.

New publications are appearing on Baghdad's news-stands almost on a daily basis - a trend that shows no sign of abating.

Although the vast majority of papers claim to be independent, many are mouthpieces for political parties.

Religious sects and special interest groups are also keen not to be left out.

Recent additions to the ranks of Iraqi publications include: Baladi (My Country) - the newspaper of the Iraqi Popular Poets union; Baghdad Online - published by Iraq's Computer Association; while Nine April - the day Baghdad fell to US forces - is the name of the weekly published by the Iraq Independent Political Prisoners Institute.

A new start?

Many of the new titles reflect optimism that a fresh start beckons after a complete break with Iraq's former Baathist government - Al-Ahd al-Jadid (New Era), Fajr Baghdad (Dawn of Baghdad), Al-Hurriyah al-Ula (First Freedom), Al-Iraq al-Jadid (New Iraq) to name but a few.

Most papers highlight efforts being made to rebuild Iraq in the post-Saddam era. Many column inches are devoted to the everyday worries of the Iraqi people - including insufficient water supplies, overflowing sewage and problems with the distribution of food aid.

Former chief editors have sneaked back into the work arena once again, using the climate of freedom offered to all

Nida al-Mustaqbal

Prominence is also given to economic news, particularly focusing on currency and employment issues.

Several newspapers look back to the Saddam era and are running campaigns to 'name and shame' pro-Saddam officials. The weekly Al-Sabah (Morning) newspaper, for example, has recently published a list of former Baath Party members currently working in the Education Ministry.

But there are indications that editors who worked for pro-Saddam publications before the war are now publishing newspapers under different names.

According to Nida al-Mustaqbal (Call of the Future), the secular Iraqi National Accord Movement's newspaper, "the phenomenon of using aliases confirms that former chief editors have sneaked back into the work arena once again, using the climate of freedom offered to all".

Coalition under fire

Anti-US sentiment is rife in Shia papers. Al-Adalah (Justice) - the mouthpiece of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the main Shia group, condemns the US presence in no uncertain terms.

Coalition troops receive a bad press

"'Liberating Iraq' has turned into an occupation! 'Democracy' has turned into unilateral decision-making! 'Freedom' has become suppression and intimidation of the Iraqi citizen!" it says.

Another paper Sawt al-Tali'ah (Voice of the Vanguard) - published by the Islamic Vanguard Organisation - goes as far as to allege that US soldiers are responsible for spreading AIDS among Iraqis.

While Iraqi tribal chief come in for criticism in another Shia publication Al-Hawzah (Traditional Religious School) - which recently accused them of "making feasts for the Americans and offering them uncalled-for bootlicking".

Lighter side

But it is not all doom and gloom in the Iraqi press. One newcomer, Habazbuz is a weekly satirical newspaper that puts a humorous slant on the post-war situation.

One cartoon showed the top US administrator Paul Bremer putting a box labelled democracy into a freezer. When an Iraqi asks him why, the sweat-soaked Mr Bremer says: "It's too hot in this country."

Another light-hearted read is a newspaper called Al-Khayma (The Tent). It is tabloid in style and even contains horoscopes.

"Take care of your health because it is the most precious thing you have. Don't stay up too late," it warns Taureans in a recent edition.

One unemployed man from Baghdad is even putting out his own paper - entirely by hand - according to a report in the Iraqi Kurdish paper Al-Taakhi. He produces a newspaper called Al-Rasif - meaning the pavement - written on paper found on the ground in central Baghdad's commercial Al-Saadun Street.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.