There are hardly any signs that the tension between Iraq and Syria is easing. On the contrary, there are signs of an escalation between the two states. Yemen also witnessed an escalation of violence after the ceasefire with the rebel Al-Houthi group was broken. Jaber Habib Jaber ascribed the quick escalation in the Syrian-Iraqi crisis to the fact that the "bloody Wednesday" explosions that shook Iraqi security aimed at tarnishing the image of top Iraqi officials in addition to the high casualties caused by the explosions that hit very important and sensitive sites. A shock of that magnitude could make people lose confidence in leaders who claim they can rule. However, Jaber added that before blaming others, the government should start with itself first. "The crisis revealed the vulnerability of the political elite and the absence of anything that could unite them, besides their indifference and unresponsiveness to the bloody death scenes that are aimed against their people and that are as grave as earthquakes and volcanoes," he wrote in the London-based political daily Asharq Al-Awsat . As for the Arab states' approach to Iraq, it is either governed by indifference and intervention, or investment of the situation in Iraq for their own interests. The first group are worried that violence would move from Iraq to their states, lead to the emergence of ethnic and sectarian inclinations, or spread political Islam. The second group prefers to use the situation in Iraq as a card in their conflicts or to improve their negotiating conditions. Syria, as Jaber elaborated, prefers to deal with the Iraqi problem as part of the whole picture. That is, it is linked to the other regional crises like the Golan Heights, Lebanon and the Palestinian issue. They discuss all these issues in the framework of the Syrian-US relationship and link it to controlling the movement of Jihadists via its borders with Iraq. Abdallah El-Ashaal wrote that the timing and size of the explosion sent clear messages, that instability in security confirms the failure of Nuri Al-Maliki's government; that the rate of violence has increased since the withdrawal of US troops which means that US forces are indispensable; and Al-Maliki is unreliable in the coming elections because he is leaning towards Iran. While El-Ashaal wrote the explosions were criminal acts that aimed to shake the stability of Iraq and terrorise its people, he questioned who could have carried them out. If Tehran, is it likely that it harms Al-Maliki who is supposedly its ally? If it is Syria, would Tehran accept that Al-Maliki, an ally from its other ally Syria, be harmed? And if neither, how could Al-Maliki confidently accuse Syria of being behind the blasts? Although he could not answer the questions, El-Ashaal concluded that there were many hands playing with the fate of Iraq and trying to draw up its future. And when they fail, they resort to explosions to cause confusion in the political arena. In an accurate description of the Iraqi situation, El-Ashaal wrote that Iraq with its Shia majority is tilting towards Iran which is using its influence in Iraq as a playing card in its relationship with Washington. The Arab vacuum left Iraq in a state of uncertainty and allowed intervention from Washington, Israel, Iran and Al-Qaeda. But holding Syria responsible for that state reflects Al-Maliki's failure and his weak relationship with Damascus. But the most dangerous element in the Iraqi scene is the increasing danger after the withdrawal of US troops and rising regional competition in the country. Thus, it is important to work out a clear Arab strategy for Iraq, El-Ashaal summed up in the London-based independent political daily Al-Hayat. Haydar Rashid wrote that it was normal that Damascus declines to hand Baathist leaders to Iraq because Syria still clings to its Baathist roots. It is trying to improve its relationship with all Baathist leaders including former top officials in the regime of former president Saddam Hussein. But it is not normal for Damascus to support terrorist operations of the kind that was launched in Baghdad recently. Rashid explained that he is not defending Syria, but an explosion that aim at civilians is an act by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban or other radical religious organisations. The Syrian regime will not benefit from an explosion of that kind because it would provide a pretext for US troops to remain in Iraq. The situation in Iraq is deteriorating, according to Rashid, because Iraq's ability to preserve security after the withdrawal of US troops is not certain, sectarian alliances are dissolving, leading to the dilapidation of the base that rules Iraq, the economy is deteriorating, and the Kurdish problem is heading towards the establishment of an independent entity in the north. Thus, "in light of the situation in Iraq, shouldn't the present leadership look for new ways to attribute the multi-shaped internal crisis to external parties?" Rashid questioned in the Jordanian independent political daily Al-Arab Al-Yom. The ceasefire violation in Yemen dashed all hopes for even a temporary peace. The Saudi daily Al-Jazirah said breaking the truce and the suffering of Yemenis in Saada was a natural outcome in a region witnessing military operations, rebellion and interference from the outside. As a result, innocent civilians are suffering heavy casualties and death, prompting international organisations to call for a ceasefire in order to allow humanitarian parties to provide civilians with food and needed aid. The government listened to the request, but the ceasefire crumbled. "The government ceasefire was soon broken by Al-Houthi who listen to and work for agendas of external parties trying to control Arab lands," the edit added. The United Arab Emirates daily Al-Bayan described the visit of the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to Sanaa as an essential step coming at the right time to show that the council supports Yemen in its fight with Al-Houthi rebels. The abrupt end of the ceasefire declared by the government for humanitarian reasons is an indication of the absence of any chance for a political settlement between the two parties. The crisis in Yemen, as the newspaper's edit said, is escalating and imposing danger to Yemen which is facing other challenges. The danger is that violence is transnational which is why the GCC role is important. The GCC secretary-general said during his visit that stability and security in Yemen are an inseparable part of that of the Gulf region. The edit called for Arab intervention on two fronts: showing solidarity with Yemen and pressing to establish a dialogue between the rebels and the government.
