Introduction
Iraq war 2003 is considered as the 2nd Gulf war. In 2001, when George Bush became the president, chances of war in Iraq grew rapidly as Bush administration accused Iraq of producing weapons of mass destruction. Iraq countered this allegation, but could not stop the US from pushing the issue further. Afterwards, the war started on March 20, 2003 in which US was supported by around 40 countries. The power was taken from Saddam in just few days but the effects of the war can still be seen after 9 years (Fitzgerald, 2011).
Coverage by Gulf News
Most of the articles in Gulf News cover the destruction that the world has seen as a result of this war that was never desired by people of Iraq. The poverty level has gone up sharply as benefits provided by Saddam’s government certainly stopped after his demise. According to an article published in Gulf news on February 4, 2012, there were around 100,000 Iraqis killed as a result of bombing and numerous others have died in other violence and sectarian attacks (Gulf News, 2012).
The Humanitarian Group Relief International estimates that 10% of the women are widower and are leading households in Iraq. Another article in the Gulf News also covers the stories regarding the torture faced by the prisoners in the occupied country from the attacking alliance, which is a clear violation of human rights and the UN constitution (Gulf News, 2010).
Coverage by Washington Post
Washington Post started to give coverage to the Iraq war since the inception of the debate on Iraq in the US Congress. Later the resolution was passed to attack Iraq by the US government. The article titled ‘Hussain’s Baghdad Falls’, designates Saddam a ruthless leader. It holds Saddam responsible for spreading poverty and fear in the country for decades. The article clearly justifies actions of the US government.
Another articles placed in the Washington Post on December 10, 2011 states consequences of US war against Iraq. It mentions that the people perceive the US army as the killer, not the defender, and they are certainly against the long term presence of the US army in their Iraq. The article further mentions that around 92,614 people were killed by the US army from March 2003 to March 2008, but exactly how many Iraqis were killed may never be known (Sly, 2005).
Coverage by Azzaman Newspaper
The views covered by the Iraqi newspapers is quite different from that published in Washington Post however, there are similarities with those of Gulf News. The news paper covered the loss as a resultant of the war including the loss of killing the innocent citizen, destruction to infrastructure and the economy as whole.
Moreover, it talked about the effects of war on the control of oil rich region where Kurds do not allow national army to make any interference. This region which borders with Turkey has been the root of conflict between Iraq and Turkey which is leading to imbalance in the region and could lead to civil war within Iraq (Abdulsalam, 2012).
Conclusion
The Gulf News and Azzaman have presented the actual picture of the condition of Iraq since the inception of the war. They have covered the loss sustained by the people as well as their perception regarding this war.
The Washington Times, on the other hand, has tried to defend the vicious acts of the US government. It blames Saddam Hussain for all that is happening in Iraq and further, an impression has been created that the US government is being helpful to the people by financially supporting them.
Reference List
Abdulsalam, F. (2012). War over oil and wealth in Iraq. Azzaman. Web.
Fitzgerald, P. (2011). Iraq War Summary. The finer times. Web.
Gulf News. (2010). Prosecute those Involved in Iraq War. Gulf news. Web.
Gulf News. (2012). Iraq war widows face government apathy. Gulf news. Web.
Sly, L. (2005). Civilian killings created insurmountable hurdle to extended U.S. troop presence in Iraq. Washington Post. Web.