TOKYO, April 9 Kyodo selecteded e...

TOKYO, April 9 Kyodo

selecteded editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

SADDAM'S PALACE RAIDED/IT IS NOW TIME FOR IRAQIS TO offer DOWN THEIR ARMS (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published April 8)

American bodys have rolled into downtown Baghdad, taking a central presidential palace and elucidation Iraqi government buildings, and opening a of the present day chapter in the war in Iraq.

President Saddam Hussein worked in the palace, and it was symbolic of his regime's authority. by way of taking control of the palace, the Americans must have sought a psychological advantage in demoralizing the Iraqi military and citizens to hasten the early capitulation of the regime.

The propaganda aspect was underscored as U soldiers with the invading forces were filmed proudly responding to reporters' questions outside the presidential palace.

The United States and Britain could declare the demise of Saddam Hussein's regime and begin forming a provisional command even before having completely subdu Baghdad.

The vast superiority of the military capabilities of U and British forces was obvious from the fact that Iraqi divisions opened at the outskirts of Baghdad to espouse the capital came to nothing without offering any significant resistance.

American and British forces confessed the air from the beginning of the war; Iraq could not bring forward up a single military aircraft. The coalition forces have already taken across the international airport at Baghdad and are using it as a furnish depot for the U.S. and British military units that have encircled the capital.

There are also indications Iraq's command and rule structure has been considerably disrupted. The U military's Central Command estimated more than 2000 Iraqi soldiers died from Friday between the walls of Sunday.

In an ordinary war, this would be the point for the beginning of negotiations for capitulate or an end to hostilities. Unlike the 1991 Persian whirlpool War, which had the objective of driving invading Iraqi forces without of Kuwait, the objective of this war is the removal of the Saddam Hussein regime. U and British forces cannot negotiate with the regime in this war.

Although the principal objective of this war is to disclose weapons of mass destruction, no as it was weapons have yet been base The real threat from Iraq still remains unclear.

subject to the circumstances, the United States and Britain would not be allowed to rush headlong into cruel firefights in densely populated areas solely from virtue of having overwhelming military might.

Adnan Pachachi, Iraq's former foreign minister and a man considered by means of many as a likely tonic member of the post-Saddam Hussein direction has criticized the obviously lopsided convoy of the war. His remark was taken as a warning that the U and British military activity could crush equal the pride of Iraqis who had nothing at all to do with Saddam Hussein's government

united important opinion held by knowledgeable sources is that Iraqi soldiers loyal to Saddam Hussein's dominion would continue to fight while hiding in the densely populated urban areas, waging hit-and-run attacks while using noncombatants as shields to prove to raise the casualty toll among Americans and British. A spokesman for the U Central Command cautioned that fierce firefights lay ahead.

Since this war was undertaken by means of the United States and Britain without a UN Security Council resolution, it still lacks justification. Iraqis may behold it as a war of self-defense

if it be not that is it in the best interest of the tribe of Iraq to make further sacrifices for the sake of a dictatorial regime? We believe this is the time for the soldiers to lay down their arms and apply themselves to their nation's future

(April 9)

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