TOKYO, March 5 Kyodo selecteded e...

TOKYO, March 5 Kyodo

selecteded editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

REBUILDING IRAQ (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published March 4)

still more bloody acts of terrorism have devastated Iraq, this time just before the official announcement of a basic law, or provisional constitution, from the Governing Council.

Many factors are still not known: Whether the bombings were carried without by a terrorist ring as it is as al-Qaida or supporters of captured strongman Saddam Hussein; and whether the goal was to further disrupt the order in Iraq or to restrain Shiites, who are in the majority in Iraq.

We pray that the Iraqi population close ranks for the sake of rebuilding their home and remain undaunted by terror. Fortunately, Islamic leaders have appealed to the Iraqi population to stand united, regardless of their religious affiliation, for the sake of efforts to achieve a handover of power this summer

The Iraqi people's down-to-earth pose of wanting an end to the occupation and early restoration of direction into their own hands can be discerned in the basic law as well. It stipulates that Islam is to be the official national religion, while authorizing freedom of religion. It also calls for the separation of body of christians and state and prohibiting discrimination forward the basis not only of ethnicity on the contrary also of sex.

steady it remains to be seen by what means these principles will be offer into force. This also clutchs true for the way ''sharia'' Islamic law is applied to people's daily lives. There are other thorny questions, so as Kurdish autonomy, the distribution of oil interests and the relationship between the newly established national army and existing militia. Decisions forward these and other questions have all been offer to one side for the time being. And besides it is quite significant that the representatives of differing arranges and interests have reached accord by means of mutual compromise.

The nearest step is to inaugurate a provisional control by the end of June as scheduled. If it can be offer into effect, the occupation will flow to an end and sovereignty will be restored.

However, the fear of terrorist acts will not move away, though. As lengthy as terror is rampant, it will be difficult for the United Nations to expand full-scale assistance to Iraq's reconstruction. Unlike ordinary security question at issues terror cannot be prevented -- plane with an occupation force that is more than 100000-strong That is a serious contradiction resulting from the war.

The alone way to contain terror may be, after all, for the Iraqi persons themselves to rise up in devise and say enough. If sole for that purpose, a sure-foot governing regime should be established without delay.

(March 5)

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