based Al-Watan drew attention to the deteriorating situation in the two countries and said these events are caused by the so-called "war on terrorism" launched by former US president George Bush, adding that the reports prepared by intelligence quarters indicate that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to aggravation of the menace of terrorism. The American campaign for fighting terrorism has only yielded poisonous fruits and paved the way for the state of instability in the two countries, the daily said. It questioned the viability of the security agreement signed by Baghdad and Washington and asked has it paved the way for political stability in Iraq? In the same context with similar tone, the paper asked "Have the missile strikes launched by Washington in the tribal regions in Pakistan led to the defeat of Taliban and al-Qaeda?" The paper described as "gloomy" current situations in Iraq and Pakistan and said only through genuine reconciliation in the two countries and an agreement on basic problems the two counties will restore stability. It is an essential matter to settle problems pertaining to the management of the affairs of the country in Iraq, and also it is absolutely necessary to give more attention to the problems of the development process in Pakistan as a means of fighting extremism in Pakistan. --SPA
