"Obviously the US will win this war militarily ... What the US has not won, and is no way near winning, is the peace," said the English-language Jordan Times, the sister daily of the pro-government Al-Rai newspaper.

"Get out of Iraq sooner than later. Leave Iraq to the Iraqis," it said, echoing calls issued by Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Wednesday, as US troops made their final thrust into the Iraqi capital.

The respected Arabic-language daily Al-Dustour was likewise adamant.

"The future of the Iraqi people cannot be left in the hands of two invading countries and its sons alone must decide their fate without interference from anyone," Al-Dustour said.

Like most newspapers the Jordan Times gave prominent front-page space to a picture showing Iraqis jumping on the fallen bronze statue of Saddam in Baghdad's central Al-Fardoss (paradise) Square.

But Al-Dustour and its English-language weekly the Star preferred a more powerful shot, showing a US Marine draping the stars and stripes flag over the head of Saddam's statue before it was brought down.

The caption printed under the picture published by the Star said: "the gesture (is) likely to be highly provocative in much of the Arab world" where fears that Baghdad's takeover is the first step in the spread of US colonialism.

"With the unceremonious fall of Baghdad and the collapse of Saddam Hussein's controversial regime a conflict-ridden Arab era that spanned most of the 20th century comes to a dramatic end," the Star said in an editorial.

"For millions of Arabs, Baghdad represented pride, defiance and a shared identity ... Now that symbol has fallen and in its wake many hopes and dreams have been dashed," the newspaper said.

"For the Arabs this day will live in infamy because the majority truly believed in Iraq's invulnerability and righteousness and America's malevolence in this ultimate confrontation," it added.

The independent daily Al-Arab al Youm deplored the rapid fall of Baghdad with almost no resistance and also warned that this was part of a US plot to isolate the Arab world, to the benefit of Israel.

Baghdad "did not fall a martyr while resisting, while its women ululated like Palestinian mothers when their sons are martyred by Israeli gunfire," the newspaper said.

We fear that this war, which is not over yet, is in the eyes of those who launched it a bridge towards dividing Iraq and isolating it from its Arabic identity, ahead of isolating all Arabs from Palestine," it added.

SPACE.WIRE