The daily Al-Safir, close to leaders in neighboring Syria, called the chaos "a deliberate plan" by US commanders "who let chaos reign to justify sending additional troops and appear with their agents as the sole solution in the eyes of the population.

"The main danger is that of looting and settling of scores taking on a religious and clannish tone and leading to civil war," the newspaper added.

"They (the United States) are destroying Iraq to install a government chosen by hawks in Washington," headlined Al-Mostaqbal, which is owned by Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

The paper referred to conservative US Republicans such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz.

"It appears this situation serves the Americans' purposes, because Iraqis will then accept any kind of authority, in particular one tied to the US administration, and the hawks will attain their goals."

The popular daily An-Nahar said: "The law of the jungle is taking over Iraq under the Americans' noses," while Al-Kifah Al-Arabi, close to Libya, claimed: "Thieves and looters rule liberated Iraq".

The French-language Orient le Jour headlined "Iraq plunges into chaos" and a front-page report quoted Iraqis nostalgic for the regime of Saddam Hussein.

"Looting across the country, settling of scores and a power vacuum have led the population to openly regret the end of the Saddam Hussein era," the newspaper said.

The English-language Daily Star quoted Iraqi electronics supply merchant Kazem al-Fartisi, who said: "Of course we miss Saddam Hussein now. Under him this would never have happened."

SPACE.WIRE