Tuesday's Baghdad newspapers' headlines

Since the 2003 U.S. invasion, one of the brightest achievements from the overthrow of the Saddam regime has been the flowering of the Iraqi press.

An American journalist would feel--and I do--at home at any press gathering here of Iraqi reporters, producers and on-air talent.

Thought I'd give you a glimpse of what our Baghdad staff correspondents read through each day for tips and clues and signs of the news we should be tracking.

Some of these won't make much sense because they're aimed, of course, at an Iraqi audience reading Arabic; plus, they're mostly all about local concerns--just as the Sun-Star is. I've injected some explanations in brackets.

Take a look:

Al Sabah newspaper

Al Talibani [the president of Iraq] discusses in Washington the agreement of cooperation [about the future status of U.S. forces in Iraq and other issues] and Al Maliki [the prime minister] leads the negotiations.

MOI [Ministry of Interior--their Department of Defense]: military operation will begin in Maysan Province next Thursday.

Electoral rules extend the period to register political entities [for October's elections in 18 provinces].

A delegation went to Jordan to regain 1,600 pieces of stolen [Iraqi] ancient monuments.

Azzaman newspaper

Finance Ministry confirms including employees of auto-financing firms in the new law that raises salaries.

Security guards were replaced at the provincial border and 15 security commanders arrived in Maysan.

Parliament members: we have no idea about authorizing [Prime Minister] Al Maliki to lead the negotiations with America.

Washington suggests handing over detainee prisons to Iraqi control in order to get Iraq to sign the status of forces agreement.

Asharq Al Awsat newspaper

Mahdi Army: our internal conflict cost us many victims. [This is the militia of anti-occupation Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose 60,000-member force is one of the strongest sectarian forces in the country.]

Marja'ia [a political party] in Najaf prepares a list to participate in the next election. Al Sistani's [the most influential cleric in Iraq] deputies in Basra support independent followers.

Maysan: insurgents left their weapons in the streets and in schools.

Nejervan Barazani [a Kurdish leader]: no man has a right to hurt a woman physically in Kurdistan [the northernmost part of the country].

Al Sabah Al Jadeed newspaper

Three international fairs will be held in Baghdad soon.

Al Mada newspaper

International companies compete to build a vertical complex in Baghdad.

Curfew imposed on the north side of Mosul because of recurring terrorist operations their. [Mosul has been described in the Iraqi press as 'the last stronghold of al Qaida in Iraq'--which is why I've been trying to go there.]

Within six months there have been 14 suicide bombers in Diyala [another northern province].

Breakdowns in water pumps caused rising groundwater in Karbala's shrines. [Karbala is one of the most sacred religious sites in Iraq.]

Al Mutamar newspaper

Foreign ministry: we don't have information about America's proposal to normalize Iraq's relationship with Israel.

A recent amnesty included 92,000 detainees.

Al Adala newspaper

The council of Najaf Province approved a contract with a Kuwaiti company to run the Najaf airport.

Amar Al Hakeem [a local leader] emphasized the need to maintain national principles in signing the Iraq-America pact.

Muafaq Al Rubaie: Iraqi security forces have reached the stage of self-sufficiency.

So there you have it, Mercedians. News of the day in Baghdad's dailies. Please keep in mind that these newspapers carry a lot more news and features, as well as sports. These headlines focus on politics and security because that's what we in the bureau believe will most influence U.S. interests and its future in Iraq.

Stories that we used to call at another newspaper where I worked 'DBIs'--dull but important.

Over and out.