Arabic press comments on Syria's lifting of state of emergency.

Editorials in Arab newspapers express opinions on the Syrian government's promises of reform, Nato's loss of credibility in Libya, Egypt's course of democracy and keeping the Arab League in Cairo.

Syrian authorities need to prove goodwill

On Tuesday, the newly appointed Syrian cabinet approved draft legislation to lift the state of emergency, abolish the state security court and allow peaceful protest, observed the London-based Al Quds al Arabi daily in its editorial.

From a theoretical point of view, this was a good move on the part of the Syrian government. It is a positive response to the ever-growing popular demands that came as a reaction to decades of unbridled oppression.

Since promising to lift martial rule within a week during his most recent speech, President Bashar al Assad has proved to be true to his word.

"The Syrian president's response to his people's justified demands is commendable. But, doubts as to the seriousness of this unprecedented measure are expected to continue until the people see tangible results."

The people's uncertainty is grounded in the fact that this sizable concession by the Syrian government has never been witnessed in the past. Many sceptics think it is a ploy to gain time and contain the protests; an opinion not to be brushed aside considering the performance of the government and its security apparatus in the past.

"Despite this, the Syrian people must give their authorities a chance to prove their goodwill in implementing this legislation and taking further steps towards fulfilling popular demands."

Nato alliance losing credibility in Libya

Colonel Muammar Qaddafi's ability to withstand the offensive and even take back a number of the towns that the pro-democracy fighters were able to capture during the early days of the revolution came as a surprise to many, wrote the columnist Fahd el Fanek in his article for the Jordanian Al Rai daily.

The Libyan colonel was on the brink of squashing the uprising if it weren't for the UN Security Council and the Nato alliance decision to assist the rebels.

However, it seems that matters have reached a standstill. Nato hasn't resolved the battle yet. State-run radios and TV channels are still working uninterrupted. The delay in resolution reveals dissent among the members of the Nato alliance. The objective of the military operations remains unclear. Should the regime be toppled in favour of the rebels or should the state of balance be preserved in a way that prolongs the fight indefinitely?

In the absence of a definitive solution and in case a ceasefire was reached, Libya risks becoming divided between a Qaddafi-run west and a revolutionary east.

"The protection of civilians is nothing but a pretext. Civilians are more at risk with the ongoing conflict."

If the military operations were to continue without a clear end, the Nato alliance would have to bear the blame, especially as it risks losing credibility and justification for interference.

Many hurdles in the way of the revolution

There is no denying that what has happened in Egypt was close to a miracle that not even the staunchest of optimists could have predicted, commented the Emirati newspaper Al Bayan in its editorial.

The Egyptian revolutionaries must now move forward and overcome hard obstacles that still hinder the full realisation of their democratic objectives.

These are problems that require a high level of coordination to solve, not least of which is the recent report by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces about the "stark and alarming" deteriorating economic situation in Egypt and the sharp rise in public debt and inflation.

"If we add these facts to Egypt's previous shortages, we realise that there are many internal impediments to the fulfilment of the revolution's objectives. Should this situation continue, there will be those in Egypt who will long for the pre-revolution days."

Meanwhile, Egypt faces many external challenges. Its relationship with the Nile Basin states is in question, as it has yet to guarantee its quota of the river's water to maintain its agricultural resources. Add to that, the events in adjacent Libya are sure to impact Egypt at least economically seeing that the remittances from Egyptian workers was approximately $2 billion.

The Arab League HQ must stay in Cairo

There has been a great debate about the leadership of the Arab League since the incumbent secretary general Amr Moussa announced that he would not seek to renew his tenure and rather run for office in Egypt's upcoming presidential elections, wrote Tareq al Homayed, the editor-in-chief of the London-based Asharq al Awsat newspaper.

The question that keeps coming up is: must the post of secretary general be filled by another Egyptian official, or is it time for a change?

"The state of affairs in the region now dictates that not only should the leadership of the Arab League remain with the Egyptians, but also its headquarters must stay in Cairo.

"For neither is Iraq prepared as yet to hold an Arab League summit, nor are relations between Arab states favourable to a change of the venue."

If the venues are made to rotate in this particular phase, Arab League summits would turn into "shows" and "lectures" depending on the host country's interests and agendas.

"There is a need now to limit all summits to the headquarters in Cairo, which will be more practical."

Besides, there is a unanimous Arab acceptance of Egypt as a key player in Arab affairs.

* Digest compiled by Racha Makarem