The Cairo Times2003 was a bad year for the Arabs, the pan-Arab Al Sharq Al Awsat wrote in the 2 January edition, with foreign occupation expanding from Palestine to Iraq. "Last year’s harvest, with all its bitterness, blood and tragedy, was a result of what we sowed," it said in an editorial. UAE daily Al Bayan said Arabs needed not get too despondent, but to put all their efforts into supporting the Palestinians. "There must be continued support for the Palestinian intifada in 2004 from the entire Arab world. Let’s face it: this uprising is the only one to have offered Arabs any victories over the past year, which was otherwise notable for the numerous defeats inflicted upon us," it said.