| |
A
call for Arab unity and reform
By N
Janardhan
DUBAI - A new Saudi Arabian initiative that rejects
"any illegal external aggression against any Arab
state" in the context of Iraq is a strategic gambit that
is unlikely to promote long-term Arab unity or convince
skeptics that the country is not succumbing to US
dictates, say analysts in the region.
The
Charter to Reform the Arab Stand, proposed by Saudi
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and disclosed
Monday, seeks the regulation of inter-Arab relations and
through that, a stop to what it called "paralysis" that
has weakened the Arab world's clout.
Still short
on specifics, the initiative will be discussed at the
Arab League summit in Bahrain in March. Riyadh wants the
Arab leaders to adopt it in the form of a declaration,
endorsing it as binding on all Arab states.
Though the charter did not specifically refer to
the present crisis, the Saudi cabinet, chaired by
Abdullah, warned in its weekly meeting Monday that
"waging war against Iraq would be a loss to all parties"
and called diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
"The Kingdom believes that opportunity should be given
for dialogue even if the UN Security Council sanctions
war. It is an Arab demand that enough time should be
given for diplomacy to spare the region and the world
human tragedies," according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia is the unofficial leader of the
Arab world, by virtue of being the guardian of Islam's
holiest sites and possessing a wealth of oil reserves.
Apart from fearing a post-Saddam Hussein regime and its
repercussions on the kingdom and the region, Riyadh is
using the crisis to counter criticism that there is
little or no Arab unity.
But the campaign is
also directed at a domestic audience. It is a
well-calculated move by Saudi Arabia aimed at
neutralising the possibility of protests and revolt by
Islamic radicals in the kingdom and mending strained
ties with the United States, analysts say.
Dubai's Al Ghurair University professor Mohammed
Khalid said that in warning against an attack on an Arab
state, "Riyadh is addressing the burning issue of Iraq.
The people are unhappy that the Arab governments are
doing little to stop Washington's aggressive plans. This
call sends out the message that they spared no effort to
stall a war."
According to the official
translation of the charter proposal published in
Riyadh's Arab News on Wednesday, the initiative said:
"The Arab heads of state have noticed the silence that
has gone on for too long, and the inexplicable disregard
for the explosive situation in this area.
"This
apparent paralysis and lack of recourse has provided the
opportunity to some to attack and undermine legitimate
Arab interests and rights," it argued. "In recognition
of these facts, we believe it is high time to urge for
an awakening of the Arab world to solidify its will and
to demonstrate its resolve to prove its vitality and its
ability to face the threats and challenges of the latest
developments and the consequences they entail."
In a well-planned media campaign, Abdullah also
told the US-based NBC television channel on Tuesday that
he was confident that the standoff between the United
States and Iraq would not end in war, despite worldwide
expectations of an imminent conflict.
But in
truth, Kuwaiti political analyst Ali Jaber al-Sabah
said: "The proposal has little chance of making an
impact on the Iraqi crisis. No amount of pressure from
the Arab governments will make the United States change
its mind. With nearly 150,000 US troops already in the
region or headed towards it, only the American public
opinion or the White House can make a difference now,
not Riyadh."
Saudi newspapers, however, hailed
the Abdullah's initiative as a "remedy for Arab ills"
capable of warding "off risks facing the nation".
The Arab News newspaper on Wednesday said: "The
initiative is broader than just the Iraqi crisis. Riyadh
does not want to follow the Pentagon's militaristic
adventures. It's a major plan to rearrange the Arab
house ... The Iraqi crisis is just an example of the
deteriorating Arab position."
Likewise, the
charter also addressed other common Arab issues by
reiterating the Saudi proposal to resolve the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
It recommended
more internal reforms and greater political
participation in Arab countries to strengthen their
capabilities and development.
"Adding the
Palestinian crisis lends the proposal credibility
because no problem or solution in the region is thought
to be independent of Israel's illegal occupation of Arab
land," Khalid said in an interview.
Yet another
call for a resolution to the conflict is well and good,
but Ali Jaber says that only the United States and
Israel are capable of resolving it. "Washington has to
force it on Israel to accept the creation of a
Palestinian state and Tel Aviv has to yield."
As
for the call for reforms in Arab countries, Khalid sees
it as a message targeted toward Washington and the
outside world. "By addressing the issue, it aims to
assure the US administration that its approach has
genuinely changed after September 11 and that it will
not allow disgruntled religious elements to channel
their frustration through terror," Khalid said.
"A long shot," is how Ali Jaber describes the
call for Arab reforms. Egypt, Jordan and Syria, along
with some Gulf countries, have been carrying out
political changes from time to time, he explains. But
"for Crown Prince Abdullah to influence political reform
even in his own country may be difficult, not to talk of
others", he pointed out.
Regardless of whether
it takes off or not, the ambitious Saudi proposal still
has its uses in this tense time in the Middle East.
"Abdullah's suggestion that there won't be a war is very
interesting, even if it were merely a hope," Khalid
commented. "It's true that the Arabs can't do anything,
but coming at a time when there is a growing unease
against war in Europe, the Saudi call is significant."
With several Arab countries joining the anti-war
chorus, "the effort to avoid bloodshed and its fallout,
whatever the reasons, appears genuine and might reach a
crescendo before falling flat," Khalid added.
(Inter Press Service)
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
