Arab Nations consider the Arab League has failed to prevent the governments behind the coalition forces to take the route of invasion and destruction for the removal of one ruthless dictator who committed atrocities with arms supplied by Russia and the West in front of the remaining world governments.
Presently millions of people in the world are disheartened to see by their satellites Iraq and its people destroyed, their historic and material wealth stolen, families slaughtered and, alas, their country occupied.
The promised price is American-motivated democracy off the wings B-Bombers. President Mubarak of Egypt is quoted to have stated to his subjects in public that the Arab League should revise its constitution which was signed in 1945. He stipulated that unanimous voting between twenty-two member states is impossible. He maintained that complicated issues are beyond solving this way.
Apparently the President added, “There has to be a two third and simple majority depending on resolutions”. One wonders whether this approach will fix it or get him off the hook. The enigma is so complex that it takes more than the back of an envelope to fathom solutions.
Luckily numerous discussions are hot on the burners of the peoples of the twenty-two member countries of the League. Different levels in the respective countries come up with different thoughts with aims to strengthen the commitments rather than introduce symbolic ties under a common umbrella with so much holes, that make it incapable of protection from sun or rain. One school of thought suggests, rather than reinventing the wheel, taking guidance from the experience of other nations. The domain of sensitive issues such as sovereignty should be entrusted with regional councils, without compromise of the intrinsic common objectives embodied in the charter of the League.
The aim of this thought is to achieve a win-win objectives for the League and ensure that it is driven by results and achievement rather than prejudices of member governments. The Gulf Cooperation Council has been operational for more than twenty years.
The Moroccan council is under serious considerations. Once ink has been put to paper for the long awaited Palestinian State, a council for Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon can see daylight. Egypt, which represents more than one third of the population of the League, may group with the remaining adjacent Arab countries. This leaves Yemen with wider choices from the geographical groupings. Admittedly, this begs the credibility of the “thought” without necessarily compromising it. The idea behind the thought is for the member states to be grouped geographically with total and unwavering loyalty to the charter of the League, which they constitute.
At the risk of over burdening the discussion, “the thought” is for the idiosyncrasies to be with the regional councils and the big policies are with the League.
The good news of such thought may be the comfort it provides to small member countries of the League that they may not be marginalized steamrollered by the “big brothers.”
Equally it may cause the spoilers to pay their dues. Also, it could provide a case for the Secretary General’s position to be rotated between the member states after the status and authority of the departmental heads are enhanced to fit the new responsibilities which are over due for complete upgrading to the expectation of their people and in line to the challenges of the new world order. The Arab League certainly failed miserably over the Palestinian catastrophe. It missed the mark in containing the Saddam plague. To be effective it better hurry up in assisting towards the achievement of an Iraq that its people wish to build. On this major issue there is a big vacuum. If it is not filled by the Arab League, the Arabs have no credible recourse when it is solely left for the Coalition to attempt to remodel Arabs lives according to Christian Zion alliance.
On Christian Zion Mr. George S. Hishmeh, in his article entitled “Christian Zion Alliance Takes The Grip on Bush’s Foreign Policy” says: “The influence of the Christian Zionists, a sub-group of Christian evangelicals, who number 98 million, stems primarily from their close relationship with the leadership of the Republican party of President George W. Bush.” Michael Prior, an Irish University Professor and author pointed out recently in Washington DC that “This evangelical Christian constituency was a major factor in the election of Jimmy Carter in 1979. However, Carter’s call for a “Palestinian Homeland” in March 1977 precipitated his downfall and defeat.”
Arabs wake up to become, with knowledge, equal partners with the Americans or you will continue to be marginalized by their Governments and steamrollered by their numerous think tanks.
Arab News Features 28 April 2003
