The Arabs must end this state of confusion that is blocking the way to defining their approach to the United States.
Arabs admit America’s superiority as the sole world superpower, directing and influencing world affairs as it likes.
They are also aware America possesses the means to achieve what it wants whether others like it or not.
However, admission is not enough as long as Arab countries continue to lack a mechanism through which they can deal with the outside world and which defines a line that should not be crossed.
This requires a realistic course of diplomacy to check America’s voracious appetite.
The US continues to offer endless justifications to warrant its unilateral actions aimed at influencing what we consider issues of destiny. On many occasions we find ourselves complying with Washington’s course of action.
The Palestinian question best illustrates such a situation. To further its policy of hegemony America resorts to manipulating the internal situation in Arab countries to justify an intervention in that country’s affairs. Going a step further, Washington is now using domestic reform as a means of pressure to win more concessions that only serve Israel.
Yet the Arabs have been unable to take a historic decision by defining a clear course when dealing with the US.
That is why America, which wants to lay its hand on everything, has never been satisfied with any decision taken by Arab leaders. Those decisions also fail to win the support of the Arab street or reflect popular sentiments.
Barring the outside element, Arab countries could focus on the domestic front and work to close any loophole through which America tries to penetrate and then pressure.
This requires a high level of openness and transparency as a first step toward genuine reform. Such a step would be welcomed enthusiastically at the local level. Other measures could follow in such areas as human rights, freedom of expression, women’s rights and reformed education systems
The objective should be to accommodate different schools of thought and ensure a more wider and active role by local non-governmental organizations.
This would deny America any pretext for intervening in the internal affairs of our countries. The course will then be clear before us to deal with the outside world. We would be in a strong position to ask America and Europe to treat us on a give-and-take basis.
Arab News From the Local Press 24 May 2003
