Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Arabs against lifting the sanctions.

A former Arab diplomat recently suggested sending a delegation of political, media and law specialists, along with Arab officials, to the UN to thwart any attempt by the U.S. and the UK to lift sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Lifting the sanctions on Iraq, through a new draft resolution proposed recently, will grant the U.S. and the UK more legitimacy in Iraqi affairs, believes Dr Clovis Maksoud, a Western-trained lawyer who resigned his post as Arab League Chief Representative to the UN after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.

Addressing a seminar at the Dubai Press Club, Dr Maksoud said that such a delegation should stand up against that resolution which gives the U.S. and UK wide-ranging powers to run Iraq and decide how to spend its oil wealth for reconstruction purposes.

Dr Maksoud maintained that the delegation could study a modification on the clauses of the draft resolution to preserve the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq. He noted that if such an act wasn't taken then the Palestinian crisis would be repeated.

Moreover, Dr Maksoud, who has a doctorate in jurisprudence from George Washington University, warned: "We can't bear the consequences of losing Iraq the same way we lost Palestine and Al-Iskandaron. The U.S., UK and Poland wanted the UN council to legitimise the occupation of Iraq. We are starting to notice some evidence that Iraq has started to break away from Arab nations like the Kurdish issue with Turkey in northern Iraq."

Dr Maksoud added, "There are many steps that need to be taken by the Arabs to prevent the Americans from penetrating Arab unity. The decision makers need to be more in harmony in order to strengthen Arab nationalism. The two main paths that need to be worked on are Iraq and Palestine. We should determine our Arab parameters for the Arab identity."

This kind of rationale is very disturbing and is what leads to situations like that between the Israelis and Palestinians. Unelected autocrats are more interested in preserving "Arab Unity" and "Nationalism" than addressing the actual suffering of the people. Like Arafat Dr. Maksoud is apparently ready to shed the blood of millions of Arabs rather that opening up Arab society to an open debate on the future of the Arab world.

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