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SYRIA'S AMBITIOUS ECONOMIC PEACE
The National
July 05. 2009 9:44PM UAE / July 5. 2009 5:44PM GMT
In an opinion article for the Qatari daily Al Watan, Bassam al Dhaw
praised the Syrian president Bashar al Assad for his proposal to link
the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Arabian Gulf, and Caspian Sea through
a series of trade routes and conclude new trade agreements between
the countries that border these bodies of water.
"The Syrian president's vision encompasses more than politics. He is
seeking to broaden his country's relations by boosting economic ties
and trade relations with neighbouring states, namely Iraq, Turkey,
Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan."
His vision cannot be implemented overnight. "But if his proposal
is realised, then the Eastern Mediterranean would be connected
with Central Asia. Trade routes will flourish, bringing about an
unprecedented political and cultural interaction among the region's
population. This will promote economic development, which will lead
to a sustainable peace based on mutual interests."
The writer predicted that, in the future, the ideas put forth by Mr
Assad would become a necessity for all Arab countries and not only
for Syria. "Arabs lack the vision needed to defend their interests
and benefit from their strategic location, hence this proposal should
be worth consideration."
Arabs should seize this opportunity for peace Salah al Qalab outlined
the general aspects of the new US peace plan in a comment piece for
the Kuwaiti daily Al Jarida.
The scheme, explained the writer, would feature four main points:
establishing a Palestinian state, full Israeli withdrawal from all
Palestinian Territories occupied in the 1967 war, including East
Jerusalem, holding talks regarding the future of the remaining six
per cent of land surrounding the Old City as well as the rights of
return of refugees born before the establishment of Israel in 1948.
According to the writer, these are the only possible outcomes of the
peace plan as the Americans have continuously spoken on these issues.
"Arabs needs to be realistic and only expect what is on offer right
now from Americans. They should likewise forget the dream that US will
liberate Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea."
It is high time for Palestinians to overcome their differences and
positively engage in the peace process; otherwise, the Palestinian
cause would enter into a "black phase". The writer also called on
Arabs to join with the Americans to achieve peace.
Saddam Hussein was a "paper tiger" Reading into the statements of
former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein before the FBI, Tariq Alhomayed,
the editor-in-chief of the London-based daily Al Sharq al Awsat,
described him as a "paper tiger" who had done harm to himself, his
countrymen and to the whole region.
Saddam was a paper tiger because he overestimated the military
capacity of Iraq as a way to deter his then-enemy Iran. "In response,
the Iranians engaged in a mad arms race and they devoted all their
efforts to toppling the Iraqi regime. The Iranians had gone so far
as to co-operate with the Americans to depose Saddam. The latter
succeeded in identifying the enemy, but failed to recognise the friend.
"Today's Iraq is about to commit the same mistake, but in a different
way. It throws itself into the arms of Iranians as if it were keeping
the friend close and the enemy closer."
Unfortunately, Iraqi officials decision to befriend the Iranians
only gives them opportunities for more involvement in Iraq's internal
affair.
So in order to protect Iraq from foreign threats, different political
actors need to unify their position so that the country can reintegrate
itself into the Arab world and regain its position as an active and
independent international player.
Clerics should not rule on swine flu travel Commenting on mounting
fear regarding the Haj season and the spread of swine flu, Dr Shamlan
Youssef al Issa wrote in the UAE newspaper Al Ittihad that many fatwas
have emerged, banning travel to infected countries.
Meanwhile the World Health Organisation has only advised that elderly,
pregnant, sick people and children postpone Haj and Umra by a year to
avoid contracting the disease. Amid this fear coupled with a delay
in enacting a unified strategy to counter swine flu in the GCC,
the number of Umra pilgrims has dropped significantly.
"What is most important for us, whether in the GCC countries or in
other Arab and Islamic countries, is to leave the decision on how
to combat the disease and counter its spread to medical experts
in the ministries of health and in other international health
organisations. As for banning travel, this should be decided by
doctors, not by clerics. This matter requires an informed opinion,
not the muddled issuance of contradicting fatwas in Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia.
"We hope that GCC ministers will make a sound decision during their
next meeting in Riyadh to address the pandemic."
The National
July 05. 2009 9:44PM UAE / July 5. 2009 5:44PM GMT
In an opinion article for the Qatari daily Al Watan, Bassam al Dhaw
praised the Syrian president Bashar al Assad for his proposal to link
the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Arabian Gulf, and Caspian Sea through
a series of trade routes and conclude new trade agreements between
the countries that border these bodies of water.
"The Syrian president's vision encompasses more than politics. He is
seeking to broaden his country's relations by boosting economic ties
and trade relations with neighbouring states, namely Iraq, Turkey,
Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan."
His vision cannot be implemented overnight. "But if his proposal
is realised, then the Eastern Mediterranean would be connected
with Central Asia. Trade routes will flourish, bringing about an
unprecedented political and cultural interaction among the region's
population. This will promote economic development, which will lead
to a sustainable peace based on mutual interests."
The writer predicted that, in the future, the ideas put forth by Mr
Assad would become a necessity for all Arab countries and not only
for Syria. "Arabs lack the vision needed to defend their interests
and benefit from their strategic location, hence this proposal should
be worth consideration."
Arabs should seize this opportunity for peace Salah al Qalab outlined
the general aspects of the new US peace plan in a comment piece for
the Kuwaiti daily Al Jarida.
The scheme, explained the writer, would feature four main points:
establishing a Palestinian state, full Israeli withdrawal from all
Palestinian Territories occupied in the 1967 war, including East
Jerusalem, holding talks regarding the future of the remaining six
per cent of land surrounding the Old City as well as the rights of
return of refugees born before the establishment of Israel in 1948.
According to the writer, these are the only possible outcomes of the
peace plan as the Americans have continuously spoken on these issues.
"Arabs needs to be realistic and only expect what is on offer right
now from Americans. They should likewise forget the dream that US will
liberate Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea."
It is high time for Palestinians to overcome their differences and
positively engage in the peace process; otherwise, the Palestinian
cause would enter into a "black phase". The writer also called on
Arabs to join with the Americans to achieve peace.
Saddam Hussein was a "paper tiger" Reading into the statements of
former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein before the FBI, Tariq Alhomayed,
the editor-in-chief of the London-based daily Al Sharq al Awsat,
described him as a "paper tiger" who had done harm to himself, his
countrymen and to the whole region.
Saddam was a paper tiger because he overestimated the military
capacity of Iraq as a way to deter his then-enemy Iran. "In response,
the Iranians engaged in a mad arms race and they devoted all their
efforts to toppling the Iraqi regime. The Iranians had gone so far
as to co-operate with the Americans to depose Saddam. The latter
succeeded in identifying the enemy, but failed to recognise the friend.
"Today's Iraq is about to commit the same mistake, but in a different
way. It throws itself into the arms of Iranians as if it were keeping
the friend close and the enemy closer."
Unfortunately, Iraqi officials decision to befriend the Iranians
only gives them opportunities for more involvement in Iraq's internal
affair.
So in order to protect Iraq from foreign threats, different political
actors need to unify their position so that the country can reintegrate
itself into the Arab world and regain its position as an active and
independent international player.
Clerics should not rule on swine flu travel Commenting on mounting
fear regarding the Haj season and the spread of swine flu, Dr Shamlan
Youssef al Issa wrote in the UAE newspaper Al Ittihad that many fatwas
have emerged, banning travel to infected countries.
Meanwhile the World Health Organisation has only advised that elderly,
pregnant, sick people and children postpone Haj and Umra by a year to
avoid contracting the disease. Amid this fear coupled with a delay
in enacting a unified strategy to counter swine flu in the GCC,
the number of Umra pilgrims has dropped significantly.
"What is most important for us, whether in the GCC countries or in
other Arab and Islamic countries, is to leave the decision on how
to combat the disease and counter its spread to medical experts
in the ministries of health and in other international health
organisations. As for banning travel, this should be decided by
doctors, not by clerics. This matter requires an informed opinion,
not the muddled issuance of contradicting fatwas in Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia.
"We hope that GCC ministers will make a sound decision during their
next meeting in Riyadh to address the pandemic."