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It’s getting
near the edge of a complete credibility collapse when the status quo rhetoric of
“staying the course” is rejected by the populace, the pundits and the military,
cultural and diplomatic experts. The neocon war hawks are hunkered down in
their foxholes, 9/11 defenses wearing thin. Here’s a familiar proposal, one with a good track record. - KwC Needed: Arab
Leadership and Vision The Arab world is facing
critical challenges in Iraq and Palestine. Passivity will not do, nor will
merely blaming others, even if they justly deserve blame for having created
these crises in the first place. It is past time for demonstrations of
leadership and vision. What can be done? Let's start with Palestine. Israel's evacuation of
its colonies in Gaza presents challenges and opportunities that must be
addressed - and quickly. The Israelis are carrying out their plan largely
unilaterally, showing little inclination to move forward on the Road Map toward
negotiations. In addition, critical issues remain unresolved. Israel is leaving
Gaza, but will remain the occupying power over this congested and impoverished
strip, since it will continue to control all land, sea, and air routes into the
area. Without unimpeded access to the West Bank and the outside world, Gaza
cannot be considered free, nor will it be possible to develop a viable and
sustainable economy. Nevertheless, it is
critical that work begin to build Gaza's infrastructure, to radically transform
the conditions of daily life by providing jobs and hope to Gaza's young, and to
assist the Palestinian Authority in meeting its responsibility to provide
services and security for Gaza's over one million people. The wise decision of
the UAE's Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed to invest $100 million in building a new city for 30,000 -
40,000 Gazans
shows the way. But more must and can follow. The UAE's action
should not stand alone. An emergency Arab Reconstruction and Development Fund
for Gaza should be established. Even before solutions are found to the many
real problems that remain (the closed borders being only one of those), Arab
leaders should announce that help is on the way and take quick steps to provide
some immediate relief. A decade ago, I
proposed the creation of the Gaza
equivalent of the US's Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) and
the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Together, the WPA and CCC created hundreds of thousands of
government funded make-work jobs providing hope and needed cash to the nation's
unemployed. The Palestinian Office for Disengagement Affairs, headed by
Mohammed Dahlan, reports that something akin to this is underway, with 1,800
being employed making flags and t-shirts for a Gaza celebration/clean-up
campaign. With broader Arab support, this endeavor can be expanded to hire
50,000 and can engage in a number of labor-intensive reconstruction projects.
All that is required is leadership and vision. Simultaneous with
these largely economic efforts designed to bring hope to Palestinians and to
demonstrate concrete support and buy time for the Palestinian Authority,
additional efforts can take place on the political front as well. King Abdallah of Saudi
Arabia should breathe new life into his Arab League-endorsed peace initiative.
Simply announcing it, after the 2002 Beirut Summit, was never enough. The Arab
League, after embracing the peace offer, needed to embark on an international
campaign focused primarily at transforming US and Israeli opinion. The plan
needs to be elaborated and sold. In doing so, Arabs will take the initiative
away from Sharon, providing a real vision of a comprehensive peace. By
projecting such a vision, Arab leadership will not only help to impact the
policy debate in the US and Israel, they will also inspire and empower the
forces for peace and give hope and a political horizon to Palestinians. That Sharon will
reject this Arab peace offer is a given, but this should not stop Arabs from
taking the high road and demonstrating leadership and vision. In the end, none
of this is being done as a favor to Sharon. Making Gaza work, giving hope to
young Palestinians and challenging Israel's resistance to a comprehensive
peace, these are Arab interests. Iraq requires Arab
attention and action as well. The US, it is clear, has made a mess of the
situation and still has no plan to move the country forward. But, especially in
light of the problems being dealt with in Iraq's debate over a new
Constitution, realities must be faced. A new and potentially
explosive situation has been created in the heart of the Arab world. The
Kurdish leadership has a vision for their region and the Iranians, as we say,
are "sitting pretty." But besides worrying about outcomes, debating
the identity and unity of Iraq, or bemoaning the present state of affairs,
where is the Arab vision and leadership for Iraq? An Arab-led effort at "Reconstruction
and Reconciliation"
can be launched to engage all of Iraq's communities in a collective discussion
about the future of the country and its role in and relationship with the
broader region. It is imperative that Arabs not wait for
the US to solve Iraq - it can not. And, if left alone, the centripetal forces of ethnic and
sectarian divisions will continue to pull Iraq apart, encouraged by some groups
determined to foment internal strife. But a concerted, positive, and
independent Arab effort to engage Iraq's new leadership, coupled with offers to
assist rebuilding the country's infrastructure and proposals as to how Iraq can
take its rightful place in the region, can help provide a new direction. The choice here is a simple one. The
long-beleaguered Kurdish people have been empowered, and Iraq's majority Shi'a
community are now in a strong position as well. It is imperative to recognize
these new realities. What Arab leadership and vision can provide is a bridge
between the old Iraq and this new Iraq that is in formation - helping the country's complex
constituency to find their place in the Arab family. What is needed is
leadership and vision. Dr. James
Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute. His column will appear weekly in t r u t h o u
t. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082305L.shtml |
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