History has yet to render a verdict on Ariel Sharon, but the evidence for his having been one of the most destructive and disruptive forces in the Middle East is overwhelming. For this reason, the Israeli prime minister’s words in a closely watched speech on Thursday must be viewed with even greater trepidation than would otherwise be the case. Having been accused recently of being unimaginative in dealing with the Palestinian issue, Sharon has clearly decided to get back on the offensive. Given his record, that cannot be anything but bad news for anyone who wants to see tensions reduced and dialogue resumed. |Full Story
Iran’s signing of an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on Thursday qualifies as a major breakthrough for the diplomats who negotiated the arrangement. It also demonstrates how much can be accomplished when disputes are subjected to negotiations led by Europe rather than intimidation practiced by America. Best of all, the event supplies a free education in how a badly isolated country can establish a working relationship with major powers and even extract concessions from them in return for its cooperation. |Full Story
The spectacle of Saddam Hussein in American custody has left many Arabs shaking their heads, unable to understand how it is that the fearsome strongman turned out to be a coward. As luck would have it, a fitting contrast was supplied in Beirut on Tuesday by three men accused of dealing drugs and stealing cars: Cornered by police officers, the suspects resolved not to be taken alive and traded gunfire with their pursuers. Two of them died at the scene, while the third was critically wounded. What this tells us is that some criminals have too much pride for their own good. What Saddam’s meek surrender tells us is that the worst ones lack so much as the honor to preserve what little dignity they might retain by going out on their proverbial shields. |Full Story
The weekend capture of Saddam Hussein has radically altered the equation in Iraq and the rest of the region. Relieved of a major thorn in its side, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is almost certain to display a surge of activity in the coming days and weeks. American bluster notwithstanding, Saddam on the run was a nagging source of insecurity; Saddam in custody is a tremendous boost for the occupation forces’ self-confidence. But increased energy and a sense of accomplishment are no substitutes for effective policy, and it is in this vein that the dramatic events of the weekend can either exacerbate the crisis in Iraq or ameliorate it.|Full Story
Representatives of donor countries meeting in Rome are clearly losing patience with both sides in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and with good reason. Neither camp has accepted the futility of seeking a solution through violence, and neither side’s leaders have had the maturity to articulate a vision of peace predicated on a commitment that there is, in fact, no going back. Various factions blow hot and cold about their “bottom lines,” a situation that is only exacerbated when the people in charge work doggedly to stake out the vaguest positions possible. All the while, blood continues to flow, a state of affairs that sends precisely the wrong signal to the governments and organizations being asked to provide aid. |Full Story
Many of the juntas that plagued Latin America during the Cold War shared a propensity for the incarceration of “weekend communists:” individuals guilty of nothing apart from having annoyed the powers that be. They would be jailed on Friday, allegedly for taking part in subversion, and released on Monday. No one actually thought they were putschists, of course, but that was not the point. They needed to be reminded that their business competitor, political rival or jealous neighbor had important connections. The “communist” label was affixed for reasons of pure convenience, it having been fashionable at the time for tin-pot dictators to express fealty to America’s stand against the expansion of Soviet influence. |Full Story
The Middle East would be a very different place if the Arab League were a stronger, more cohesive organization. Its member states would have better relations with one another and with countries outside the Arab sphere. Nearby regions in Africa, Asia and Europe would look to this one as a source of economic growth and political stability. Governments, companies and peoples further afield would view Arab countries as normal places deserving of normal treatment. All of this would help Arab individuals, families and communities to know happier lives.|Full Story
