Arab Options v/s Iranian Challenges
Raghida Dergham Al-Hayat - 28/04/06//
Chinese and Russian policies did not benefit Iraq. Rather, influenced by reciprocal considerations and oil interests, these policies contributed to misleading Baghdad. The same impulses are now behind the formation of these two great powers' stances on various international issues, including Iran, Sudan, Syria and Lebanon.
America's biased policies against Arabs and Muslims, its solidarity with Israel, and its disdain of Palestinian rights clearly justify the anti-American sentiment that dominated the Arab and Muslim public. It was a grave mistake, however, for these peoples to consider the US a permanent enemy and regard Russia and China as everlasting friends. They were acting as though the Kremlin's and Beijing's policies were honoring and embracing Muslims in Chechnya and China.
It is high time for the Arabs and Muslims to learn about others' stances toward them. They must learn to stop confusing their hatred to US policies in the region with their groundless acceptance of Russian and Chinese policies, disregarding their reasons and goals as well as the damage they can inflict on Arab and Muslim interests and ambitions.
It is high time for these peoples to lead international campaigns against the massacres in Darfur in order to send a message to Beijing that the oil-motivated protection it provides to the Sudanese government is unwelcome as it stains the reputation of Muslims and Arabs. Rape, mass killings, and forced migration are immoral and unacceptable policies to the Arab and Muslim public opinion which will no longer be silent.
There is no justification for the heavy Arab silence towards the misfortunes and massacres of Darfur, regardless of whether or not it should be called 'genocide'. There is no reason for Christians or Jews to lead the international protest when Muslims were supposed to be the leaders of such campaigns, in contribution with followers of the other religions.
Definitely, there are religious motives for the US Anglicanism to embrace the issue of South Sudan and push it forward in US and international gatherings. There might always be premeditated endeavors to exploit a religious war in Sudan to divide it. However, the Sudanese government could not be cleared of the massacres committed by the Janjaweed, mainly against Muslims and Christians in Darfur.
The last thing Sudanese people need is the hand offered by Al-Qaeda Organization leader, Osama bin Laden, who found the time right to speak of 'crusade forces trying to occupy Darfur' and seize its oil fortune. Bin Laden attacked the peace deal that had put an end to civil war in the South and appealed to Muslims to arm themselves and prepare for a long holy war against the 'infidels' and the international peacekeeping forces.
What the Sudanese people really need is that Arabs and Muslims reject the Bin Laden offer, and lead, or at least take part, in international protest campaigns against the massacres committed in Darfur. They need the Arab governments and the Arab League (AL) to understand and appreciate what is happening in the whole of Sudan, starting with Darfur, rather than supporting President Omar Bashir under the pretext of preserving Sudan's territorial integration.
It is inconceivable that Arabs, who always speak about brotherhood and sympathy for fellow Arabs, remain tight-lipped about the killing of between 300,000 and 400,000 people; the figure soon expected to reach one million victims.
Frankly speaking, the disgusting racism against black Africans is seemingly the reason behind the Arab silence, regardless of the claims of Arab brotherhood. That is why the Arab peoples are not shocked by the figure of 500,000 or a million victims as they are black Darfurian, not Arab, victims. Now is the time to get rid of this disgrace.
Unless Arabs give priority to the rescue of Sudan and take part in resolving its crises, on top of which is Darfur, the Arab country will fall prey to either Osama bin Laden's terrorism, or to division.
The African Union (AU) plays an important role; it has assigned the Darfur dossier to Mr. Salem Ahmed Salem, a man of experience and credibility. Abuja talks, which aim at reaching a political settlement for the Darfur crisis, are very important and necessary, but the absence of Arab contribution to the African efforts widens the Arab-African gap and adds to the anti-Arab sentiments in Africa.
Iran has exploited the Sudanese crisis to challenge the international community and impose its nuclear dominance and leadership on the whole Arab region. For that reason, President Omar Bashir was warmly welcomed in Tehran this week not only by his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but also by the Republic's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
During the reception, Khamenei reiterated Tehran's readiness to "transfer the experience and technical knowledge of its scientists" to friendly nations. Meanwhile, Bashir considered "Iran's successful acquiring of peaceful nuclear technology a huge triumph for the Muslim world."
Iran's hearty welcome of the Sudanese President shows how secluded the Islamic republic is from the international community. In spite of its influence over Iraq, where it has benefited greatly, Iran leads the axis of secluded regimes, which include Syria and the Hamas government, and might also include the Sudanese government soon.
It is true that the European countries have held meetings with Iran in the framework of their efforts to persuade Tehran to comply with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is true that America's loose policy has welcomed a dialogue with Iran over Iraq. Yet Iran's obstinate and challenging reactions reflect that it is worried in its seclusion and is deeply afraid; and shows that the Gulf-Persian republic has exaggerated in the claims of its nuclear capabilities.
What protects Iran and makes it feel above punishment at this stage is the Russian and Chinese stance. While Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is advocating the Iranian cause in the Security Council (UN), China is advocating the Sudanese cause; and they exchange vague roles in the Syrian-Lebanese issue. It was Lavrov who led the Iraqi dossier when sanctions were imposed on Baghdad during the countdown for the Anglo-American war there. He had deceived Saddam Hussein into believing that Russia would not allow the war to begin. What happened next is well known to all!!
Iran will face the same fate as Iraq. Neither Russia nor China should side with Iran in case diplomatic efforts collapse and the US launches a unilateral military action against Tehran. Russia would rather help Israel monitor Iran's nuclear activities with the launch of a spy satellite (this week) for Israel to spy on Iran's nuclear program and long-range missiles.
The Iranian escalation makes the task harder for Russia and China to protect Tehran from international accountability. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper cited reliable Iranian sources as saying that Tehran was mobilizing fundamentalist groups to attack US interests in case it is exposed to a military strike. The Persian-Gulf republic has developed a plan called the 'Judgment Day' scenario under which biological and chemical bombs would eventually be used in combat.
Furthermore, the newspaper stated that Iranian intelligence has drawn a comprehensive plan that includes direct missile strikes against the US military bases in the Gulf region and Iraq, as well as saboteur and suicide operations in 80 sites within Arab and Muslims countries that are deemed to be friends of the US.
The newspaper added that the Iranian plan is based on the contributions of several militant groups involved in anti-US operations, including Al-Mahdi Army in Iraq, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran's neighbors should be more worried by this piece of information than the US, given that Tehran would use the Arab Gulf region as a battlefield for revenge on the US.
Thus, Arab governments as well as peoples should reconsider their options before the Iranian challenges that aim at forcing the world to bless its nuclear ambitions to achieve regional leadership.
So long as Arabs realize the danger of Iran possessing a nuclear bomb, at least because its major goal is to suppress them and raise the possibility of establishing a military alliance with today's enemy (Israel), they must act accordingly. They know there are those among them who would facilitate, at their expense, the means for revenge in case Iran and the US come face to face because of Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Therefore, they must think strategically in order to find a means to spoil these premeditated plans.
Neither Russia nor China would help the US out of the Iraqi swamp - dug by the George Bush administration. Russia and China are absolutely convinced that, under no circumstances would Mr. Bush take the decision to leave Iraq because of his well-known stubbornness and disregard of logic. They see the current situation as an opportunity to give a message to the US that its superiority was momentary; and that ancient great superpowers were now regaining their place.
Their hope now is that Mr. Bush and his secretaries do not come to the obvious conclusion that the US position as a great power is degraded at the hands of the few who refuse to realize that staying in Iraq makes it impossible for the US to make decisions and impose its hegemony. So long as the US troops in Iraq are trapped by Iranian revenge, there is no room for US courage, which is necessary at this time of the battle over the world hegemony that Russia and China are waging against the US.
Finally, as the Arab proverb goes: when bears fight, grass dies. The Arab region is the grass that is expected to die while Iran plans to be a member of the club, which includes Israel and Turkey, at the expense of Arabs.
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