Arabs Must Stick Together, Saudis Tell Mideast

by N. Janardhan

The 'Charter to Reform the Arab Stand,' proposed by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and disclosed Jan. 13, seeks the regulation of inter-Arab relations and through that, a stop to what it called "paralysis" that has weakened the Arab world's clout.

Still short on specifics, the initiative will be discussed at the Arab League summit in Bahrain in March. Riyadh wants the Arab leaders to adopt it in the form of a declaration, endorsing it as binding on all Arab states.

Saudi Arabia is the unofficial leader of the Arab world by virtue of being the guardian of Islam's holiest sites and possessing the world's biggest oil reserves. Iraq has the second-largest. Apart from fearing a post-Saddam Hussein regime and its repercussions on the kingdom and the region, Riyadh is using the crisis to counter criticism that there is little or no Arab unity.

But the campaign is also directed at a domestic audience. It is a clever move by the Saudis aimed at both neutralizing the possibility of popular protests as well as mending strained ties with the United States, analysts say.

Though the charter did not specifically refer to the present crisis over Iraq, the Saudi cabinet, chaired by Abdullah, warned in its weekly meeting Jan. 13 that "waging war against Iraq would be a loss to all parties" and called diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

"The kingdom believes that opportunity should be given for dialogue even if the UN Security Council sanctions war. It is an Arab demand that enough time should be given for diplomacy to spare the region and the world human tragedy," according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Dubai's Al Ghurair University professor Mohammed Khalid said that in warning against an attack on an Arab state, "Riyadh is addressing the burning issue of Iraq. The people are unhappy that the Arab governments are doing little to stop Washington's aggressive plans. This call sends out the message that they spared no effort to stall a war."

According to the official translation of the proposal published in Riyadh's Arab News on Jan. 15, the initiative said: "The Arab heads of state have noticed the silence that has gone on for too long, and the inexplicable disregard for the explosive situation in this area."

"This apparent paralysis and lack of recourse has provided the opportunity to some to attack and undermine legitimate Arab interests and rights," it argued.

"In recognition of these facts, we believe it is high time to urge for an awakening of the Arab world to solidify its will and to demonstrate its resolve to prove its vitality and its ability to face the threats and challenges of the latest developments and the consequences they entail," the initiative explained.

In a well-planned media campaign, Abdullah also told NBC that he was confident that the standoff between the United States and Iraq would not end in war, despite wide expectations of an imminent conflict.

But in truth, Kuwaiti political analyst Ali Jaber al-Sabah said: "The proposal has little chance of making an impact on the Iraqi crisis."

"No amount of pressure from the Arab governments will make the United States change its mind. With nearly 150,000 U.S. troops already in the region or headed towards it, only American public opinion or the White House can make a difference now, not Riyadh," he pointed out.

Saudi newspapers, however, hailed the Abdullah's initiative as a "remedy for Arab ills" capable of warding "off risks facing the nation."

The Arab News said: "The initiative is broader than just the Iraqi crisis. Riyadh does not want to follow the Pentagon's militaristic adventures. It's a major plan to rearrange the Arab house... The Iraqi crisis is just an example of the deteriorating Arab position."

Likewise, the charter also addressed other common Arab issues by reiterating the Saudi proposal to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

It recommended more internal reforms and greater political participation in Arab countries to strengthen their capabilities and development.

"Adding the Palestinian crisis lends the proposal credibility because no problem or solution in the region is thought to be independent of Israel's illegal occupation of Arab land," Khalid said in an interview.

Yet another call for a resolution to the conflict is well and good, but Ali Jaber says that only the United States and Israel are capable of resolving it. "Washington has to force it on Israel to accept the creation of a Palestinian state and Tel Aviv has to yield."

As for the call for reforms in Arab countries, Khalid sees it as a message targeted toward Washington and the outside world.

"By addressing the issue, it aims to assure the U.S. administration that its approach has genuinely changed after Sept. 11 and that it will not allow disgruntled religious elements to channel their frustration through terror," Khalid said.

"A long shot" is how Ali Jaber sees the call for Arab reforms. Egypt, Jordan and Syria, along with some Gulf countries, have been carrying out political changes from time to time, he explains.

But "for Crown Prince Abdullah to influence political reform even in his own country may be difficult, not to talk of others", he said.

But regardless of whether it takes off or not, the ambitious Saudi proposal still has its uses in this tense time in the Middle East.

"Abdullah's suggestion that there won't be a war is very interesting even if it were merely a hope," Khalid commented. "It's true that the Arabs can't do anything, but coming at a time when there is a growing unease against war in Europe, the Saudi call is significant."

With several Arab countries joining the anti-war chorus, "the effort to avoid bloodshed and its fallout, whatever the reasons, appears genuine and might reach a crescendo before falling flat," Khalid added.