Weekly Arab Press Review (fwd)

["Clement M. Henry" <chenry@mail.la.utexas.edu>]

This is the useful press summary put out by Kuwait University - these are
moderate people reflecting what is going on in the region...

*****************************
Clement M. Henry
Professor of Government
University of Texas at Austin
Austin TX 78712
tel 471-5121, fax 471-1061

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 15:59:03 +0300 (AST)
From: Arab Press <arabpress@csfs-kuwait.org>
To: alnakib@csfs-kuwait.org
Subject: Weekly Arab Press Review

                          Weekly Arab Press Review
                            # 6 : Oct. 28, 2002

                  The Center for Strategic and Future Studies
                             Kuwait University

The Center for Strategic and Future Studies is a Kuwaiti think-tank,
affiliated with Kuwait University, and is directed by Dr. Shafeeq Ghabra.

The following report reviews the comments and reactions of Arab op-ed writers
in a selection of 13 Arabic newspapers, on the prevailing news issues in the
Arab world each week.

This week’s issue:  The United States and its new resolution; Iraq and its new
image

While the United States is trying to gain support for its planned military
action against Iraq, the Iraqi regime has taken steps to rectify its image
inside the country (through the release of Iraqi prisoners) and among its
neighbours (through the return of Kuwait’s archives).  However, the debates
within the Security Council on the use of force against Iraq, and the question
about Kuwaiti POWs, are still prevalent.

Hassan Nafeaa, Head of the Department of Political Science at Cairo
University, said in Al-Hayat newspaper (London, Oct. 23), that the U.S. draft
resolution does not set the basis for “an impartial dealing with a crisis that
threatens international peace and security, but rather reflects a rude attempt
to impose U.S. will on the Security Council.  Thus it represents a real
defiance to the whole international community and puts the United Nations
before a crucial test that could cause its ultimate collapse.”  Nafeaa said
that “it is wishful to think that the international community, under today’s
balances of power, can stop the UN resolution [as drafted by the United
States], as it is unlikely that the veto right will be exercised.”

It is still early to consider U.S. concessions as a victory for opponents of
the United States.  Sahar Al-Baasiri said in An-Nahar newspaper (Lebanon, Oct.
19), that the United States made a tactical concession over the UN resolution
by accepting to give up the expression of the use of force against Iraq.
Instead, the United States made it clear to Iraq, Al-Baasiri said, that “any
substantial breach of UN resolutions would be met with serious consequences.”
She added that the United States used the same phrase to intervene in Kosovo
and overthrow Slobodan Milosevic.

Columnist Mazen Al-Saket said in al-Dustour newspaper (Jordan, Oct. 24), that
the U.S. draft resolution “does not need much analysis to see that the United
States deals with Iraq as the weaker party, upon which it can impose its own
conditions and military prowess.”

Jordanian columnist Ibrahim Al-Essa said in Al-Dustour newspaper (Jordan, Oct.
23), that the U.S. draft resolution “is aggressive, dangerous and
provocative.”

Columnist Hilmi Al-Asmar said in Al-Dustour newspaper (Jordan, Oct. 24),
that “the hot debates taking place in the United Nations over Iraq are an
indication that the international system is entering a new stage, one that
reminds us of the time when the League of Nations was replaced by the United
Nations.  Victorious people usually meet to share the spoils and to redraw the
world map.  But this time, there is a sentiment that there is only one winner
who wants to keep the spoils for itself.  The United States is that sole
winner, and all other nations must pledge their full allegiance to it.”

Syrian columnist Irfan Nithameddine said in Al-Hayat newspaper (London, Oct.
21), that “it is clear that war is inevitable and cannot be stopped.”
However, Nithameddine said, it is wise to be prepared for all possible
scenarios of war, and to employ all efforts to reduce its dangers.

Columnist Muhammad Naji Amayrah, said in Al-Rai newspaper (Jordan, Oct. 24),
that “there are no differences between Washington, Moscow, and Paris regarding
the need for a full Iraqi implementation of UN resolutions (including the
return of Kuwaiti properties and the release of Kuwaiti POWs).  The
disagreement, rather, is only about the use of force.”  He said the amended
U.S. draft resolution is setting harsher conditions for inspection, which
makes a military solution the most probable outcome.

Ibrahim Nafe, Chairman of Arab Journalists Union and editor-in-chief of Al-
Ahram newspaper (Egypt, Oct. 23), said that “though we support the Iraqi
president’s decision to release Iraqi prisoners, we also urge him to take
another bold step and grant amnesty to all Iraqi opposition members abroad and
to release Kuwaiti POWs, in order to put an end to all causes of fear for
Iraq’s neighbors.”  He added that “the Iraqi president has the opportunity to
make more decisions, similar to those he has recently passed, that could
protect Iraq.”

Al-Watan newspaper (Saudi Arabia, Oct. 23), inquired about the whereabouts of
the remaining POWs in Iraq, saying that nobody can accept Iraqi claims that
prisoners detained by Iraqi troops during the invasion of Kuwait do not
exist.  It said that “Iraq is directly responsible for their detention and
thus for their whereabouts, whether they are alive or dead.”  The newspaper
noted that the questions posed by everyone today are, if Iraq needs all the
support it can get to face the anticipated U.S. strike, why is it still
detaining POWs, and what are the real reasons behind their denial of these
prisoners’ existence?

Palestinian-Jordanian columnist Toufiq Abu Bakr said in Al-Dustour newspaper
(Jordan, Oct. 23), and Al-Rai Al-Aam (Kuwait, Oct. 23), that the return of the
Kuwaiti archives, though long overdue, is part of a new policy that is
hesitantly making its way out of Baghdad.  This policy began with the
acceptance of the unconditional return of international weapons inspectors.
The current situation is different from that of 1990 [when the objective was
the liberation of Kuwait], since the goal today is toppling the Iraqi regime.
Abu Bakr said that the Iraqi leadership should assess the outcomes of its
recent positive steps, urging it to close the file on the Kuwaiti POW issue
with a thorough and immediate investigation, thus opening the way for
reconciliation between Kuwait and Baghdad.  Such a step, he speculated, would
cause confusion for the hawks in both Washington and London.

_________________________________________
Center for Strategic and Future Studies
Kuwait University
Tel : (+965) 483-4197
Fax : (+965) 482-4645