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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Gulf strikes a note of gratitude
By Mohamed AbdellahFor the Arab states in the Gulf, the death of Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad marks the end of an era. Newspapers in Saudi Arabia called the late president \"a lion of peace and war,\" making reference to the leader's surname which means \"lion.\"
\"The disappearance of Assad will leave a great void because of his calm character and his thorough analyses of the political situation,\" said the Saudi daily Al-Riyadh . Al-Riyadh, along with other Saudi dailies, replaced its usual colourful banner headlines with black ones in mourning for Assad.
Shortly after the announcement of his death, the Saudi government pledged to \"stand alongside the Syrian people and the person it chooses to succeed the late president.\" Such support is consistent with the high level of coordination between the leadership of the two countries as evidenced by frequent meetings, the most recent of which was the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz to Damascus last March.
Moreover, Bashar, the former president's second son and designated successor, visited Saudi Arabia during July 1999 where he held talks with King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah. That same tour also included visits to Kuwait and other Gulf states.
Immediately following Assad's death, Kuwait announced that its ruler, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, would attend Assad's funeral. For its part, the Kuwaiti cabinet, described Assad as \"a nationalist hero,\" and said in a statement, that the Gulf state \"remembers with gratitude and appreciation the important role of brotherly Syria under President Assad after Iraq's invasion in 1990.\"
Along with the six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Syria were the major Arab partners in the multinational forces which fought the Gulf war. Their political support during the crisis that split the Arab world, was also crucial.
In its official statements, Kuwait stopped short of making any reference to Bashar as Assad's inevitable successor. \"The struggle for power between the old guard and the new will not be a picnic or a walk in the park. The price will be dear, very dear,\" said Kuwaiti columnist Fouad Al-Hashem.
Supporting the maintenance of stability in Syria, Qatari newspapers were quick to criticise Rifaat Al-Assad's threats to contest the assumption of the presidency by the late leader's son.
\"Syria and the Arab world must condemn this dissenting voice which is raised as a smooth transition of power gets underway,\" wrote Al-Watan.
The Qatari media characterised Rifaat as being \"motivated only by the desire to take power by any means. His calls aim to shatter Syria's unity and bring about total anarchy.\"
Sounding a cautionary note, newspapers in the United Arab Emirates suggested that Syria and the Arab world in general are passing through a critical period. \"After Assad, Syria and the region will go through a highly critical period in terms of politics. We hope that Syria will overcome the difficulties of the transition period,\" said the daily Khaleej. It added that \"Even more than King Hussein's death in Jordan, Assad's passing away ushers in a new era in the Middle East.\"
