A message for Colin Powell

The left-wing Egyptian opposition party, Tagammu this week started a petition against US Secretary of State Colin Powell's Initiative for Democracy and Development in the Middle East, saying that Powell's Initiative had unmistakable ulterior motives. By expressing scepticism about the intentions behind the Powell Initiative, the political opposition in Egypt has sent a clear message: Egyptians are not interested in US attempts to promote democracy in the region if this means following US dictates or the instructions of the US secretary of state.

The Powell Initiative was never received with much enthusiasm in the Middle East. One reason for the resentment that met Powell's ideas was that the US was simultaneously preaching democracy and military invasion for the Arab world. While Powell says that he wants Arab countries to enjoy more freedom, he is also telling Arab governments that they have to cooperate with US plans to attack Iraq, irrespective of the clear opposition of Arab public opinion to any such strike or to any Arab involvement in it.

Powell's Initiative contains some interesting ideas about education and women's rights. However, these cannot be taken at face value, since even the political opponents of Arab governments can see that Powell's Initiative is a public-relations exercise designed to distract Arab public opinion from the US bias towards Israel and the US campaign against Iraq.

If the US is serious about encouraging democracy and economic and political reform, then it needs to start working on introducing stability to the much-troubled Middle East. In order to do this, Powell does not need to put forward initiatives such as the one he has just tabled. Instead, he needs to tell his colleagues in the Pentagon that war against Iraq would mean further chaos and oppression.

He may also want to ask the US ambassador in Tel Aviv to convey a message of restraint to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who seems ready to form yet another right-wing government.