Mending fences

Ibrahim Nafie detects a more conciliatory tone coming out of Washington

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President Bush's five-day European tour was part of his administration's drive to mend the trans-Atlantic rift. If this bid was successful it was in large measure due to the fact that he brought his stances on crucial Middle East issues closer to those of his European counterparts. In Brussels on Monday Bush outlined his views on such intricate and sensitive questions as the Syrian presence in Lebanon, the Palestinian cause and reform in the Arab world. Although one may still take exception to a certain stridency in tone and to his characterisation of the problems, one must also admit that he moved closer to Arab as well as European perspectives.

In the course of his speech Bush insisted that Syria must end its "occupation of Lebanon", "take stronger action to stop those who support violence and subversion in Iraq" and "end its support for terrorist groups seeking to destroy the hope of peace between Israelis and Palestinians". While this may accord with the European position, one hopes that in pressing these demands Europeans and Americans work together in a manner that will not wreak even more havoc in the region.

Following his meeting with Bashar Al- Assad on Monday, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa stated that Syria had already taken practical steps towards withdrawing troops from Lebanon. He added that Al-Assad had told him that this was an important component of the policy his government had adopted upon coming to power in 2000. "The relationship between Syria and Lebanon has gone beyond the need for Syrian forces in Lebanon to something far deeper," the secretary-general quoted the Syrian president as saying. He also pointed out that the Syrian president had welcomed the UN mission investigating the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri and urged against the hurling of accusations before the findings were in.

Syria is in the process of taking concrete steps towards fulfilling its obligations under the Taif Accords it signed in 1989 and, hence, towards meeting the provisions of Security Council Resolution 1559, and it is clearly responsive and cooperative in other areas. That it has demonstrated a sincere desire to cooperate should compel international powers to work with Syria in accordance with agreed upon mechanisms to help it meet its commitments. In addition, they should avoid confusing the issues. Syria's alleged support for Palestinian resistance groups, for example, should be dealt with within the framework of the current Palestinian-Israeli peace process, towards which Damascus is also very positive. Not only has the Syrian leadership declared its support of the results of the Sharm El-Sheikh summit and all efforts towards a just and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict, it took the initiative to announce its willingness to resume negotiations with Israel without any conditions.

On the Palestinian issue, the American president not only reaffirmed his vision of two democratic states living side by side in peace, he went several steps further. He called upon Israel to "freeze settlement activity, help Palestinians build a thriving economy, and ensure that a new Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory on the West Bank". He underscored the principle of contiguity by adding that "a state of scattered territories will not work", levelling an explicit criticism at the Israeli drive to cantonise the occupied territories. Also, in stressing that "a free and peaceful Palestine can add to the momentum of reform throughout the broader Middle East" Bush reaffirmed what Arab leaders have pleaded repeatedly -- that a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian cause will help eliminate violence and terrorism and promote security and stability.

While this is encouraging what is urgently needed is a mechanism that will translate words into concrete measures. Only by producing tangible progress within set timeframes will it be possible to build the mutual confidence and sustain the impetus necessary to realise peace. That Bush may also be thinking in these terms is indicated by his praise of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's initiative to host an international conference in March to rally moral and financial support behind Palestinian efforts to build the democratic institutions of their state.

Bush also reaffirmed long-held Arab views on another major issue. Successful reform in the Middle East, he said, could not be imposed from the outside; "it must be chosen from within." In this context he also said, "And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way towards peace in the Middle East, can now show the way towards democracy in the Middle East." That Bush has resolved that reform in this region must be a domestically driven process marks an important breakthrough on the issue. That he topped this with an appeal to Egypt to continue to lead this process in the region constitutes a welcome recognition of Egypt's regional status and influence. These points should give us heart as we continue our national dialogue on reform and also encourage us to enter into closer dialogue with the US and Europe so that we can better benefit from their lengthy experience in this domain.