Readers' corner
Nothing to hide
Sir-- With regards to 'Syria on the ropes' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 November) investigator Mehlis is reported to have said that it was only "a matter of time" before Syria is implicated in the Al-Hariri assassination. The Syrian ambassador to the United States, being interviewed by the highly respected John McCloughlin, asserted on TV that all the people Mehlis wished to interrogate have already been interrogated, and are available for any further interrogations he wishes to conduct. As well, the ambassador repeatedly emphasised that it is in Syria's national interest to have all the facts laid out to complete the investigation.
Replying to statements made by John Bolton, US ambassador to the United Nations, regarding Syria's alleged failure to obey UN resolutions, Syria's ambassador said there was another nation in the immediate area that has failed to obey dozens of UN resolutions, and that the United States does not seem to care if that nation does.
John Smith
Florida
USA
Not the reason
Sir-- Regarding 'Syria on the ropes' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 November) what if Syria fully cooperates with Mehlis and its role in Al-Hariri's assassination is proven? Wouldn't that lead to consequences as serious as those resulting from refusal to cooperate? The Syrians and sympathetic Arabs should point out that Israel has assassinated many, many of its opponents over the years, without any consequences at all, and that US pressure on Damascus really has nothing to do with Al-Hariri. The US has just seized upon this issue as a way to end putative Syrian support for the Iraqi insurgency.
Here is the best solution: Syria should make a deal with Saudi Arabia. The Syrians will agree to fully cooperate in exchange for the Saudis using their economic clout to prevent any further pressure or sanctions on Syria, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.
Tim Donovan
Manchester
England
Proud of him
Sir-- I enjoyed reading 'The Mehlis challenge' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 November) but I noticed that the former Syrian Vice-President Abdul-Halim Khaddam was included in your article as a suspect that Mehlis would like to question. I find that disturbing because Khaddam is the only Sunni leader in Syria that resigned following the assassination of Rafik Al-Hariri. I think he knew that Syria had something to do with the assassination which is why he resigned. Since I am a Sunni refugee, I am proud to have at least one powerful man that had the courage to stand against the regime and join the opposition.
Correct me if I'm wrong because I have tremendous respect for Mr Khaddam and I would like to know the truth.
Ahmad Mallah
Munich
Germany
Please help
Sir-- I enjoyed Hassan Nafaa's 'The spirit of October' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 20-26 October) but isn't he a bit too pessimistic to write that no Arab state will be able to "slug it out" with Israel in the future? Granted, Israel is militarily predominant now, but hasn't it always seemed that way?
As I see it, the key problem is that the wealthy Gulf Arabs and Libya are not doing enough to help the front-line Arab states attain parity with Israel. Syria urgently needs a major infusion of state-of- the-art jets, like the SU-27, and modern tanks, but doesn't have adequate funds. In my opinion, it is wrong for wealthy Arabs, who have the financial means to rectify the military imbalance, to allow Israel to maintain military hegemony over the Arabs.
Tim Donovan
Connecticut
USA
What loss?
Sir-- In reference to 'Why the US will lose' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 3-9 November) what will the US lose? The author never states what it is the US will lose in Iraq. Presumably he means that the US will never be able to remain in occupation and control of Iraq, and with that I agree. I don't believe that is the intent of the US occupation anyway. The US occupation came from George Bush's desire to get even with Saddam Hussein for his attempt on the senior Bush's life and his foolish belief that the Iraqi people were united in their desire to be free of Saddam's rule.
Terry Bullington
Washington
USA
Just as bad
Sir-- Many of the comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam used by Democrats are illogical. Our brave soldiers are volunteers and not largely draftees as in the Vietnam War.
In his decision to invade Iraq, President Bush's only mistake was to trust incorrect intelligence reports. But many from the Democratic Party made the same. For example: "If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programme." Bill Clinton, 17 February 1998.
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." Al Gore, 23 September 2002.
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is developing weapons of mass destruction." Ted Kennedy 27 September 2002.
"I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." John Kerry 9 October 2002.
As you can see from the above, many Democrats have very short memories when it comes to the judgements of leaders in their own political party.
Vincent Bemowski
Wisconsin
USA
Problem analysis
Sir-- Over the years, I have appreciated the analysis of Mr Gamal Nkrumah on African affairs in general and Ethiopia in particular 'Killing streets' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 November). He comes out as a keen observer. However, he repeatedly falls prey to "Euro-centric" thought that promotes the division of Ethiopia along ethnic lines which many educated Ethiopians resent.
The idea of ethnic federation was first introduced by the occupying force of Benito Mussolini in the 1930s. The country's administration was mostly divided along ethnic lines at the time to facilitate divide and rule. Then as now, the Amharas were singled out and demonised as oppressors. With the fall of fascism and restoration of Ethiopian independence, the experiment of ethnicisation of politics came to an end.
What the opposition parties are against is the way the governing party, the EPRDF, prioritised the regions, based on a single criterion, ethnicism. Language, economic links, psychological make-up, culture, tradition and development efficiency should be considered as well.
Mr Nkrumah should have known better about the dangers of federalism based on ethnicity alone and its long-term implications for Ethiopia and Africa alike. I hope he knows that there are many forces that want that country to break up. Ethiopia is in a period of trying to find an equilibrium to the very slanted policies of ethnic politics of the EPRDF and its supporters. It is normal to criticise or oppose a policy in political debates so necessary changes are implemented. Ascribing such debates and party platforms to one ethnic group (the Amharas) is discrediting scholarship.
I hope Mr Nkrumah would kindly revise his approach to the analysis of Ethiopian politics, free of bias to any region or religion of a group.
Michael Powell
Ohio
USA
Show how
Sir-- Through my reading of 'Arab reform in perspective' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 10-16 November), which profoundly diagnoses the trouble behind our disability to conduct both political and economic reform, Sufyan Aissa successfully brought up the obstacles and justifications. But I was really hoping to read the views of the writer about how we can extract ourselves from this endless problem. The writer mentioned the model of South Asian countries but did not say how the Arabs can do the same.
Sadiq Abu Al-Saoud
Amman
Jordan
Different then
Sir-- You may wish to blame Howard Carter for decapitating the Boy King Tutankhamun, but what we must all remember is that in the early 19th century, Howard Carter wouldn't have had the resources that nowaday archeologists have. We have all these MRI machines and machines that are able to see how a mummy is lying in its tomb.
In all the books I have read on Tutankhamun and Egyptology, not once in the findings of Tutankhamun's tomb did it mention that he was decapitated. Surely there is a log or diary that Carter kept to say whether or not there was a decapitation.
Natasha Macpherson-Steele
Perth
Scotland
Equal minority
Sir-- Claming that Copts in Egypt are not a minority is not true. What can we call 20 per cent of Egypt's population except a minority? But that minority has equal opportunities as the majority. Have you seen Muslim minorities in Western countries and their struggle for civil rights?
Mohamed Qasem
Qena
Egypt
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