Change policy, not presentation
The US administration has formed a committee of experts on the Middle East to examine the root causes of Arab and Muslim resentment of US policies. This is a positive sign since it at least involves an admission that something has gone amiss. As does the recent whirlwind regional tour of Karen Hughes, Washington's newly appointed deputy secretary for public diplomacy, who was despatched to sell US policy. She will face an uphill battle given the levels of hatred -- and they are growing -- the US now attracts.
The Arabs, like a great many other people, once respected the US. America, they thought, stood for justice, equality and liberation -- principles Woodrow Wilson spelled out in his famous 14 points in 1918. Now, though, when we think of Washington we see little beyond the arrogance of a clique determined to push others around to suit whatever purpose is at hand, and regardless of the consequences.
Perceptions of the US began to sour following WWII as successive US administrations embraced the legacy of British and French colonialism and sought to advance their own interests whatever the cost to others. But Arabs only began to hate the US when it began to give unquestioning support to Israel, as well as to repress Arab regimes, in order to secure a cheap supply of oil. The invasion of Iraq was simply the last straw.
To successfully sell US policy to the region, Hughes might try answering the following questions:
Why has the US spent over $100 billion in Iraq, while only $25 million is set aside for the promotion of democracy in the Arab world?
How could US President George Bush, at the Aqaba Summit, pledge to preserve the Jewish identity of Israel? How, in the 21st century, can an American president support a racist state founded on a religious basis?
How can the current US administration justify going to war against Iraq, a country debilitated by 10 years of sanctions, on the basis of a lie?
Everywhere it goes the US leaves behind a trail of havoc, in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Is it just a coincidence these three countries are all Muslim?
The US never raises an eyebrow over Israel's nuclear arsenal, yet would not think twice about attacking Iran or Syria should they attempt to pursue a nuclear programme. Why?
The US needs to change policy, not presentation.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/764/ed.htm