Rank insolence
On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and only a few days before the Arab summit convenes in Damascus, the US State Department spokesman told Arab countries to think twice before going. "In contemplating whether or not they attend a meeting in Syria, it certainly bears keeping in mind what Syria's role [has been] to this point in not allowing a Lebanese electoral process to move forward," Sean McCormack told reporters.
The spokesman's remarks are not only insolent but also naïve, for a number of reasons.
First of all, the spokesman overlooks the fact that this is a purely Arab affair in which the US has no business interfering. The US has no right to demand or even advise Arab countries to go to the summit or not. And no one has asked Washington for its opinion anyway.
Second, the spokesman claims that a boycott of the summit would be in the "interest" of the Arabs. Since when does America know what's best for us better than we do?
Third, the spokesman says that Syria's presumed obstruction of elections in Lebanon is a reason for the Arabs to stay away from the summit. Perhaps some people think that Syria is not doing the right thing in Lebanon. But as many think, the US is meddling in Lebanon for its own purposes. Would it be advisable, in that case, for Arab countries to boycott America, shun any contact with it, and stay away from any meetings it arranges?
How can one interpret this rank insolence by a US spokesman? What made him think it was permissible to tell us what to do? Part of the answer is that the Bush administration thinks, like all colonialists do, that it is the world's lord and master and entitled therefore to tell others what to do. The second part of the answer has to do with us.
American officials tried, in previous Arab summits and meetings, to push through their agenda and tell us what to do. And we let them. Not once did we hear an Arab official advising them to keep their nose out of other people's business. No wonder, then, that a US spokesman has the nerve to speak about us in such derogatory terms, suggesting that we don't know where our interests lie. Is there any chance of an Arab leader standing up to tell the US spokesman that he was out of line? Not very likely.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/889/ed.htm