Ten Easy Rules
I made my weekly trip to Watching America, and didn't have much of a problem in finding the most intelligent article to post. Once again, it came from Lebanon's The Daily Star and once again it's authored by Rami Khouri.
In this op-ed piece, Mr. Khouri suggests ten rules for the US in formulating its Middle East policy. The column is timely, and not just because Sen. Obama has just returned from his Grand Tour, which included an obligatory stop in Jerusalem. For decades this country and much of Europe has gotten the whole Middle East scene wrong. The US is about to change administrations, and it's time for a change in policy, as well.
So, here are the rules:
First, politically engage all legitimate actors. The American tendency to boycott or try and destroy major players in the region, like Hizbullah and Hamas, is childish and counter-productive. All those whom the US has held at arms' length have tended to become stronger in the region, partly by garnering public support for defying and resisting the US.
Legitimacy should be the main criterion for engaging major players in the region, and legitimacy should be defined as emanating from two sources: validation from the people in the Middle East (especially through elections), and adherence to international norms and standards. ...
Second, seek peace, security and prosperity for all according to a single standard. Foreign powers in the Middle East must give Arabs, Israelis, Iranians and Turks fully equal weight in terms of their rights and interests, rather than giving some countries priority or even exclusivity in areas like security, nuclear technology and others.
Third, use multilateral engagement mechanisms more than unilateral military means or threats. The UN and its agencies offer useful, legitimate and effective mechanisms to address contentious issues if they are used regularly, and not whimsically or opportunistically.
Fourth, be consistent on core issues across the region. Double-standards in enforcing UN resolutions or international conventions, or promoting freedom and democracy, badly erode American credibility, respect and efficacy, severely curtailing the American impact or influence over time.
Fifth, appeal to the majority of average people rather than focusing on the minority of extremists. A core and consistent mistake that has driven Washington's policy since 9/11 has been its tendency to respond mainly to the threat of attacks by Al-Qaeda and other such fringe terror groups. ...
Sixth, define and pursue American national interests, not those of narrow lobbies for Israel, arms traders, oil companies, Arab autocrats or extremist Christian fundamentalists. ...
Seventh, pursue active, sustained, even-handed peace-making in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Achieving a fair, comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace is the single most useful thing the US or any foreign power can do to calm the many conflicts and tensions in the Middle East. ...
Eighth, consult the neighbors regularly, not self-servingly. Washington is right to ask for help from "the neighbors" in resolving the violent instability it created by invading Iraq, but the neighbors are not simpleton morons who snap to attention and report for duty when America beckons, and doze off when it does not ask for their help. ...
Ninth, stay out of local civil wars and domestic battles. The Bush administration tendency to actively support one side in local and domestic political battles in the region has almost always backfired or failed, as in Lebanon and Palestine most dramatically.
Tenth, understand the difference between religion and nationalism. The US too often frames issues and peoples in a religious context, when most contentious issues in the region are driven by nationalism or political tensions.
Mr. Khouri's rules are hardly rocket science, just good old fashioned common sense with a dash of rational political science. The trick will be to get the next president to pay some attention to them.
In this op-ed piece, Mr. Khouri suggests ten rules for the US in formulating its Middle East policy. The column is timely, and not just because Sen. Obama has just returned from his Grand Tour, which included an obligatory stop in Jerusalem. For decades this country and much of Europe has gotten the whole Middle East scene wrong. The US is about to change administrations, and it's time for a change in policy, as well.
So, here are the rules:
First, politically engage all legitimate actors. The American tendency to boycott or try and destroy major players in the region, like Hizbullah and Hamas, is childish and counter-productive. All those whom the US has held at arms' length have tended to become stronger in the region, partly by garnering public support for defying and resisting the US.
Legitimacy should be the main criterion for engaging major players in the region, and legitimacy should be defined as emanating from two sources: validation from the people in the Middle East (especially through elections), and adherence to international norms and standards. ...
Second, seek peace, security and prosperity for all according to a single standard. Foreign powers in the Middle East must give Arabs, Israelis, Iranians and Turks fully equal weight in terms of their rights and interests, rather than giving some countries priority or even exclusivity in areas like security, nuclear technology and others.
Third, use multilateral engagement mechanisms more than unilateral military means or threats. The UN and its agencies offer useful, legitimate and effective mechanisms to address contentious issues if they are used regularly, and not whimsically or opportunistically.
Fourth, be consistent on core issues across the region. Double-standards in enforcing UN resolutions or international conventions, or promoting freedom and democracy, badly erode American credibility, respect and efficacy, severely curtailing the American impact or influence over time.
Fifth, appeal to the majority of average people rather than focusing on the minority of extremists. A core and consistent mistake that has driven Washington's policy since 9/11 has been its tendency to respond mainly to the threat of attacks by Al-Qaeda and other such fringe terror groups. ...
Sixth, define and pursue American national interests, not those of narrow lobbies for Israel, arms traders, oil companies, Arab autocrats or extremist Christian fundamentalists. ...
Seventh, pursue active, sustained, even-handed peace-making in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Achieving a fair, comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace is the single most useful thing the US or any foreign power can do to calm the many conflicts and tensions in the Middle East. ...
Eighth, consult the neighbors regularly, not self-servingly. Washington is right to ask for help from "the neighbors" in resolving the violent instability it created by invading Iraq, but the neighbors are not simpleton morons who snap to attention and report for duty when America beckons, and doze off when it does not ask for their help. ...
Ninth, stay out of local civil wars and domestic battles. The Bush administration tendency to actively support one side in local and domestic political battles in the region has almost always backfired or failed, as in Lebanon and Palestine most dramatically.
Tenth, understand the difference between religion and nationalism. The US too often frames issues and peoples in a religious context, when most contentious issues in the region are driven by nationalism or political tensions.
Mr. Khouri's rules are hardly rocket science, just good old fashioned common sense with a dash of rational political science. The trick will be to get the next president to pay some attention to them.
Labels: Foreign Policy, Middle East
posted by Diane at 3:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home