Long but laughable
BEIRUT: Arab nations denounced the American-British offensive against Iraq Monday, issuing a resolution blueprint that calls for an immediate and unconditional end to hostilities.
| "You, there! Stop that immediately!" |
âThe resolution was approved by consensus with a single reservation and many cursings from the state of Kuwait,â said Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, during a news conference aired on most Arab satellite channels. The conference was held in the presence of Libyan African Unity Minister Ali Triki, whose country has taken the chair of foreign ministers meetings from Lebanon. The Monday draft also calls on âall Arab states to abstain from participating in any military action damaging to the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq or any other Arab country.â
| "You Kuwaitis and Qataris, you stop that, too, or we shall, ummm... do something." |
Moussa added that unlike conclusive statements, the resolution has mandatory effects designed to cool the anger of the 'street' and would be taken to the Security Council for final approval. During their meeting in Cairo, the first since the outbreak of the war, divisions between the sixteen Arab foreign ministers were evident along two lines. While some states supported an immediate end to hostilities, others lobbied to issue a draft condemning the Iraqi missile attack on Kuwaiti territories.
| Well, that'll never fly... Or if it does it'll be shot down, and not by a Patriot... |
A strong-worded proposal denouncing the aggression was circulated by Arab Leagueâs secretariat as heads of these countriesâ delegations met with the Moussa prior to the meeting.
| Oooh! Lookit! It's a strongly worded proposal! |
The guidelines of the draft resolution were laid out by Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud who chaired the opening session before handing over the chairmanship to Libya.
That bastion of human rights and high principle
âIt is inconceivable to give up prematurely on the ability of the Security Council to draft a resolution which should put forward diplomatic solutions (for the Iraqi crisis),â Hammoud said during the opening session, which was also broadcast on satellite. Hammoud, who urged the Security Council to hold an emergency session to deal with the Iraqi issue, said that Arab states should reaffirm their stance on the illegal status of the American military offensive. He demanded that Arab countries denounce the American-British aggression and call for âan immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the Iraqi territoriesâ and âthe respect of the unity and the sovereignty of Iraq.â
| Ummm... Lemme think, here... No. |
The Lebanese official and friend of Hezb'allah argued that UN weapons inspectors should be sent back to Baghdad to complete their mission, before moving on to the Bekaa Valley accusing America of thwarting the UNMOVIC mission by opting for war. âWe refuse any measure that would give legitimacy to a postwar occupation (of Iraq). We also refuse to transform the UN into an organization for humanitarian, economic, and social concerns regardless of its role of preserving world security,â he added.
| Don't worry. It's not even good for that... |
For his part, Triki said during the opening session that he supported the draft. He also paid tribute to the âheroic resistance of the Iraqi people and armyâ to what he termed an âoccupation,â triggering sustained applause from fellow officials. âWe want to tell our brothers in Iraq that we are supporting you,â said Triki, who added that the Arab world was witnessing the revival of an imperial era.
| Actually, the imperial era's starting to look better all the time — except that we don't want to rule the stagnant backwaters making up the Middle East. It's the smell of stagnation — we find it offensive. |
Qatarâs Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassem al-Thani, whose country is hosting the US Central Command, directing the military operations, pulled out of the Cairo meeting as it was discussing the strongly-worded resolution. âThese meetings are not useful, they are organized to appease the Arab public opinion,â. he told reporters, while stressing that his departure from Cairo was prompted by âa prior commitment,â not disagreement.
No, nothing of the sort.
| "I just have to wash my hair, that's all..." |
Kuwait said earlier Monday that it would request that the ministers condemn the Iraqi bombardment of the emirate. In an interview with the BBC, Kuwaiti speaker Jasem al-Khorafi argued that the Cairo meeting would yield ânothing,â saying that Arabs âhad said what should have been said at the last Arab summit,â the Kuwait National Agency (KUNA) said. âHad Arabs had the courage to demand Iraq comply with international resolutions and consider the (Emirates Sheikh) Zayed initiative, all this could have been avoided,â he added in reference to the Emirates proposal that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein step down. Al-Khorafi criticized âthe unfair focus on Kuwaitâ and confirmed Iraqi claims that other Arab states were helping the Americans in private by saying that âthe Americans and the British did not exclusively head to Iraq from Kuwait.â
| Kuwait's just the ones who're taking the heat — hang in there, guys. There are brighter days ahead. |
Therefore, the Kuwaiti delegation to the Cairo meeting headed by Ahmad Al-Kelib was due to submit a counter-proposal which called on Arab states to denounce the Iraqi missile attack. Kuwaitâs request had the backing of fellow Gulf states including Bahrain and Qatar as well as Egypt and possibly Jordan. But on the eve of the meeting, Jordanâs stance on Iraq seemed to be unresolved. Reports of the American rescheduling of $177 million of Jordanâs debts and the flow of Saudi crude oil to Amman for the first time in a decade have undermined the Kingdomâs credibility that it would not allow the passage of American troops and bombers into Iraq. Jordan also seemed closer toward severing its relations with Iraq in light of the kingdomâs expulsion of five Iraqi diplomats shortly after Washington instructed world governments to end diplomatic ties with Baghdad. Jordan, however, expressed its acceptance to replace the diplomats.
It's all in a day's work for these guys... be seen doing whatever it takes to pacify the people. |