Arab summit to focus on Iraq sanctions

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), MARCH 25. Arab Foreign Ministers met in Amman on Saturday in preparation for the summit that is to be held on March 27 and 28. While Iraq's Foreign Minister, Mr. Mohammed Saeed al Sahaf, attended the meeting, it is unlikely that his President, Mr. Saddam Hussein, will be present at the summit. Mr. Sahaf's presence and Mr. Hussein's absence gave an indication of the state of play in the Arab community in respect of one of the most contentious issues before them.

Iraq is already on an all-out effort to get the League to endorse its call for a lifting of the sanctions. The situation is propitious with the sanctions regime having eroded considerably after most Arab and other states resumed diplomatic and commercial relations with Iraq. Free trade agreements have been signed between Iraq on the one hand and Egypt, Syria and Tunisia on the other and diplomatic exchanges have reached a state of near-normality unthinkable a decade ago. Almost all Arab Governments, bar that of Kuwait, are increasingly sensitive to the sentiment on the street that opposes the continuing of a sanctions regime that mainly hurts the common Iraqi citizen.

Regional Governments are no longer prepared to be shut out of the trade and investment opportunities in Iraq especially when powers from outside the region are stepping up and broadening their presence in Iraq. Of late, there also appears to be a greater urgency in the Arab world over the need to bring about economic integration in the face of the impact of globalisation. Economy and Trade Ministers of the Arab bloc held a meeting on Friday to discuss plans for greater economic co- operation and Egypt's President, Mr. Hosni Mubarak, has said that he will summon an economic summit by the end of the year if plans for economic integration have not acquired impetus by the time. So far effective action to bring about closer economic ties have fallen far short of the rhetoric but there is no guarantee that this situation will continue for ever.

The U.S. administration's new stance on sanctions also provides an escape route for Arab Governments that have been caught between the demand of their main ally and the sentiment on their streets. As articulated by the Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, the U.S. will seek to change the sanctions regime so that the emphasis will shift from the generality of Iraqi imports to the import of military material. While easing restrictions on Iraq's imports of consumer goods, the designed sanctions will restrict the ability of the Iraqi Government to re-equip itself militarily.

These plans have not been fully formulated and it is unclear how they will address the key question of ``dual use'' machinery and material. But such a change in plan will enable the Arab Governments to please both their main ally and their people. Incidentally, Iraq's Trade and Industry Minister, Mr. Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, has been quoted as saying that the U.S. should concentrate its efforts on the international arms industry and try to restrict what they sell or to whom instead of focusing on what Iraq can buy.

Iraq has cleverly tied its main concern with the other issue that is expected to dominate the summit - the situation in the Palestinian territories. At Saturday's meeting and during the summit, the Iraqi delegation will urge the Arab world to issue a resolution asking the Security Council to authorise Iraqi aid for the Palestinians. Iraq has promised to give 700 million euros to the Palestinians for food and other humanitarian imports and another 300 million euros to be paid as compensation to the families of those who have been killed in the course of clashes with Israel.

All the Arab Governments are very agitated by the continuing violence in the territories, the continuance of the Israeli occupation which they see as the primary cause for the same and the collapse of the negotiation process. Moderate Arab Governments are under pressure from the hardline ones and from their people to take a tougher stance towards Israel.

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Section  : International
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