MIDDLE EAST: No way out for Arabs without unity, says UAE daily

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Att.Editors: The following item is by the United Arab Emirates news agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI, Feb 7 2003 (IPS) - A major United Arab Emirates (UAE) Arabic daily today said that with the – No Value" impression Arab countries gave of themselves to the world, it is natural to see countries, big and small throwing their support to the United States even when the latter goes astray.

Commenting editorially in its issue of today, the Sharjah-based ‘Al Khaleej’ said that even if some countries refused to show their support for the US as mentioned above, that is not be because they love, sympathize with or do so in defense of Arabs. – This is because in the game of personal interest, which is the order of today’s world, there is no place for ethics or humanitarianism," the paper said.

The paper said that the war on Iraq had entered its practical stage. It has even started, as a Russian official put it, considering the presence of a number of units of US forces in northern Iraq.

The paper said that the presentation made by US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the UN Security Council last Wednesday was another practical step in finding a pretext for war on Iraq as it marks the countdown for the beginning of an aggression on Iraq, which, according to an Israeli officer, is just a matter of days. ôOf course, the Israelis know better preparations are going on for the war," the paper added.

ôFrom now to February 14 when the new report would be presented to the UN Security Council by Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix and Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohammed Al Baradei, the United States, Britain and, of course, Israel will try to pour more oil on the fire to prevent the crisis from subsiding," the paper said.

The paper pointed out that the issue is not about convincing the world about the truth or otherwise of Powell’s evidences, nor is it about the inspectors and the time they need to finish their job. ôThe real issue is about the details of the aggression on Iraq, its volume, consequences and what happens after that," the paper said, adding that Washington, London and Tel Aviv were planning to ensure that what happens then is totally new, as a number of scores would be settled against the quarrelsome Arab countries, particularly those which insist on making trouble for the Jewish entity and its dirty plans.

ôThen the policy of passiveness, perplexity, indecision, cautiousness, fear coupled with lack of self-confidence, will be of no use to Arab countries as they would find themselves at the receiving endàreceiving devastating strikes after which they will be given the receipt to settle the bills of those wars and their catastrophic consequences," the paper said, adding, ôThis, in addition to the repeated statements and hints about the partitioning of some countries and reshaping the map of the region to suit the whims and caprices of the United States and its Israel ally."

ôThere is no hope for Arabs unless all Arabs come together and work together to regain their lost pride and to have a real say in issues related to their destiny. They should not leave their destiny to be determined by the new colonial master, who intentionally makes up wars, which threaten the whole Arab world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf," the paper concluded.