24 April

By Daniel Kimmage

Britain's "Al-Sharq al-Awsat": Salih al-Qallab warns the Syrian leadership against the "troublemakers" of the Arab press and envisions a role for Syria in the peace process.

     "Everyone who wishes to see Syria avoid what happened to Iraq should advise the leadership in Damascus not to believe all the long-distance troublemakers. They should make a list of all the charlatan journalists and phony organizations that have made a profession out of verbal solidarity, post it at the border, and not let any of them into Syria.

     "It is in Syria's interest not to be left out of the peace process in the Middle East. This is why we expect that Syria will not oppose the American 'road map' and that it will advise the Palestinian organizations based in Damascus, and especially Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to show more self-discipline and review their previous political positions. It is also in Syria's interest to foster stability in southern Lebanon and to have Hizballah move from putting up armed resistance to forming a political party."

Lebanon's "Al-Mustaqbil": Mas'ud Dahir outlines American hegemony over oil reserves in the Middle East.

     "...Four large oil countries are now under direct American supervision -- Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Their oil reserves constitute, respectively, 24.9 percent, 10.7 percent, 9.3 percent, and 9.2 percent of the global total. The reserves of these four countries taken together form 54.1 percent of the world's total. This permits America to exert effective, direct control over oil markets. America is intent on using the Arab oil weapon to determine the contours of international politics in the age of globalization and to build a new American age. Because of the backwardness of Arab regimes and their mismanagement of their natural resources, there can be no doubt that in the 21st century the Arab peoples will pay the greatest price for American hegemony over the oil wealth their rulers were unable to put to beneficial use throughout the 20th century."

Egypt's "Al-Ahram": Muhammad Salmawi conveys a comment from Noble Prize-winning Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz.

     "Naguib Mahfouz said that the large demonstrations that have taken place in Baghdad to proclaim national unity between Sunni and Shi'a and to demand the withdrawal of foreign forces are the first positive development in the war on Iraq after a long string of unfortunate events that have filled us with disappointment. A demonstration by such a tremendous number of people, however, means that the Iraqi people are still strong. They cannot be led in circles by a great power that wants to impose its will on their fate. Despite the sufferings they now endure -- lacking water, electricity, basic services, and salaries -- they come out in the thousands to demand the independence of their land and the withdrawal of American and British forces. Such a people cannot be easily subjugated."

United Arab Emirates' "Al-Bayan": A'isha Ibrahim Sultan reflects on the evil symbolized by the phrase "Our souls, our blood, we give for you, Saddam," one of the best-known slogans of Saddam Hussein's regime.

     "The greatest tragedy is not the tyrant. The tragedy is the intellectual who beats the drum for him, the man of learning who dances in his parades, the man of religion who abandons his obligations for him. All of this took place under Saddam. And it is taking place today under the Americans. We will undoubtedly find those who follow Jay Garner, calling out, 'Our souls, our blood...,' because we were raised to believe that the cheapest thing in the Arab homeland is the Arab's soul and blood. This is why he gives it cheaply, freely for Saddam Hussein, for Garner, for [Ahmad] Chalabi."