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Middle East Analysis

Resolving the Crisis

By Mamoun Fandy, senior fellow for Gulf security & director, Middle East program, International Institute for Strategic Studies (Asharq al Awsat)

posted on 03/12/08

Egyptian FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit & Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisl (AP)
The Damascus summit ought to convene on its scheduled time, and the Arab leaders have to confront each other in Damascus. The summit is an opportunity to put an end to the existing state of deterioration.

The Lebanese crisis needs diplomacy supported by power. … Thorny issues, such as Lebanon’s, need bilateral and quadripartite alliances supported by comprehensive powers capable of solving the problem. Until this moment both the Arab and western stances have not reached a degree of seriousness sufficient to compel the Lebanese sects to solve the problem. It seems that the Lebanese are happy to be the center of the world attention. …

Today, we have a Saudi-Syrian dispute, a Syrian-Egyptian dispute, and a Saudi-Egyptian-Jordanian coordination over which suspicions prevail. … However, unfortunately the closer the Saudis and the Egyptians get to each other, the stronger their obsession with their own roles gets. Access the full article>>