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 Verfasst am: 13.12.2004, 03:08 Titel: Conflicting agendas mar Arab-Western forum |
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< < Back to Start of Article RABAT, Morocco Foreign ministers from the Arab world met here with leaders from the West over the weekend at a forum dedicated to advancing political change in this region. Instead, Arabs vented their frustration with American support for Israel.
.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an opening statement to the group on Saturday, spoke of efforts to make "participation in political and public life more inclusive," the ostensible subject of the conference. Nonetheless, one by one, representatives of 20 Arab states talked largely about economic development and the ever-present thorn in debate here, the Arab-Israeli conflict.
.
"For too long," said Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister, "the Arabs have witnessed the Western bias toward Israel."
.
Powell repeatedly insisted that "we cannot hold up reform" while waiting to settle the Palestinian issue. Nonetheless, the conference's final statement declared that "support for reform in the region will go hand-in-hand with support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
.
The Forum for the Future, as the conference was called, was the culmination of two years of effort to advance President George W. Bush's vision of bringing democratic change to the Arab world. The United States and countries of Western Europe have been planning and talking about the event since the Group of 8 summit meeting in June.
.
The highly choreographed, three-and-a-half hour event was supposed to be closed to the public, with the exception of a few opening statements, most of them from Western leaders. But Moroccan officials failed to turn off the audio feed to the press room. As a result, the Arab foreign ministers inveighed against the West apparently unaware that several dozen journalists were listening.
.
Foreign ministers and other officials from 20 Arab states sat quietly, many with sullen expressions, while European and American officials spoke first during the public session about the need for change. But then, also as part of the public session, Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, set the tone when he asked, "How can this partnership" between the Middle East and the West "be achieved without settling the Palestinian issue?"
.
Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister, speaking when the session was supposed to be closed, said that "progress in the Middle East peace process will lend all reform and modernization efforts unprecedented momentum."
.
Libya's deputy foreign minister, Hassouna al-Shawish, complained about the continuing fighting in Iraq, saying the "continued bloodshed" there "makes it difficult for us to go forward."
.
Many officials in the West contended that the Arab states continue focusing attention on Middle East peace to distract the public from problems at home.
.
Even before the Arab leaders arrived in Rabat, several Arab officials said, many states looked upon this conference with distrust and concern that the United States might seek to impose its views on the region. The leak of a Bush administration planning document early this year, saying the administration hoped Western countries would push Arab states to democratize, angered leaders here and fed the public mistrust.
.
Since then, American and European officials have repeatedly said that they did not intend to impose solutions. In addition, most of the initiatives proposed dealt with business, not political, issues.
.
Recognizing the political hurdles he faced, Powell told the delegates, "Now is not the time to argue about the pace of democratic reform or whether economic reform must precede political reform." Powell also alluded to the debate over Middle East peace when he added, "Increasing opportunities for all citizens, especially women, should not be put on hold to deal with other concerns."
.
At the end of the event, Powell and Mohamed Benaissa, the Moroccan foreign minister, said the delegates had agreed to pursue new programs to combat illiteracy and provide financing for small businesses, among other financial initiatives.
.RABAT, Morocco Foreign ministers from the Arab world met here with leaders from the West over the weekend at a forum dedicated to advancing political change in this region. Instead, Arabs vented their frustration with American support for Israel.
.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an opening statement to the group on Saturday, spoke of efforts to make "participation in political and public life more inclusive," the ostensible subject of the conference. Nonetheless, one by one, representatives of 20 Arab states talked largely about economic development and the ever-present thorn in debate here, the Arab-Israeli conflict.
.
"For too long," said Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister, "the Arabs have witnessed the Western bias toward Israel."
.
Powell repeatedly insisted that "we cannot hold up reform" while waiting to settle the Palestinian issue. Nonetheless, the conference's final statement declared that "support for reform in the region will go hand-in-hand with support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
.
The Forum for the Future, as the conference was called, was the culmination of two years of effort to advance President George W. Bush's vision of bringing democratic change to the Arab world. The United States and countries of Western Europe have been planning and talking about the event since the Group of 8 summit meeting in June.
.
The highly choreographed, three-and-a-half hour event was supposed to be closed to the public, with the exception of a few opening statements, most of them from Western leaders. But Moroccan officials failed to turn off the audio feed to the press room. As a result, the Arab foreign ministers inveighed against the West apparently unaware that several dozen journalists were listening.
.
Foreign ministers and other officials from 20 Arab states sat quietly, many with sullen expressions, while European and American officials spoke first during the public session about the need for change. But then, also as part of the public session, Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, set the tone when he asked, "How can this partnership" between the Middle East and the West "be achieved without settling the Palestinian issue?"
.
Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister, speaking when the session was supposed to be closed, said that "progress in the Middle East peace process will lend all reform and modernization efforts unprecedented momentum."
.
Libya's deputy foreign minister, Hassouna al-Shawish, complained about the continuing fighting in Iraq, saying the "continued bloodshed" there "makes it difficult for us to go forward."
.
Many officials in the West contended that the Arab states continue focusing attention on Middle East peace to distract the public from problems at home.
.
Even before the Arab leaders arrived in Rabat, several Arab officials said, many states looked upon this conference with distrust and concern that the United States might seek to impose its views on the region. The leak of a Bush administration planning document early this year, saying the administration hoped Western countries would push Arab states to democratize, angered leaders here and fed the public mistrust.
.
Since then, American and European officials have repeatedly said that they did not intend to impose solutions. In addition, most of the initiatives proposed dealt with business, not political, issues.
.
Recognizing the political hurdles he faced, Powell told the delegates, "Now is not the time to argue about the pace of democratic reform or whether economic reform must precede political reform." Powell also alluded to the debate over Middle East peace when he added, "Increasing opportunities for all citizens, especially women, should not be put on hold to deal with other concerns."
.
At the end of the event, Powell and Mohamed Benaissa, the Moroccan foreign minister, said the delegates had agreed to pursue new programs to combat illiteracy and provide financing for small businesses, among other financial initiatives.
.RABAT, Morocco Foreign ministers from the Arab world met here with leaders from the West over the weekend at a forum dedicated to advancing political change in this region. Instead, Arabs vented their frustration with American support for Israel.
.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an opening statement to the group on Saturday, spoke of efforts to make "participation in political and public life more inclusive," the ostensible subject of the conference. Nonetheless, one by one, representatives of 20 Arab states talked largely about economic development and the ever-present thorn in debate here, the Arab-Israeli conflict.
.
"For too long," said Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister, "the Arabs have witnessed the Western bias toward Israel."
.
Powell repeatedly insisted that "we cannot hold up reform" while waiting to settle the Palestinian issue. Nonetheless, the conference's final statement declared that "support for reform in the region will go hand-in-hand with support for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
.
The Forum for the Future, as the conference was called, was the culmination of two years of effort to advance President George W. Bush's vision of bringing democratic change to the Arab world. The United States and countries of Western Europe have been planning and talking about the event since the Group of 8 summit meeting in June.
.
The highly choreographed, three-and-a-half hour event was supposed to be
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