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Edited By Rob Gibran

June 26, 2005

Original Article (Arabic)

A dialogue with Dr. Fahd Ben Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Associate Professor of Geopolitics and the Law at Qatar University

Q.        What does America want from the Arabs, and what do the Arabs want from America?

A.        This is an excellent and deep question, because it is very clear what America wants from the Arabs.  America has a worldwide strategy to preserve its status as sole superpower.  This is to be achieved through the control of the vital energy-producing regions of the Middle East, the control of international commerce over land, sea, and air, and through the preservation of Israel’s security.  American control on the Middle East provides it with negotiating power vis-ŕ-vis the other aspiring world powers, such as China and India in the east, the Russian Federation in the north, and Europe in the West.

Q.        But what do the Arabs want from America?

A.        The second part of the question is disastrous, since we, as Arab specialists in strategic studies, we cannot find a direct and clear Arab program that would answer the question of what the Arabs want from America!  And stranger still is that we cannot figure out what each single Arab country, as a separate entity, wants from America. 

The worst part of this is that America’s plan for the Arab world, and the world in general, is a very institutionalized program.  On the other hand, Arab perceptions of their relationship with America are not at all clear.  Most Arab ties with America are considered non-institutionalized relationships, and are mostly based on individual associations with America.

Many Arab leaders have this type of relationship with America.  In return for some guarantee or assurance that America provides to them, Arab leaders get to retain the homeland –  with supreme and total power. 

Examples of the assurances Arab leaders receive and fears that they harbor are: Some rulers want to retain their power and private interests, some want protection from their neighbors, some fear that their aid packages will be cut, some believe that getting close to America will get them back their occupied lands or pilfered waters, and some have concerns that America would incite their neighbors against them, which would undermine their strategic cachet internally or regionally, etc. …

Unfortunately, we have yet to see a clear Arab strategy on a national, regional, or global level:  What do the Arabs want from America?! Who knows?

Q.        What is the role of Arab lobbying groups in the execution of the Greater Middle East Initiative?  [Editor’s Note: The Greater Middle East Initiative is a plan for Middle East reform that was formally unveiled by the Bush Administration at the June 2004 G-8 summit].

A.        To start with, where are these Arab lobbying groups?  For you to have lobbyists, you should first have governments built on institutions.  And for you to have institutions, you first need to get rid of despotic individual rule!

            What I would like to say is, what we are seeing in most Arab countries is a mono-directional trend, i.e. there is no room for dissenting opinions or lobbying groups or special interests or PACs or political parties or tribal powers or natural resources.  All power and wealth is concentrated in the hands of the “supreme ruler” (while the titles differ, the position remains the same).

            As for the Greater Middle East Initiative, I have published a complete study of the program on my Web site [www.df-althani.com, in Arabic].  There are several reasons why this plan has yet to be implemented:  Disagreements between America and Europe on the setup of a Greater Middle East; Turkish conditions -that are akin to extortion - that would give them a leadership role in the proposed Greater Middle East; and a G-8 summit that failed to draw a clear scenario for the initiative. As for the Arab role, I believe that we all still recall what transpired in the at the [Arab League] summit in Tunisian with regard to the Greater Middle East Initiative!

            [Editor’s note: The Arab League summit of March 2004 was canceled and rescheduled to May due to a number of divisive issues among Arab leaders.  Eight heads of state failed to show up at the May summit.]

Q.        Do you Think America actually wants fundamentalist groups to rule the region?

A.        I believe that America wants only what is in its best interest.  The question is what do we want?!

Q.        Would a wise and just ruler be a good deterrent to external schemes?

A.        Yes. But  if a wise and just ruler could truly be found, we would not be where we are now!

Q.        Are the Arabs capable of preventing a recurrence of the Iraqi invasion in any other Arab country?

A.        I suppose you mean the American invasion!?  If that is what you meant, then I say that the Arabs are at a stage where they no longer need an American invasion; rather, they wish America to come to them, on their own terms and conditions!

            The countries that refused to accept American instructions in the past are now gradual offering America concessions!  I fear that in the end they will obey all of America’s commands, obviating any need for a military invasion.  That is, of course, if the situation remains as it is now.

Q.        It has been noticed that America sees all Arab nations in a single context, but at the same time deals with each country according to that country’s special agenda.  Is there a contradiction in America’s political dialogue?

A.        This is a normal state of affairs, since the process that America needs to utilize in its political dialogue with Qatar varies greatly from the one needed with Saudi Arabia, and the process needed for Iraq is not the same as that needed for Syria, and the one for Egypt is dissimilar from the one for Libya.  But the American strategy for the region is the same, which is to have complete control over the region and to monopolize it in its own interests!

Q.        Did the Arabs err in their assessment of their relations with the superpowers?

A.        My good sir, do not say “the Arabs,” but rather say “the Arab leaders,” since all Arab decisions are considered individual decisions and not institutional ones.  This problem will not be fixed unless there is true reform of Arab institutions -- and the tricks and deceptions that some Arab regimes are up to certainly do not count as reform!

            Let me remind you of what I told Tim Sebastian, the famous BBC presenter, about what the true gauge for reform should be, so that no one can hide or mislead:

                        1-  A democratic succession of leadership

                        2-  Real participation of the population in government  

                        3-  A just distribution of income

                        4-  A just distribution of employment

                        5-  Transparency in the administration of public funds

            I am convinced that if we could see the implementation of the above points in any Arab country, then I would dare anyone to deny that country’s reform!

            Until our next meeting, God willing…