‘Quit dependency on Western states’

‘Boost industry, scientific research’

“DURING his meeting with the Crown Prince of the sisterly country the Kingdom of Bahrain this month, the US President Donald Trump revealed the net worth of US sales of military ordnance to the Arabian Gulf states exceeded $730 billion,” columnist Ali Abdurrahman Al-Huwail wrote for Al-Anba daily.

“As matter of fact, this tremendous spending by the Arabian Gulf states on the purchase of defensive military weapons, could be attributed to the persistent Iranian threat in addition to Iran’s gross intervention in their affairs including the training of opponents of the regime in these respective countries in Eriteria – the parcel of land leased by Iran to train people to topple the regimes in the countries.

“In this context, we cite a statement that was issued by the Iranian president who has said there is Iranian presence in four Arab countries and added, the Iranian support for pro-Iran militias in these countries will continue.

“Not just that, Iran recently made it clear that its new western borders along the Mediterranean shores and its territories stretch to the west across the Arabian Gulf states.

“It is needless to say the Gulf states have realized that Americans will not wage a blanket war on Iran and there is optimism of Gulf-US troops opting for a limited strike at Iran just for the satisfaction of the citizens of the Gulf countries.

“In this context, we say everybody knows at the moment that America and the West want Iran to play the role of Israel in the Eastern part of the Arab world, and as such they are looking forward to rely on Iran as they rely on Israel to carry out a set of strategic objectives in the region.

“The first objective will be to pave the way to divide the states of the region in a prelude to involve them in the New World Order by promoting what they call the creative turmoil through sectarian fights as it occurred in Iraq and Syria.

“This was documented by the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in her book ‘Difficult Choices’ published in 2014, while the second objective refers to the Iranian practices against the Gulf states, which constitute the major reason why these states continue to depend on the West and this is crystal clear by the manner they spend to arm themselves to the teeth and this behavior has increased the appetite of the Gulf nations for Western products.

“In conclusion, I would like to point out that America is keen to see that Iran plays the role of a strong policeman in the region capable of destroying any Sunni group such as the Islamic State or the so-called ‘DAESH’ or similar groups which constitute a danger to US interests.

“By doing so, America, shall hold itself above any accusation that is likely to see it as anti-Islam state, and shall maintain its military capabilities without any loss or damage.

“Anyway, curbing the Iranian danger requires the creation of a popular lobby to put pressures on the US Congress to increase investments in the US media in general and in the television sector in particular, provided this coincides with choosing China as an alternative ally following the prospective US withdrawal from the region and this can be initially realized by accelerating the implementation of Al-Harir (Silk) Road Project which will cover all Gulf states in addition to the implementation of the Chinese investment projects, provided this coincides with a declaration of the Gulf confederation primarily in the fields of defense and foreign policy.

“Apart from the above, we suggest the Gulf states must hasten to boost their defensive and intelligence potentials through a special coordination with Egypt and Morocco. Besides, it is important for the proposed modern state to periodically remain closed and pay concern to the industries and the scientific researches.”

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Dr Al-Huwail

“The scenario painted in the region is reminiscent of the US President Donald Trump taking us on a tour of a haunted house in one of the entertainment cities who plays the role of an ‘elder man’ trying to calm down the fears but at the same time grooming them to absorb the shocks of the impending horror scene,” columnist Abdulmohsen Jumah wrote for Al-Jarida daily.

“This is how things can be summed up because of the manner Trump deals with the Arabian Gulf states. This has become crystal clear through his baffling statements which he continues to issue from time to time following the Iranian aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – the heart of the region.

“In this context, we say since striking the oil installations in Al-Dawadmi last May, Iran followed it with the incidents in the Strait of Hormuz – the attacks on oil tankers – directly challenging the US and its allies in addition to the event that been occurred in Al-Shiba oilfield and recently the painful strikes on the Saudi oil installations in Abqaiq and Khuwais. In the face of this Trump who appears to contradict himself, portrays himself as the person who has lost all credibility but continues to play the dangerous role.

“This happens although it is Trump who has pushed the region to this state through the US economic sanctions on Tehran to discipline the latter without forcing it to change its deeds in the region to guarantee the security of Israel, particularly in terms of dealing with the Iranian nuclear dossier with no plan for the US administration to confront Tehran’s resistance against the economic siege of the country by Washington or any other plan to curb the former’s reactions.

“To add insult to injury, we refer to Trump’s silly statements who has gone on record for saying the US no longer needs oil from the Arabian Gulf and his demand urging the states in the region to pay for their protection, particularly since we know that Iran has been targeting the region for several months and this means the incumbent US administration is concerned only about concluding pacts of political nature with Iran without taking into consideration the security of the region or that of the US allies.”

“The correct rule is: ‘Do not get involved in a war you cannot end’. David Ignatius started a Washington Post article a couple of days ago with these words. The phrase means President Trump and the Gulf States are in trouble on how to deal with Iran in the recent escalation after some drones or missiles hit Abqaiq Refinery and other vital oil installations in Saudi Arabia,” Hassan Al-Essa wrote for Al-Jarida daily.

“In fact, it is not only the Gulf states that started the escalation with Iran but also the United States that unilaterally ended the nuclear agreement with Iran and then imposed an economic blockade on them to domesticate the Iranian Republic and drag her into negotiations. Unlike President Trump’s bets, what do we expect Iran to do next?

“Most of the New York Times and Washington Post writers – the two largest newspapers in the United States – all agree on the US predicament with Iran; the predicament of the Gulf states with an ally that poured billions of dollars in arms deals to buy and protect his friend and concluded today that their ally yesterday is not their ally today, hesitant in positions and indecisive, he pledges and then reneges on his decisions.

“Perhaps the Gulf states should ask themselves: How is Trump different from Obama? The latter told his allies, “There is no place for free passengers, free riders”, which shows that the Trump administration is ultimately worse than Obama as envisioned, and the betting on the new president and celebration was misplaced. Some of the writers are of the opinion that what is happening today is the beginning of the end of the tacit decade of American protection of the countries of the region since the beginning of 1945.

“America today, after the Iraqi and Afghan lessons, is not the America that liberated Kuwait in 1991, and the region’s oil is no longer as important as it was before the shale oil production. America today looks inward before abroad, and countries in the region have to understand what the phrase ‘America First’ means to President Trump. It seems exhausted from the regional wars, the decline of its economic power, and entertains no mood to enter into a war adventure with a country like Iran … what to do?

“Is there anything other than the Gulf states should pay attention to their situation and act de facto and start a serious dialogue with the Islamic Republic to extinguish the fire? Betting on the strongest state to enforce a tacit charter for historical protection is no longer viable. Time is running out and circumstances change.”

“In the Arab world, governments have committed themselves to the principles and fundamentals of America and the West, so they have reached a stage where they do not dare to discuss those principles, fundamentals and laws while trying to change them in their favor”, Abdul-Aziz Bumejdad wrote for AlShahed daily.

“They revere them more than their sanctification of the Holy Quran, which is supposed to be the unchanging Divine scripture. However, because of their sectarian differences, they are now changing its fundamentals with new and different interpretations and translations, but before international laws and Western principles, they are obediently very polite.

“When we talk about Arabs, we necessarily talk about Muslims, and it is noticeable that this country did not use its Arabism to strengthen itself and rely on its elements and strengthen its military, economic, political and social aspects. It is rather too weak to force America to recognize it as an “Arab homeland” instead of calling her the Arab world, Middle East, or the underdeveloped Third World. These Arabs who did not make for themselves a respectable world, did not even think of creating for themselves an Islamic glory by strengthening their relations with non-Arab Muslims.

“The reality that the Arabs are supposed to rebel against is their bowing to the West, especially Britain and France that lived the role of the master ruling and controlling slaves, and the idea remained even after colonialism. The same thing goes for America that brought it upon herself to protect the Zionists after becoming a respectable country. It started treating the Arabs as a weak and frivolous enemy that could be eradicated as needed, and which would not be as long as the Arabs paid. If the Arabs had rebelled against this reality before the West imposed it on them completely and sought to form an Arab-Islamic force through rapprochement with non-Arab Muslim countries, they would have reached a stage where they could confront the United States and impose their will on them rather than just enforcing its orders.

“China, Venezuela, and Iran are doing this, so why, for example, has Egypt not reached this power others enjoy as she is the strongest and largest Arab Muslim country? Why didn’t the Arabs make a great state against the western arrogant forces instead of being economically and politically destructive, while the revolutions of its people change nothing but the “president”? Had the Arabs thought of establishing an Arab-Islamic force since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, they would have made Greater Egypt and benefited from Greater Iran instead of paying their American enemy to strike at those who share their religion”.

“The Republic of Iran enjoys an excellent geographical position, making her the bridge between the Eastern Mediterranean countries on one hand and Central-South Asia on the other. Iran can be divided into three main geographical regions, namely the Eastern Heights, the Northern Highlands and the Central Plateau. With an area of land estimated at one million six hundred and fifty square kilometers, the population is estimated at eighty-two million,” columnist Saud Al-Samaka wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.

“Iran is an important country in the oil industry, and it’s one of the largest countries in energy reserve, as she produces about 4,000 barrels of oil per day – its share of OPEC. Concerning agriculture, Iran has huge fertile land with nearly one-third of the area being arable. Regarding industry, Iran is the third largest economy in the Middle East, and the 29th in the world with total income of $ 338 billion.

“The Arab world occupies an area of fourteen million square kilometers, and the Arab geographical region is of great importance to the countries of the world since it overlooks three seas: the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Gulf, and the Red Sea. These seas are connected to global navigational routes in large water bodies such as the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, which has four important straits that control sea access. With the total Arab population up to four hundred million, the Arab world is the only western gateway to the Mediterranean Sea that opens to the Atlantic Ocean overlooking the world’s major developed countries in all areas.

“The Arab world is characterized by its economic capabilities in various fields, in addition to its large spatial capacity and distinguished geographical location. It is also characterized by many important sectors, such as agriculture, commerce and industry. These economic capabilities are supported by well trained human resource graduates from professional and technical institutions added annually to the labor market to boost the production power. The Arab world enjoys financial revenues from oil production estimated at $ 339 billion per year.

“Let us imagine how things can be if Iran and Arabs coexist and put an end to the fake enmity. We need to cooperate, especially in this era of Israel having borders from the Nile to the Euphrates. We have to live peacefully and side by side especially in this era where Islam is the target”.

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb