.Al-Jazeera TV Talkshow Discusses Decision to Name Arab Ambassadors to Iraq
Doha Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television in Arabic - Independent Television station financed by the Qatari Government - at 1830 gmt on 8 July carries in its daily "Behind the News" programme a new talk show on the recent "rapprochement" between Iraq and several Arab countries. Anchorwoman Luna al-Shibl hosts Muhammad Bashar al-Faydi, official spokesman for the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, via satellite from Amman; Amr Hamzawi, senior researcher at the Carnegie Institute for World Peace, via satellite from Washington; and Sa'd al-Hayyali, Iraqi ambassador to the Kingdom of Jordan, via telephone from Amman.
Al-Shibl begins by saying: "In this programme, we are going to explore the dimensions of the current rapprochement between Iraq and a number of Arab countries. The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Bahrain have decided to appoint ambassadors in Baghdad, a step the Al-Maliki government has long awaited to see, with the backing of the Bush Administration. We have the following two questions to ask: How could the sudden Arab openness to the Iraqi Government be explained, and can certain Iraqi, Arab, or regional interests be achieved through this accelerating rapprochement? Three Arab countries have decided to appoint ambassadors to Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates made two decisions after receiving and seeing off the Iraqi prime minister. It decided to reopen its embassy in Baghdad and write off $7 billions in debts on Iraq. Jordanian King Abdallah II was about to travel to Baghdad, but the visit, which Al- Maliki has long awaited impatiently, was postponed at the last moment."
An unidentified TV correspondent says that "a number of Gulf Cooperation Council member states, as well as Jordan, are preparing to resume their diplomatic relations with Iraq" and that "other countries are also expected to reopen their embassies in Baghdad once the security situation improves in the country." She also says that "the United Arab Emirate's decision to write off its debts was preceded by a similar step by the donor countries, which have recently held a conference in Kuwait and responded to a US call for writing off their debts on Iraq as a prelude to an Iraqi-Arab rapprochement." The United States "also pressed Iraq's neighbouring countries to resume relations with Iraq as soon as possible," she says, adding that "Al-Maliki has worked hard to gain support from his Sunni Arab neighbours, who had accused his government of pursuing a sectarian line." Some believe that "by cracking down on Al-Sadr's militias, Al-Maliki wanted to persuade Iraqis and neighbouring countries that he was leading a government that is not biased towards a certain sect," she says, adding that "the interaction of foreign interests in Iraq and attempts to dwarf Iran's role in the country explain the Arab-Iraqi rapprochement." She also says that "the image of former Egyptian Ambassador to Iraq Ihab al-Sharif, who was assassinated in Iraq in the summer of 2005, is still fresh in the memory of the Egyptians and discourages Cairo from resuming its diplomatic ties with Baghdad." According to some, she says, "the Arab move towards Iraq implies a willingness to give legitimacy to the Al-Maliki government, which is viewed by some Iraqis as an illegitimate son of occupied Iraq."
Starting the interview, Al-Shibl says that a number of counties have decided to reopen their embassies in Iraq, that the Jordanian monarch was supposed to travel to Iraq soon, and that the visit was reportedly put off for security reasons or the Jordanian monarch's obligations, asking him how he views the sudden Arab openness to Iraq.
Al-Hayyali says: "The Arab openness has resulted from extensive contacts, Arab summit decisions, Arab foreign ministers' recommendations, and the Iraqi Government's efforts to clarify the real state of affaires in Iraq to the Arab brothers. Since the Law Enforcement Plan was launched, the Iraqi Government has worked hard to enforce the law and struck the terrorist organizations and militias. The Iraqi Government is also doing its best to end regional interference in Iraq's domestic affairs in order to restore the state's prestige and Arab relations, since Iraq is an indivisible part of the Arab nation."
Al-Shibl says that "you have said nothing about US pressures in this direction, particularly Condoleezza Rice's tours to prod the Arabs to return to Iraq."
Al-Hayyali says that "apart from the said US pressure on the Arab countries, it is in the interest of Iraq and the Arabs to have normal ties" and that "certain parties, which believe Iraq is distancing itself from its Arab nation, are behind Arab absence." Like other foreign countries, including Iran, "the Arabs should have a presence in Iraq, which has never been away from its Arab perimeter," he says, adding that "the neighbouring countries and the Arab League are aware of the importance of Iraq."
Asked if the improving security situation in Iraq is behind Arab countries' decision to open embassies in Baghdad, Al-Faydi says that "this step is not in the interest of the Iraqi people, who have suffered much at the hands of this government and its security apparatuses." He says that "many government officials have plundered Iraq's wealth," that "Iraq has been branded the most corrupt in the world," that "the United States has classified Iraq as the fifth most failed state in the world," and that "the decision by some Arab countries comes in support of the Iraqi Government and not the Iraqi people." Al-Faydi also says: "Does the government deserve Arab support? Al-Maliki has recently accused the Arab governments of terrorism and of backing terrorist infiltrators and said that these countries are fearful of the spread of freedom and democracy in the region, describing them as copies of the dictatorial rule in Iraq." Al-Maliki "is among those trying to distance Iraq from the Arab fold," he says, adding that "during the first Cairo conference, we waged a war with him and his supporters to protect Iraq's Arabism."
Asked if he sees any problem in Al-Maliki changing his mind and seeking Arab presence in Iraq, Al-Faydi says that "Al-Maliki has no serious intention to establish ties with the Arabs, but wants to make some kind of success before the Bush administration leaves the White House." He also says that "this issue cannot be resolved in this simple manner," that "relations cannot be established through the exchange of ambassadors," and that "the occupied country is being removed from its Arab fold," wondering what the Al-Maliki and his government "have done to block that design."
Asked if the US pressures and Rice's tours have yielded their fruits and if what is going on is a true support for the Al-Maliki government, Hamzawi says that "the United States and the Bush administration have an interest in an Arab openness to the Iraqi Government." The United States "also wants other regional and international parties, such as the EU, to back the Iraqi Government in order to diminish its role in the country," he says, adding that "the United States spends huge amounts of money on Iraq every day." He also says that "the United States tries to contain the Iranian influence in Iraq through the openness of other regional parties to the country in order to create a balance between the Arab and Iranian roles in Iraq." It is in the interest of the influential Arab countries "to open to Iraq to prevent it from throwing itself into the Iranian lap and bring about security and political stability in Iraq."
Asked how these Arab embassies in Baghdad could block Iraq from throwing itself into Iran's lap, Hamzawi says that "the Arabs want to have diplomatic, economic, and political ties with Iraq to create a balance in the Iraqi Government's policies," adding that "following the fall of the Saddam Husayn regime, the successive Iraqi governments threw themselves into Iran's lap." Moreover, he says, "despite their differences, the Arabs and Iranian have joint interests."
Asked on whether the reopening of the Arab embassies in Baghdad can mitigate Iran's influence in Iraq, Al-Hayyali says that "Al- Faydi's statement is far from reality," that "the Arabs' move towards Iraq is in the interest of the Iraqi people," and that "the new Iraqi-Arab relations will decrease regional influence in Iraq." He also says that "the Iraqi Government's step in this direction is supposed to be welcomed by the Iraqi national forces" and that "Arab absence from Iraq over the past years has cleared the way for other regional countries to have influence in Iraq."
Asked what made Shone McCormack tell journalists today that a number of positive developments have taken place on the Iraqi diplomatic front over the past few weeks, asking what has happened.
Al-Hayyali says that "when realities change on the ground, political positions change," that "the situation in Iraq changed after the application of the Law Enforcement Plan, which shows that Iraq is building its Arab relations away from sectarian lines," and that "the Al-Maliki government is determined to enforce the law and build its institutions."
Asked how he views Shone McCormack saying that after Gulf countries decided to reopen embassies in Baghdad, Iraq began restoring its status in the Gulf region, Al-Faydi wonders "if the Arab ambassadors will improve the situation in Iraq" and says that "Arab ambassadors and some investments cannot change anything in the situation in Iraq." He also says that "with US agreement and blessing, some neighbouring countries have interfered in Iraq over the past five years and even penetrated the security and political institutions." Al-Faydi says that "the Iranian ambassador attends Iraqi politicians' meetings" and that "the Iranian consul in Basra tours with Iraqi officials during elections campaigns," wondering "if the Arab ambassadors will be allowed to do the same." We do not like such games and "we do not want the Arabs to get involved in such things," he says, adding that "the Arab ambassadors will stay at their embassies in the Green Zone and cannot move freely in other areas."
Al-Shibl says that "you have always asked for an Arab role to counter the Iranian influence."
Al-Faydi says that "we are still asking for that role away from the US project and hateful policy, which has introduced the power- sharing system and the constitution and paralysed the people's will." If the Arabs want to serve Iraq, "then they must open their hearts and capitals for the national forces opposing the political process in Iraq and support any faction, party, or bloc seeking Iraq's unity - land and people - far away from sectarian and racist lines." We should remember that "this government has always been a pillar of sectarianism and racism in Iraq" and that "its projects are based on partition and federalism," wondering "how the Arabs could bless this dangerous project and fan the fire in the country."
Asked about the postponement of the visit to Iraq by the Jordanian monarch and if there is a new Arab understanding of the situation in Iraq as a result of Washington's recent moves, Hamzawi says that "the Bush administration has pressured the Arabs since the fall of the Saddam Husayn regime to recognize the new arrangements in Iraq." He says that "some Arab countries have begun opening to Iraq due to the improving security situation and the relative stability in the political process." Hamzawi also says that "the new Arab role in Iraq will influence the US occupation, the US forces, the US trusteeship, the proposed security agreement, and the Iranian role." He says that "the Arabs should move towards Iraq, since boycott cannot be an alternative" and that "the United States fights Iran's influence and seeks diplomatic openness to Iraq in order to reorganize its relations with Iraq after the expiry of the international trusteeship."
Asked on whether the Iraqi Government has offered guarantees that Arab diplomats will no longer be abducted or killed, Al-Hayyali says that "the recent improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and the other Iraqi cities and the government's campaign to destroy the militias, outlaws, and terrorist organizations have improved the overall situation." Moreover, "the Iraqi Government has done everything it can to enable the embassies to do their work," he says, adding that "not all the embassies are in the Green Zone." For example, "the Turkish Embassy is situated in the Al-A'zamiyah neighbourhood," he says, adding that "the Iranian and other embassies are outside the Green Zone" and that "we encourage Arab presence in the country to create balance."
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Al-Shibl begins by saying: "In this programme, we are going to explore the dimensions of the current rapprochement between Iraq and a number of Arab countries. The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Bahrain have decided to appoint ambassadors in Baghdad, a step the Al-Maliki government has long awaited to see, with the backing of the Bush Administration. We have the following two questions to ask: How could the sudden Arab openness to the Iraqi Government be explained, and can certain Iraqi, Arab, or regional interests be achieved through this accelerating rapprochement? Three Arab countries have decided to appoint ambassadors to Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates made two decisions after receiving and seeing off the Iraqi prime minister. It decided to reopen its embassy in Baghdad and write off $7 billions in debts on Iraq. Jordanian King Abdallah II was about to travel to Baghdad, but the visit, which Al- Maliki has long awaited impatiently, was postponed at the last moment."
An unidentified TV correspondent says that "a number of Gulf Cooperation Council member states, as well as Jordan, are preparing to resume their diplomatic relations with Iraq" and that "other countries are also expected to reopen their embassies in Baghdad once the security situation improves in the country." She also says that "the United Arab Emirate's decision to write off its debts was preceded by a similar step by the donor countries, which have recently held a conference in Kuwait and responded to a US call for writing off their debts on Iraq as a prelude to an Iraqi-Arab rapprochement." The United States "also pressed Iraq's neighbouring countries to resume relations with Iraq as soon as possible," she says, adding that "Al-Maliki has worked hard to gain support from his Sunni Arab neighbours, who had accused his government of pursuing a sectarian line." Some believe that "by cracking down on Al-Sadr's militias, Al-Maliki wanted to persuade Iraqis and neighbouring countries that he was leading a government that is not biased towards a certain sect," she says, adding that "the interaction of foreign interests in Iraq and attempts to dwarf Iran's role in the country explain the Arab-Iraqi rapprochement." She also says that "the image of former Egyptian Ambassador to Iraq Ihab al-Sharif, who was assassinated in Iraq in the summer of 2005, is still fresh in the memory of the Egyptians and discourages Cairo from resuming its diplomatic ties with Baghdad." According to some, she says, "the Arab move towards Iraq implies a willingness to give legitimacy to the Al-Maliki government, which is viewed by some Iraqis as an illegitimate son of occupied Iraq."
Starting the interview, Al-Shibl says that a number of counties have decided to reopen their embassies in Iraq, that the Jordanian monarch was supposed to travel to Iraq soon, and that the visit was reportedly put off for security reasons or the Jordanian monarch's obligations, asking him how he views the sudden Arab openness to Iraq.
Al-Hayyali says: "The Arab openness has resulted from extensive contacts, Arab summit decisions, Arab foreign ministers' recommendations, and the Iraqi Government's efforts to clarify the real state of affaires in Iraq to the Arab brothers. Since the Law Enforcement Plan was launched, the Iraqi Government has worked hard to enforce the law and struck the terrorist organizations and militias. The Iraqi Government is also doing its best to end regional interference in Iraq's domestic affairs in order to restore the state's prestige and Arab relations, since Iraq is an indivisible part of the Arab nation."
Al-Shibl says that "you have said nothing about US pressures in this direction, particularly Condoleezza Rice's tours to prod the Arabs to return to Iraq."
Al-Hayyali says that "apart from the said US pressure on the Arab countries, it is in the interest of Iraq and the Arabs to have normal ties" and that "certain parties, which believe Iraq is distancing itself from its Arab nation, are behind Arab absence." Like other foreign countries, including Iran, "the Arabs should have a presence in Iraq, which has never been away from its Arab perimeter," he says, adding that "the neighbouring countries and the Arab League are aware of the importance of Iraq."
Asked if the improving security situation in Iraq is behind Arab countries' decision to open embassies in Baghdad, Al-Faydi says that "this step is not in the interest of the Iraqi people, who have suffered much at the hands of this government and its security apparatuses." He says that "many government officials have plundered Iraq's wealth," that "Iraq has been branded the most corrupt in the world," that "the United States has classified Iraq as the fifth most failed state in the world," and that "the decision by some Arab countries comes in support of the Iraqi Government and not the Iraqi people." Al-Faydi also says: "Does the government deserve Arab support? Al-Maliki has recently accused the Arab governments of terrorism and of backing terrorist infiltrators and said that these countries are fearful of the spread of freedom and democracy in the region, describing them as copies of the dictatorial rule in Iraq." Al-Maliki "is among those trying to distance Iraq from the Arab fold," he says, adding that "during the first Cairo conference, we waged a war with him and his supporters to protect Iraq's Arabism."
Asked if he sees any problem in Al-Maliki changing his mind and seeking Arab presence in Iraq, Al-Faydi says that "Al-Maliki has no serious intention to establish ties with the Arabs, but wants to make some kind of success before the Bush administration leaves the White House." He also says that "this issue cannot be resolved in this simple manner," that "relations cannot be established through the exchange of ambassadors," and that "the occupied country is being removed from its Arab fold," wondering what the Al-Maliki and his government "have done to block that design."
Asked if the US pressures and Rice's tours have yielded their fruits and if what is going on is a true support for the Al-Maliki government, Hamzawi says that "the United States and the Bush administration have an interest in an Arab openness to the Iraqi Government." The United States "also wants other regional and international parties, such as the EU, to back the Iraqi Government in order to diminish its role in the country," he says, adding that "the United States spends huge amounts of money on Iraq every day." He also says that "the United States tries to contain the Iranian influence in Iraq through the openness of other regional parties to the country in order to create a balance between the Arab and Iranian roles in Iraq." It is in the interest of the influential Arab countries "to open to Iraq to prevent it from throwing itself into the Iranian lap and bring about security and political stability in Iraq."
Asked how these Arab embassies in Baghdad could block Iraq from throwing itself into Iran's lap, Hamzawi says that "the Arabs want to have diplomatic, economic, and political ties with Iraq to create a balance in the Iraqi Government's policies," adding that "following the fall of the Saddam Husayn regime, the successive Iraqi governments threw themselves into Iran's lap." Moreover, he says, "despite their differences, the Arabs and Iranian have joint interests."
Asked on whether the reopening of the Arab embassies in Baghdad can mitigate Iran's influence in Iraq, Al-Hayyali says that "Al- Faydi's statement is far from reality," that "the Arabs' move towards Iraq is in the interest of the Iraqi people," and that "the new Iraqi-Arab relations will decrease regional influence in Iraq." He also says that "the Iraqi Government's step in this direction is supposed to be welcomed by the Iraqi national forces" and that "Arab absence from Iraq over the past years has cleared the way for other regional countries to have influence in Iraq."
Asked what made Shone McCormack tell journalists today that a number of positive developments have taken place on the Iraqi diplomatic front over the past few weeks, asking what has happened.
Al-Hayyali says that "when realities change on the ground, political positions change," that "the situation in Iraq changed after the application of the Law Enforcement Plan, which shows that Iraq is building its Arab relations away from sectarian lines," and that "the Al-Maliki government is determined to enforce the law and build its institutions."
Asked how he views Shone McCormack saying that after Gulf countries decided to reopen embassies in Baghdad, Iraq began restoring its status in the Gulf region, Al-Faydi wonders "if the Arab ambassadors will improve the situation in Iraq" and says that "Arab ambassadors and some investments cannot change anything in the situation in Iraq." He also says that "with US agreement and blessing, some neighbouring countries have interfered in Iraq over the past five years and even penetrated the security and political institutions." Al-Faydi says that "the Iranian ambassador attends Iraqi politicians' meetings" and that "the Iranian consul in Basra tours with Iraqi officials during elections campaigns," wondering "if the Arab ambassadors will be allowed to do the same." We do not like such games and "we do not want the Arabs to get involved in such things," he says, adding that "the Arab ambassadors will stay at their embassies in the Green Zone and cannot move freely in other areas."
Al-Shibl says that "you have always asked for an Arab role to counter the Iranian influence."
Al-Faydi says that "we are still asking for that role away from the US project and hateful policy, which has introduced the power- sharing system and the constitution and paralysed the people's will." If the Arabs want to serve Iraq, "then they must open their hearts and capitals for the national forces opposing the political process in Iraq and support any faction, party, or bloc seeking Iraq's unity - land and people - far away from sectarian and racist lines." We should remember that "this government has always been a pillar of sectarianism and racism in Iraq" and that "its projects are based on partition and federalism," wondering "how the Arabs could bless this dangerous project and fan the fire in the country."
Asked about the postponement of the visit to Iraq by the Jordanian monarch and if there is a new Arab understanding of the situation in Iraq as a result of Washington's recent moves, Hamzawi says that "the Bush administration has pressured the Arabs since the fall of the Saddam Husayn regime to recognize the new arrangements in Iraq." He says that "some Arab countries have begun opening to Iraq due to the improving security situation and the relative stability in the political process." Hamzawi also says that "the new Arab role in Iraq will influence the US occupation, the US forces, the US trusteeship, the proposed security agreement, and the Iranian role." He says that "the Arabs should move towards Iraq, since boycott cannot be an alternative" and that "the United States fights Iran's influence and seeks diplomatic openness to Iraq in order to reorganize its relations with Iraq after the expiry of the international trusteeship."
Asked on whether the Iraqi Government has offered guarantees that Arab diplomats will no longer be abducted or killed, Al-Hayyali says that "the recent improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and the other Iraqi cities and the government's campaign to destroy the militias, outlaws, and terrorist organizations have improved the overall situation." Moreover, "the Iraqi Government has done everything it can to enable the embassies to do their work," he says, adding that "not all the embassies are in the Green Zone." For example, "the Turkish Embassy is situated in the Al-A'zamiyah neighbourhood," he says, adding that "the Iranian and other embassies are outside the Green Zone" and that "we encourage Arab presence in the country to create balance."
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