efl... today's opinion in Arab News.
Mr. Secretary, you are one of the most acceptable to us in the American administration.
| Colin, you've got to work on that... |
Your inclinations toward respecting international legitimacy and settling problems through diplomacy and negotiations — a win-win approach — have won you great respect. They form a pleasant contrast to those who want to impose American hegemony through military might.
| I think they're misinterpreting Powell, or trying to suck up to him. I think Powell believes in allowing all parties to emit their vapors on a subject and seeing if anything comes of it. But he also knows when to stop the gas passing and do something of substance. He can also recognize when someone's been given enough rope to hang himself. Just because talks are occurring doesn't mean that all parties are making sense and that all parties are showing good faith... |
We have suffered the most by terrorism, which is not something special to the Saudis but is a phenomenon of every society, like poverty, disease and unemployment, and it emerges from injustice.
| I thought it emerged from madrassahs and other places where it's taught... |
America itself has suffered terrorism by its own people before Sept. 11, 2001. Saudi Arabia tasted its bitterness in the world’s holiest place during the occupation of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
You know they were ousted with secret US help, dontcha?
For the past two weeks our country — the government and people — has been tracking down 19 terrorist suspects who are not so different from the 19 who shook the United States except in one particular: The fact that our security agencies detected them, while US agencies failed in 2001.
How does that Kiwi taste this morning, Muhammad?
I would like to emphasize that the Western-style democracy you market in the region would not receive majority support if a referendum was held, because there is a clear alternative.
Right... 14th century theocracy.
Arabs are a weak people who need strong but clean and just governments. I underline the words clean and just.
Hygiene lessons from Saudi, just what we need. We will try to measure up to the high standards of Middle Eastern justice.
Americans often wonder why others hate them. Did you do anything today to make us like you?
And boom-boom-boom go the car bombs. Whaddya want, your own parking spaces in the shade, close to the front gates?
(Muhammad M. Al-Shibani is a Saudi writer. He is based in Jeddah.)
| Muhammad makes the mistaken assumption that anybody cares at this point whether they like us. We worried about that up until September 10th, 2001, yeah, even into the following morning. At this point, we would prefer that you speak truly and deal honestly with us and not try to clandestinely lead all the opposition to us in the world. Eventually we will get tired of the lies, prevarications, and even the stupid arrogance of people like Muhammad. And when we do, they're going to like us even less — briefly. Muhammad, did you do anything today to make us like you? |
|