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Tuesday, 20 February 2007 16:41 |
By JIM GENARO
After outlining the various conflicts in the Middle East and the Bush administrationís policies towards those conflicts at UNC Ashevilleís Humanities Lecture Hall on Feb. 13, lecturer Tom Sanders facilitated a dialogue among audience members over possible policy alternatives and the challenges the U.S. faces in the region.
The forum was sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina as part of its Great Decisions 2007 lecture series.
A
man noted that ìIraq was an artificial construction from the beginning
that brought together people who donít have much in common. Whatís the
common interest? Whatís going to keep Iraq together, short of
resurrecting Saddam Hussein?î
Sanders noted that Hussein had kept the competing interests of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds together through brute force.
However, he
said, ìthere is an underlying Iraqi nationalism ó I donít know how
strong it is. The real question is, ëWhere is your primary loyalty?íî
Elections have
shown that Iraqis tend to place their loyalties primarily with members
of their own ethnic and religious groups ó regardless of whether this
ultimately serves Iraq, he added.
ìDoesnít federalization require some sort of distribution of the oil revenuesî in Iraq, a man asked.
ìThere seems to be some agreeement that the oil wealth will be distributed by population,î Sanders replied.
However, he
added that the Kurds, who have long sought autonomy, are arguing that
they should solely benefit from new wells they have developed in recent
years.
A woman asked
how to balance U.S. needs to establish security in Iraq with the
resentment bred by the presence of American troops.
In response, Sanders challenged the Bush administrationís framing of the conflict in terms of a war on terrorism.
ìIt seems to be
very importatant that we draw a distinction among so-called terrorists
that are seeking representation in an authoritarian system or to get
foreign occupiers out ... from the others.î
For instance, he
said, Palestinians use terroristic tactics to fight the Israeli
occupation, unlike Al-Qaeda, which attacked the U.S. on American soil.
Sanders noted
that the 1946 bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by Zionist
extremists was ordered by Menachem Begin, who later became prime
minister of Israel.
ìTodayís terrorist might be tomorrowís statesman,î Sanders added.
A man then asked
about allegations by the Bush administration that Iranian-made bombs
have been used by Iraqi insurgents in attacks on American troops.
ìWhich groups in Iraq are supposed to be using those weapons, Shiites or Sunnis?î he asked.
Sanders replied
that the Bush administration claims the bombs were destributed by
Iranian officials to their fellow Shiites in Iraq.
ìThe reality is that hardly any Americans are killed by Shiites,î he added.
Sanders noted that if anything, the bombs were likely acquired from the ìincredible black market in arms in Iraq.î
He noted that the bombs in question ó which involve exposives packed into a metal tube ó are not terribly sophisticated.
ìAny ingenious high-schooler could make these things,î he said.
ìGive us your
own assessment of whether you think a national government could
conceivably survive if the U.S. withdrew in the next 12 months,î a man
said.
ìThere are no
easy options,î Sanders replied. ìI canít say there would be a
government, but I somehow feel that the Iraqis would find a way to do
it.î
However, he
added, this way might not look like the kind of liberal democracy the
Bush administration says it hopes to create there.
Still, one positive factor is the desire of Iraqís neighbors to see a stable government there, Sanders said.
He also noted
that while Iran may be helping Shiites in Iraq, Sunni nations like
Saudi Arabia are backing their counterparts in Iraq.
A man then turned the conversation to the question of Israel and Palestine.
ìIsrael now
occupies 78 percent of the land that was Palestineî under the 1948 U.N.
charter that established the borders of the two territories, he said.
ìHow can responsible Palestinian leaders ever agree to the end of
hostilities when 78 percent of their land is gone and theyíre sitting
on just 22 percent of it?î
ìI think they have no other choice ó and Iîm sure theyíre not happy about it,î Sanders answered.
ìThe key to the whole Middle East is the satisfactory resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,î Sanders said in closing.
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