The National, UAE
March 6 2010

Lobbyists lurk behind victory for Armenians

Last Updated: March 06. 2010 8:08PM UAE / March 6. 2010 4:08PM GMT

Now that the foreign affairs Committee of the US Congress has voted in
favour of a motion describing the Ottoman Empire’s treatment of
Armenians as `genocide’, US presidents will be obliged to use this
term in official speeches when referring to the matter, wrote Areeb al
Rantawi in an opinion piece for the Jordanian newspaper Addustoor.

`It should be noted that the committee would not have met to examine
this issue without pressure from lobbyists, most probably Israelis,
who seek to punish Turkey and its ruling Justice and Development Party
for its attitude towards Israel’s lawless actions. It is also an
attempt to constrain Turkey to stand by Nato and refrain from its
repeated criticism of Washington’s policies towards Iraq and Iran.’

Opponents of the resolution, 22 members out of 45, condemned the
double standard of policies adopted by the US Congress, which failed
to probe massacres at home against African Americans and Native
Americans. They also decried the rationale behind the interest in the
remote issue of the Armenians.

`The committee has no competence to read history from its perspective,
nor is it entitled to issue value judgments on past events,’ the
writer noted. `Indeed the latest resolution is not timely as it may
greatly damage Turkish-Armenian relations, which have seen a steady
improvement.’

Political oversight needed in negotiations
Did Arab foreign ministers give `cover’ to Mahmoud Abbas, the
president of the Palestinian Authority, to engage in indirect talks
with the Israelis, asked Tariq Alhomayed in a comment piece for the
London-based newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat.

`Yet a problem emerged later when those who supported the move did not
justify their position, while others who opposed it could not produce
a convincing argument.’

The green light given to Mr Abbas to hold negotiations remains the
right decision because it bestows legitimacy on him and pushes aside
those who might want to seize the opportunity for political gains,’
the author wrote, quoting an Arab foreign minister.

Syria, on the other hand, rejected the idea of `authorisation’,
arguing that the Palestinians could take decisions by themselves.
Taking this stance, it tried to discard any possibility of such a
precedent taking place, hence granting legitimacy to Hamas to attack
Mr Abbas. The Syrian argument does not hold water. If it believes
Palestinians can act independently, then why does Damascus continue to
interfere in their internal affairs?

The problem today that goes unheeded by most is the lack of political
oversight which opens the door to more irrational bargains.

Will the Iraqi election bring about change?
`In the Iraqi election there is no party that can form the next
government alone. Perhaps this is a point of common consensus among
various political forces,’ noted the Saudi daily Alyaum in its
editorial.

It is true that this is the second election under occupation, but this
should be one of a kind. It is expected either to yield a new
political leadership, initiating a set of reforms as hoped, or just
reproduce the status quo. That is, the same figures who came with the
invasion would remain in office and continue similar policies based on
sectarianism.

`It is most likely that the present prime minister, Nouri al Maliki,
has a slim chance to win because throughout his term he created
opponents for himself as a result of his unpopular policies. He has
also lost the support of neighbouring countries except, of course,
Iran. On that account, how could such a government be keen to preserve
the interests of the state?’

It is hoped, therefore, that this election is a turning point in the
history of Iraq, a step to bring about internal stability and restore
the role of Iraq on the Arab scene. For that, it is hoped that Iraqis
will rightly choose their representatives on a practical basis,
without the influence of the residue left by years of internal
conflicts and chaos.

Unskilled labourers should learn the law
`It seems there is a desperate need to educate illiterate workers, and
this should be the responsibility of employers. Otherwise, murders
that occur for trivial reasons will grow to an alarming rate,’
remarked Muraei al Halyan in an opinion piece for the UAE newspaper Al
Bayan.

Last week, for instance, three murders took place among unskilled
labourers. Most of the incidents were instigated by a `disagreement
over money matters’. It was the lack of awareness and the illiteracy
of these workers which led them to act brutally against each other
over a few dirhams.

`It should be noted that there is a high rate of illiteracy among
labourers. They are ignorant of how to deal with laws and procedures
when they are menaced by other workers. They are also ignorant of the
existence of laws and institutions one can resort to in order to claim
one’s rights.’

For these reasons, there is an urgent need to educate illiterate
labourers, who usually undergo a big shock when they come to this
country. Companies, especially small and medium enterprises, should
set up classes to explain the laws in force and the state departments
workers can approach in order to resolve their disputes.

* Digest compiled by Mostapha el Mouloudi

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