When president Anwar El-Sadat removed Egypt out of the Soviet sphere of influence he was acting in the belief that the US held 99 per cent of the cards to solving the Arab- Israeli conflict. Some may have questioned that assessment, but the collapse of the Soviet Union and US deployment in the region following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait made it clear that a US-dominated era was beginning. In the 1990s, the world accepted that the Middle East was a zone of US influence. No other power dared to make any initiative in the region without Washington's approval. The US should have used that opportunity to establish its credibility as a patron of peace and stability. Instead, it was arrogant and greedy. It pushed its support of Israel to the limit while ignoring legitimate Arab concerns. It acted as if the Arabs were fit only to receive orders, not as partners in friendship and cooperation. With the US invasion of Iraq any hopes for a US change of heart were dashed. From then on the writing was on the wall. Faced with spiralling violence in Iraq, the US plodded on, unable to mend its ways, incapable of inspiring trust. If anything, the US fomented mistrust by supporting Israel's crimes against the Palestinians and Lebanon, acting belligerently towards Syria and engaging in suspicious schemes regarding Sudan. Eventually Washington lost all credibility and now risks the prospect of a disgraceful retreat, even by the judgement of senior US experts. Richard Hass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, says we are seeing the end of the US era in the Middle East. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security adviser, believes history is repeating itself, with the US likely to pull out from the Middle East following the Iraq war in the same way that Britain made its exit following the Suez campaign. Other foreign powers are now competing for a foothold in the region. Europe is offering a Spanish-French-Italian peace initiative. Russia is trying to improve its ties with Egypt and other Arab countries. And China hopes for a major economic and political role in the region. Meanwhile, the US seems unable to think beyond exiting Iraq and protecting Israel. One would think that this is the right moment for Arab nations and regimes to break free from foreign influence and find their own voice. It could well be their last chance.
