Arabs are planning to intensify their efforts to help the Iraqis out of their current dilemma. Dina Ezzat reports The Arab League has been coming under attack in several Arab intellectual quarters for failing to demonstrate a noticeable presence in the ongoing international process of Iraq's political reconstruction. Critics argue that the pan-Arab organisation is playing a virtually non- existent role in the process of reconstructing Iraq and outlining the transition to self-rule and democracy. In their defence, Arab League officials say they are taking the slow and steady approach in providing assistance to Iraq. Furthermore, officials of the Arab League argue that critics are exaggerating the extent to which the league is uninvolved in Iraq. They say that the Arab League, and for that matter Arabs in general, are not at all excluded from the processes of evolution in Iraq, whether political, economic or other kinds. The officials claim that the Arab League and its member states are heavily involved in the process, even if away from the limelight. "It is incorrect to argue that the Arab League is being distanced, or even distancing itself, from the ongoing developments in Iraq," said Ali Garoush, head of the Arab Affairs Department at the Arab League. "The league is very much involved even if our efforts do not always get the media coverage and even if the news headlines are strictly dedicated to the contacts that involve Iraq with both the US and the UN." Garoush is willing to admit that Arab diplomacy is equipped to play a more forceful role than it is doing in the current process and debate over power transfer and elections administration in Iraq. But, like other Arab diplomats, he is also willing to argue that this is only part of the complicated larger Iraq story that involves so many other elements, particularly those related to reconstruction and rehabilitation. "Arab involvement in providing assistance to Iraq, including political assistance, will take a clearer shape in the weeks ahead," Garoush said. This process should advance when Arab foreign ministers meet in March to approve a plan of action proposed by the Arab League on Iraq. The plan expected to be passed by the Arab Council of Foreign Ministers is a short-term working strategy focussed on helping Iraq rehabilitate its economic system, enhance its human resources, preserve its cultural heritage and embark on a process of political evolution. The outlines of this plan are inspired by a long process of consultation that included several meetings with Iraqi and concerned regional and international officials, a 10- day visit by an Arab League delegation to Iraq, and a host of conferences for concerned Arab organisations. "I think a crucial element was the visit of the Arab League delegation to Iraq," Garoush said. A member of this delegation, Garoush says that "being there and seeing things first hand and talking directly to Iraqis of all backgrounds and affiliations was an excellent opportunity to learn first hand the volume of the damage that has been inflicted on Iraq". Most important of all, Garoush argues, "being there made us realise how much most Iraqis want the Arab League to be there for them as they go through this hard and intricate transitional phase". It was in late December 2003 that Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa decided to send a four- member delegation to Iraq. The delegation toured the whole of Iraq, gauging the varying attitudes among the Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds, and smaller ethnic and religious groups, both among the leadership and common Iraqis. It consulted with members of the Interim Governing Council and its opposition, and also met with top clergymen including influential Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. Moreover, it held talks with representatives of many of the some 200 political parties which surfaced shortly after the fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Despite local differences, the unifying message emerging from these meetings was that Iraqis are sick and tired of tyranny and do not want to replace one form of coercion with another, but at the same time want stability. "All they want is to rebuild their country and to live there in peace and dignity. They want to be able to lead a life compatible with their long history and huge wealth. It is tough for an Iraqi to wait for hours to get 10 litres of gas to keep his car running for a few days," Garoush said. The recommendations offered by this delegation, in a report presented to Moussa, highlighted the argument that the Arab League should be playing an active role in helping Iraqis to reconstruct and rehabilitate their country. The recommendations of this delegation offered much insight to an Arab meeting that was organised by the Arab League at the Jordanian capital earlier this month to discuss the potential Arab assistance to Iraq. Participating in that three-day meeting were some 25 specialised Arab organisation and funds and representatives of both the United Nations and the World Bank. The Amman meeting reviewed a set of proposals offered by the participants and adopted recommendations that secured close to $8 billion to different projects of reconstruction, particularly those related to the much devastated Iraqi infrastructure and much lacking development. Also adopted by the meeting were plans by several participating organisations to provide technical assistance and training to a host of Iraqi governmental and non-governmental bodies. "The bottom line is that we now have a plan of action to provide across-the-board assistance to the Iraqi people. This plan has been posted to the Arab capitals for revision and once it is passed by the Arab foreign ministers the Arab League would be acting in full force to provide the required aid to the Iraqi people," Garoush said. According to Garoush, the Arab League is currently encouraging Arab private sector and non- governmental organisations to look into ways and means to help provide assistance to the Iraqi people. Meanwhile, the Arab organisation is constantly coordinating its efforts on Iraq with the UN. "So, we keep the UN posted of what we are doing in Iraq and the UN does the same. Both Secretary-General Moussa and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are in constant dialogue over Iraq," Garoush said. This Arab League-UN consultations cover the current efforts undertaken by the UN to decide whether elections could be held in Iraq to elect a representative government as proposed by Al-Sistani, or if Iraq will have to go ahead with the original plan proposed by the Coalition Provisional Authority to transfer power to the Iraqis first and then hold elections later. And whatever the verdict, Garoush says, "the Arab League is going to be there for the Iraqi people." Whether this promised presence will make a positive difference or whether it will aggravate an already distorted image of the Arab organisation on the part of the Iraqi people is something only time can tell.
