Local papers were inundated with news of the NDP congress, while the Arab press managed to neatly balance domestic and global concerns, write Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed Unequally the same Lavish lifestyles, compromising deals, calculating tours and the all-absorbing American presidential poll thrill the pundits Surprise, surprise: Readers in the Arab world discover that some Arab countries are more equal than others as the financial crisis unfolds. Western dignitaries drop in at the regal portals of Saudi and other Arab Gulf royals to solicit their support. Those Arab countries outside safety nets want to get inside them. Naturally, however, countries inside will want to avoid sharing the cost. And, at any rate, the powers that be have no inclination to be feted by the leaders of penniless and underdeveloped countries. They are attracted by the rich and wealthy sheikdoms that offer salvation. It is against this backdrop that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Arabian Gulf tour aroused the suspicion and even outright indignation in the Arab press. Pundits stressed that offering assistance to wealthy, highly industrialised countries is not exactly the right thing to do at the moment. There are numerous vulnerable countries, many of them Arab and Muslim, in dire need of help as the global financial crisis worsens. Giving vast sums of money to good causes is perfectly acceptable. But, it is difficult to be charitable to powerful and wealthy nations. Still, the badly bruised West and the oil-rich Gulf Arab states must find a way to work together. Yet there are risks there. Brown's gruff manners are an example of what is wrong with the British. "Brown hopes that Saudi Arabia will come to the rescue," retorted the London-based pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat. The best hope of escaping the turmoil relatively unscathed is by donating generously to the coffers of rich nations. True, every culture has its own mores. But, this line of reasoning sounds more like plain old quackery. The Arabs are loath to fall for that kind of ignoble chicanery. The manner in which Arab governments are handling the international financial crisis deserves more careful thought. The controversy surrounding the Iraqi security pact with the United States preoccupied the pundits. Iraq, many Arab commentators suspected, is surrendering its sovereignty. Parallels with Vietnam are all too apt. Remember Saigon, and how it fell way back in 1975? On a more gruesome note, the general Arab fascination with the former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein surfaced to the fore once again. Reporters and political commentators covered news that Saddam's luxury yacht is up for sale. The legendary Iraqi leader still captures the imagination of millions in the Arab world. He has proven to be charismatic even after death. It is as if his ghost has come to haunt an entire nation, the Arab as opposed to the Iraqi. This week, the intrigue centred around Saddam's yacht anchored off the scenic coasts of the French Riviera. Docked in Nice, the yacht -- valued at $35 million -- is a symbol of the extravagant lifestyle of the former Iraqi despot. The news pitted those who long for his benign dictatorship against those who see the sale as an infuriating reminder of his excesses. The 82- metre Ocean Breeze includes opulent showrooms, fancy swimming pools, rocket launchers and even a mini-submarine in case a hurried exit is required. "The ministries of finance and foreign affairs are to facilitate the sale of Saddam Hussein's luxury yacht, with the blessings of the appropriate parliamentary committee," the Iraqi daily Al-Iraq Lil Jameea disclosed. Saddam's extravagance aside, the Arab press focussed on the American presidential polls. Writing in the London-based pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Iyad Abu Shaqra wrote, "the Americans find themselves on election day before two [difficult] problems. Their decision will be decisive in light of the current global financial crisis, and the confusion shrouding America's global superiority as a result of the failures of the current administration and the divisions between the US and its Western allies regarding issues of environment, climate change and trade." Palestinian questions also featured prominently in the Arab press. Writing in Al-Hayat, Dawoud Al-Shorian tried to provide reasons for the thaw in relations between Jordan and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. "Some Palestinian sources stress that the only reason behind the thaw in relations between Hamas and Jordan is Amman's fear of reviving the idea of the 'alternative homeland'. The Jordanian regime is totally convinced that Jordan would pay the price for denying the Palestinians the right to return to their country." Al-Shorian added, "the thaw in relations between Hamas and Jordan may lead to a thaw in relations between the Jordanian regime and the Islamist movements in Jordan and outside." He continued: "the Palestinian cause proves again that it is the balance of coalitions and disagreements, and tension and stability in the region." The Syrian response to the American air strikes dominated the headlines. Writing in Al-Hayat, Elias Harfoush argued that "of course we have not been waiting for Syria to give a military reply to the American helicopters' aggression on its territories bordering Iraq. And in spite of the threat voiced by Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallim that it would react to any future military operation, it is meant more to raise domestic moral in Syria rather than signalling an actual military readiness to fight the US." The writer added, "the recent air raid against Syria suggests that the Syrian initiatives [aimed at improving relations with] the George W Bush administration have almost gone with the wind. Therefore, Syrian initiatives towards improving the status of Iraqi security and enhancing relations with Lebanon seemed useless." Indeed, Arab pundits drew parallels between terrorism and the worsening economic conditions in Muslim nations. Writing in Asharq Al-Awsat, Hashem Saleh reflected on the war on terror. "Do Western leaders realise that the eradication of radicalism and terror will not be achieved unless poverty, hunger and illiteracy in the Islamic world are eliminated?"
