Pundits ask whether an Egyptian billionaire politician is guilty of murdering a pop queen, and assess who the public want to see win the US presidential elections. The anticipation is palpable Egyptian Press: Think again Pundits ask whether an Egyptian billionaire politician is guilty of murdering a pop queen, and assess who the public want to see win the US presidential elections. The anticipation is palpable, write Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed Iraq's security deal with the US, Sudanese peace prospects and the global financial crisis hit the headlines Speculation and introspection were the twin buzzwords of Arab commentators. Sudanese papers busied themselves with the so-called initiative of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. The Sudanese government, used to dealing with dissent behind closed doors, is now demonstrating a rare capacity for wooing its opponents. The Sudanese daily Al-Sudani observed that Al-Bashir's initiative was a "counterweight to the plethora of foreign initiatives intended to resolve the Darfur crisis". The paper also noted, however, that several key opposition figures boycotted the Sudanese government's latest peace initiative. The paper quoted a key opposition figure, Sadig Al-Mahdi, leader of the Umma Party and former Sudanese prime minister who was ousted in a bloodless coup by the current regime of Al-Bashir, as saying, "this is a golden opportunity for lasting peace in Sudan." The negotiated security agreement between the United States and the Iraqi government made headlines. "The agreement [between Iraq and the US] resembles Camp David and Sykes-Picot. It's a blight on the government that will sign it," the London-based pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat quoted Shia Iraqi leader Muqtada Al-Sadr as saying. He contended that any Iraqi parliamentarian who approves the security deal is not a true nationalist and is a traitor. The growing tensions between Jews and the Arabs of Israel in Acre attracted the attention of pundits in both the pan-Arab dailies and the national newspapers. Writing in the pan-Arab daily London-based Asharq Al-Awsat, Bilal Al-Hassan argued that the clashes between the Arabs and the Jews in Acre a couple of weeks ago "provided a new dimension to the Palestinians' suffering inside the Israeli state. It also gave a new dimension to the discriminatory policies against them reflected in destroying their houses." Indeed, most Arab commentators expressed their indignation and outrage against the atrocities committed by the Israeli settlers and authorities against the Palestinians and the Arabs of Israel. Reflecting on the current global financial crisis, Mahmoud Awad argued in Al-Hayat that, "the tragedy lies in the fact that under deceptive concepts like 'globalisation', 'opening up to the world' and 'the freedom of capital' our developing nations were dragged into the same murderous trap. In a developing, indebted country like Egypt, for example, we find the same American [policies] are being adopted urging people to 'consume more than you produce', 'take loans that you are not able to repay', 'buy a spacious villa with a private garden overlooking a golf course', 'invest your minute savings in buying shares to garner guaranteed gains', 'go on pension earlier to enjoy the rest of your life' at a time when the plant you worked in is being sold to foreigners and its revenues are transferred abroad. Amidst all this, we forgot that Egypt's external debt has hit $34 billion." This in itself was cause for much concern in the writer's opinion. Indeed, Awad concluded that "we are now copying what is going on in America which is in a state of confusion that emphasises the idiocy of absent- mindedly consuming [everything]. We have to return to the basic facts: produce, produce, produce and then consume." Arab fascination with Barack Obama continued unabated. Indeed, the same highly critical posturing vis-à-vis America was echoed by Mohamed Salah who argued in Al-Hayat that "except for a small number of Arab media that are objective and professional in covering the United States presidential race, enthusiasm and hopes for Obama's winning is predominant. Highlighting the Republican candidate John McCain's mistakes, wishing defeat for him and his party and invoking God against the neo-cons also prevailed [in the Arab media]." Salah continued to lambaste the American political system and Arab political naiveté. He observed that, "what's astonishing is that being optimistic about Obama has led some Arabs to deviate from objective handling of the race and who have mixed dreams about solving all Arab problems at the hands of Obama." He added that the Arabs "whose causes are now being solved in international forums [rather than Arab ones] or within the context of deals conducted by major powers, wait for the black candidate to bring justice to them and help them regain their rights without them exerting any effort." Whether the inference is Arab racism or an instinctive sympathy with the black presidential contender is not entirely clear. What is, however, certain, is that no American presidential race in living memory has conjured up images of justice and fair play like the 2008 race. It is the first presidential poll where an African American stands a good chance of grasping America's top job. And, Arabs are obviously both curious and amused by the prospects. Arab pundits also view the prospects of a black president as exciting and as providing a new window of opportunity. Optimistic Arab commentators hold their breath in anticipation of seeing America for the first time in its history as championing the cause of the underdog. Another African American stole the show and won the hearts and minds of Arab commentators. Their wild optimism was enhanced by comments made by former US secretary of state Colin Powell and widely reviewed in the Arab press, and media at large, that there is nothing inherently wrong with being a Muslim in America. Powell gave his unequivocal endorsement to Obama, who in turn loudly proclaimed that he was "humbled" by the former black general's compliments. Arab political commentators were enthused. Some expressed the hope that some day in the not so distant future, Americans would elect a Muslim president. The pessimists, however, suggested that such sentiments and hopes are overly optimistic. Al-Quds called Powell's comments a "coup" and reminded its readers that "no one in American history has been so maligned and humiliated as Powell" who served under both presidents Bush (father and son) and in the Ronald Reagan administration. Al-Quds hailed Powell's public apology for his participation in the ultra-conservative Bush and Reagan administrations that directly caused the death of millions of innocent civilians around the world.
