AMMONNEWS - By Abdulillah - I recently had the opportunity to watch a news which featured the President of the Arab League discussing the Middle-East vis–à–vis the Sunni-Shiite divide, as it relates to the Arab verse the Iranian regime’s differing interests.

He cited Iran’s desire to gain a nuclear advantage in the Middle-East as possibly the start of a nuclear arms race. He further cited the Syrian conflict and blamed the US for not entering and supporting the Syrian rebels early on as a significant cause for the creation of Da’esh and the continued turmoil.

I am sure had he had the time, or had he been asked, he would have insinuated that the cause for Yemen’s turmoil was not mainly an internalstruggle between the previous president and his Shiite Yemeni Houthi allies and the new president and his allies the Yemeni Sunni tribes, but from external influence of Iran’s hegemony in the region.
None of us are naïve here to believe that there has not been a regional tug-of-war for some time now between Iran and its Arab neighbors to win the hearts and minds of the people and to some degree even win political favor in the region. We are also not naïve to pretend that this tug-of-war does not have some basis in religious differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam.

What really astonished me was when he stated that the US perceived diminished role in the Middle-East was and is still a major factor in the present turmoil.

What! Did he say diminished role? I am not sure he and I are living on the same earth.

Was it not the USA and some Arab countries who invade Iraq in early 1990s and again later in the early 2000’s? Was it not the USA and NATO, after Arab prodding, the ones who bombed Libya to get rid of that tyrant during the so called Arab Spring? Is it not the USA and five other countries (mostly Western) working to end Iran’s race for nuclear weapons, through peaceful means, by treaty? Is it not the USA and its Allies who have been in Afghanistan for the last 13 years? Has not the USA been the major cause for the creation and supporter of Israel for the last 67 years, and has secretly allowed Israel it to make and hold an arsenal of many nuclear weapons (some estimates of up to 80 warheads), even ones that can be launched by submarine, or by ballistic missiles? Is it not the USA who has its hand in every region in the Middle-East and for that matter the world, be it good or bad?

I think the Arab League president needs to check his facts better. The USA has been playing a very big role in the Middle-East for some time now and from my perspective not so diminished. Maybe he is referring to how the USA is playing the cards its holds presently. By that I mean;it appears they are not going to just roll over and allow one side or the other to be stronger. I would even go as far as to state they are making sure one side does not become stronger over the other, and to keep both sides in enmity towards each other to maintain a status quo, and thereby control in a region that is very important both strategically and for its petroleum wealth.

They sided with Iranian Shah from 1950- 1970’s. They jumped to Saudi Arabia and the Arabs in the late 1970’s when the Iranian people could take no more of the repressive regime. And I believe, there is going to be a switch back in the coming years.

Why you may ask I believe that is the case? Well if I was holding the cards they are holding and playing their hand, I would look at the recent events through-out the Arab Middle-East and note that the peoples are reacting to the repressive regimes the same way the Iranian people did towards their man the Shah in later years of the 1970’s.

Further; if I were holding their cards I would heed what my constituents or my benefactors are telling me. Right now the Arabs and Muslims all over the world have been demonized effectively by the Israeli media and lobbyist juggernaut for over a very long period of time. AIPAC has been able to immediately place in front of every US Congress men and women a brief about any Israeli position, before an Arab or Muslim nation world-wide has a chance to wake up the next morning to read the papers.

The Israelis have also been able to fund both sides of the isle in Congress and the US Presidency. It has monopolized many talking heads, analysts who work day and night on every news channel, paper, and in many institutions, or on the internet web sites pressing for their position. They have also been able to monopolize the evangelical Christian community in the US and elsewhere to support them in every move they make good or bad. They have effectively closed all doors to any Arab or Muslim nations entreaties related to anything that might affect Israel and its policies. They are so strong that Benjamin Netanyahu the Israeli prime minister can get away with stating that the US cannot dictate anything to Israel.

His racist comments and positions which do not correspond with the publically stated policy of the US are never challenged, and when they are, it is weak at best and ineffective. It is quite clear from any objective outsider point of view; Israel holds massive sway over US policy. Money and influence peddling works.

So I am not sure why the President of the Arab league is so adamant for the USA to play a more major role in the region, because they have and are continuingly doing so. I would be thinking outside the box on this one. Their long term goal, from all the facts that I see, is to maintain a status-quo weakened Middle-East, by playing sides as it suites theirs and Israel’s regional goals. It boosts their military sales, provides them with good intelligence from both sides at differing times, and maintains their control over the region. Machiavellian behavior or not,I don’t fault them for it, outside of not being honest about it, because this this how a super power and Israel canmaintaintheir power over the region.

I wouldattempt to figure a way to optimize my position with Iran, who is being played against me. I would work with them to clean up the region, making it harder for outsiders to put a wedge between our nations and people. After all who is closer to us than our neighbor? I would make this pact so strong that any outsider would have a hard time putting a wedge between us. I would work towards strengthening our regions and its common goals. Best us to do this than some outsider who will continue to push their positions and agenda’s. If I am going to give up money, sweat and blood, I would rather not waste it on someone that does not look for our region to get stronger, but try to find a common practical way of making me and my neighbor stronger.

If the US and Europe can organize and make a NATO, then why can we not make a Middle East Treaty Organization (METO). Just think of what this could mean to our region. We would hold the largest oil reserves in the world. We could with lots of money and clout affectively institute real change with people who want to work with our region, holding the stronger hand. Moreover we could have a peaceful region that our people can prosper in peace.

I am sorry if I offended the Arab League president or anyone else by this commentary, but like Benjamin Netanyahu, once stated, no one should be telling us what to do, we know and will look out for number one… Ourselves. It’s about time we do.
God Bless Jordan and Its People