Arab League and the Syrian Crisis

By As'ad AbuKhalil - Sun, 2011-11-13

"....The new move by the Arab League against the Syrian regime should be read as part of the new rule of the new Arab League. Its secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi, was sacked from his position as Egyptian foreign minister when he made statements that welcomed normalization of relations between Egypt and Iran. GCC countries complained and al-Arabi was expelled to the Arab League. A more subservient foreign minister took his place.

It would be foolhardy for the Syrian people to trust the intentions of the Arab League. This is a body that is led by some of the worst offenders of human rights the world over. The GCC countries never expressed any respect for the suffering of the Syrian people: they bankrolled the Assad tyranny for years. Any hope placed on the Arab League by any Syrian will be dashed. They can just as easily and quickly strike a deal with the Syrian regime at the expense of the Syrian people. The region is changing fast: GCC countries are getting more aggressive, and Arab countries facing uprisings continue to kill people in large numbers.

But the rules of the game are not entirely set but the Arab League’s new masters. GCC countries are dealing with a new environment where “masked men” have bombed the Egyptian gas pipeline to Israel for the 7th time. And more “masked men” will be seen roaming the Arab streets in the near future."