Waging a ‘Good War’ for Arabs

When is a war a “good war”? When the status quo is worse. A number of Arab government officials warn that an attack on Iraq would destabilize the region, as though maintaining the current form of stability and the existing regimes there were desirable. If there is any positive side to a U.S.-imposed regime change in Iraq, it is that this could be the catalyst for a wholesale change of leadership throughout the Arab world.

I am an Arab of Palestinian and Libyan descent, and I firmly believe that the Middle East needs relief from the self-serving, unrepresentative governments that have, with few exceptions, ruled the Arab world since the 19th century. These governments, whether hereditary monarchies or so-called revolutionary republics, have for the most part failed their people miserably. From Assad’s Syria to Hussein’s Iraq to the monarchies of Saudi Arabia and Jordan, there are no true democracies -- not one -- in the Arab world.

This failure is highlighted by the recent U.N.-sponsored Arab Human Development Report. Among its shocking conclusions: More than half of Arab women are illiterate; the region’s infant mortality rate is double that of Latin America and the Caribbean and four times that of East Asia; and during the last 20 years, economic growth per capita in the region has been lower than anywhere except impoverished sub-Saharan Africa. To a large extent, these ongoing problems are what breed terrorists like those who burst on the world stage Sept. 11, 2001.

Although Arabs are largely responsible for the failure of their governments, the West shares the blame. Before Sept. 11, Washington exploited Arab regimes shamelessly, concerned only with ensuring access to cheap and reliable sources of oil and a marketplace for military and consumer goods and services. That none of the Arab governments were democratic or representative was of little interest to U.S. policymakers.

The Sept. 11 attacks made Americans realize that this laissez faire approach has consequences.

The United States needs to rethink its approach to the Arab world in a way that meets long-term American strategic interests. Many commentators have suggested that Washington needs to pursue a more balanced solution to the Palestinian- Israeli problem to reduce resentment against the West, thereby creating a more stable Middle East.

Although I agree with that view, I also believe that the real problem is the lack of representative and accountable government to address the needs of the people.

Is democracy incompatible with Islam? The recent successes of Turkey and Indonesia suggest it is not. If it is in the interest of the United States to remove Saddam Hussein, then it is of greater importance that the U.S. devote the same energy to what will follow.

A stable democratic government must be the goal -- one created in conjunction with the Iraqi people, not one imposed and run by the U.S. for the benefit of the United States. Successful nation-building in Iraq is vital for real stability in the region.

Only with successful and representative governments will the breeding grounds for terrorists end. Creating hope and opportunity and removing fear, despair and cynicism will help bring the Arab countries into the democratic community of nations. By helping establish such a government in Iraq, the U.S. can be a positive contributor to reform in the Arab world.

There are likely to be more terrorist attacks. A new strategy for the Middle East would not be able to contain the immediate threat of terror, but it could reduce or even eliminate the likelihood of a second or third generation of terrorists.

Democratizing Iraq would require the determined involvement of institutions such as the U.N., the European Community and the World Bank.

And as daunting as the venture seems, there are a few mitigating factors. First, Iraq has a large, well-educated and wealthy expatriate community that could play a key role in rebuilding the country. Second, Iraq has historically been an important center of Arab culture and education. Baghdad, together with Cairo and Damascus, is one of the most important and influential cities in the Arab world.

The creation of a successful democratic government in Iraq would have a profound effect on other Arab states. Whatever the cost -- even if it’s war -- it will be less than the impoverishment suffered by Iraqis under the current regime. The expense of building an independent, vibrant and prosperous Iraq is the best investment Iraqis can make.