BASHAR AL ASAD’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.

 Many were critical with the Norwegian Academy decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Barak Obama in October 2009. For them, the brand new President of the United States did not deserve it. The academy justified this award stating that: “Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.”[1]

Egyptian troops crossing the Suez Canal,
October 7, 1973

YOM KIPPUR, FORTY YEARS LATER.

Forty years have passed since the Yom Kippur War when in an unexpected move, Egypt and Syria, decided to attack Israel in one of its holiest days. It was the fourth major confrontation between Arabs and Jews since Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. The overwhelming Israeli victory of 1967 and its overestimation of border security allowed this country to relax while its enemies’ desire for revenge was mounting. This surprise attack highlighted the vulnerability of Israel to the alliance of two of its strongest enemies. A vulnerability that was surmounted  - despite the initial strategic advantage of Egypt and Syria - due to poor communications between both that allowed Israel to recover and regain territory.

TURKEY OUTRAGED AGAINST ERDOGAN.

I have been asked repeatedly if the camping in Istanbul’s Taksim square and the subsequent demonstrations in other cities of Turkey, are the result of the influence of the Arab awakening or an imitation of the 15 - M movement. Doubts arise from the dual identity that the Republic of Turkey has been playing with since its formation in 1923: a democracy defined as "European" in an oriental surroundings. However, this country has a defined personality that can not be identified with either of these two social movements. The current situation in the Anatolian Peninsula and its adjacent piece of land across the Bosphorus can not be compared with the demonstrations in the Arab countries aimed to get a real democratization of their countries, or the movement of indignation that called for more participation in the governement and less measures imposed by large corporations while denouncing the corrupt behavior of many leaders, businessmen and bankers.

THE SYRIAN ADRIFT WITHOUT ACNUR

It was one of those stories told with a quiet and restrained gesture. The shivering little three year old walked aimlessly in the dark cold night. He was alone, helpless. His sight was heartbreaking. It was not possible not to pick him up and comfort him. He had lost his family in the midst of hundreds of thousands of people walking through the snowy mountains in their quest for a save refuge across the border. Terrified and in shock he could not even remember his name. He was lucky. A young man picked him up and nursed him until he found his family months later. But tens of thousands of children, elderly and sick were left behind, homeless at night with no blankets and no food.

Fortunately, some NGOs, including UNHCR, managed to reach and assist them. They were my, but also your, ultimately, our kind: Iraqi Kurds, Afghans, Bosnians, Guatemalans, Saharans, Sudanese, etc ... people like us who due to natural disasters, armed conflicts or political repression were forced to leave their homes to save their lives.

POLITICS AND THE ABSURD THEATRE

It is inevitable to refer to what happened this week although the events are disheartening and boredom imposes some reluctance to the conversation. So, when my friend said that it was just another theatre’s act, it took me a few seconds to react because my imagination flew over two thousand years ago, at a time when the Athenians (male, free and over 20 years, of course) expressed their opinion in an open forum with the utmost eloquence and, I suppose, with great gestures to convince his listeners. I flew to the republican Rome, where I could see myself sitting on one cold Carrara marble bench listening attentively to the speech of a Senator, one of the representatives of the civilization and culture of his time. I would watch perhaps with skepticism, perhaps with fascination, the expression on his face, the movement of his hands, his walk while he attempted to convince his listeners. My mind flew over the dark times of the Middle Ages to a seat in the mid-nineteenth century British Parliament where I would attend, most likely with tedium, the speech of a "lord" trying to gain support for a government post.

THE NATIONAL FRAUD (I).

Having worked for a decade under the direction of an economist I was finally convinced that to perform a job you just need to have a great imagination. Watching him build up a budget was like witnessing the translation, in a modern excel sheet, of the traditional “milkmaid and pail” tale, the one that warned about the high expectations on dreams still unrealised. You just needed to increase the price of the raw materials purchased to the primary producer with the cost of transportation, labour, bank interest for deferred payment (a death trap for companies sponsored by state law) and, of course , the profit margin, all pending on the potential customer approval.

Viewed on paper, those budgets were really encouraging, however, once confronted with the reality and their uncertainties, such as a reduction of the budget imposed by the buyer, always ended shattered as the pitcher of milk and consequently, the profit margin always is extracted from the weakest flank: wages. Since intermediation is a form of enrichment based on the correct performance of all the links in the production any setback such as weather, accidents, strikes, holidays or the interruption in the provision of supplies knocks the business down as a house of cards.

WHAT IS THE USE OF THE ARAB LEAGUE IN THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR?

One consequence of the end of World War II was the proliferation of international organizations, a phenomenon that also affected the Middle East. So, on March 22, 1945, when the war had not finished yet, Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (later Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria, decided to create the Arab League. A foundation three months prior to the approval of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. Since then, this "exclusive" club has been joined by 16 other countries.

According to the second article of the Covenant of the League of Arab States, "The purpose of the League is to establish closer relations between member states and coordinate their political activities in order to conduct a closer collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider, in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries".