Monday March 30, 2009

I've Been Thinking:

All speculation ended on Sunday.
Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir landed in Qatar to attend the Arab League Summit.

It was the red carpet treatment for al Bashir.
After arriving he was given a face-to-face meeting with the Emir of Qatar, official host of the Arab League meeting, and with Amr Mousa, head of the Arab League.
It was reported that they drank coffee.

The ICC, the International Criminal Court, aka the International Court for Human Rights in The Hague, had issued an arrest warrant and indictment against al Bashir on March 4th.
The ICC had asked Qatar and the Arab League to live up to their international responsibilities and arrest al Bashir should he attend the Summit.

Sudan has been a member of the 22 state Arab League since January 1956.
Sudan is by no means the most influential player in the League.
Actually, the Sudanese government has embarrassed the Arab League because of their actions in Darfur.

And yet, today, the Arab League put its full support behind Sudan.
Al Bashir successfully re-spun Darfur into an insider versus outsider, and us versus them, scenario.
And when it is us against them the Arab League always circles their wagons.

This decision by the Arab League was certainly anticipated but that doesn't make it any the less a step backward for the Arab world.

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