Bush Policy Fuels Terrorist Attacks

By GEOFFREY BEW
Vol XXX NO. 51
Thursday 10th May 2007
Gulf-Daily-News

AN American political analyst yesterday admitted that US foreign policy could be encouraging terrorist attacks against his country.

He said a more consistent foreign policy could hold the key to preventing terrorist attacks against the US.

Co-director designate of the Institute for the Contemporary Study of Global Islam at the University of Massachusetts, Professor David Mednicoff, concedes the perceived double standards of President George Bush's government may have given rise to hatred against the regime.

The expert, who is also a visiting Fulbright professor for a US government international affairs programme at Qatar University, Doha, claimed America's so-called war against terror has always been run via the principles of realism, liberalism and "moralism".

However, he says some countries did not share the same ideals and the fall-out of the policy has led to an increased vulnerability of the US in terms of internal and external pressures - giving it less flexibility and capability in its foreign policy.

"I believe that it is important that countries try to do whatever they can to practice what they preach," said Prof Mednicoff.

"If we were more consistent all the time, maybe that would be a way of defusing some of the things that some people feel about American foreign policy.

"Most of us will agree that what we want to see is a foreign policy that looks to the suffering and the socio-economic problems of Arab governments and it is consistent about being fair to everyone."

...Prof Mednicoff said there has been a shift in the direction of US foreign policy towards diplomacy since the Democrats won the Congressional mid-term elections in November.

But he said it was unclear whether there would be major changes in foreign policy after the term of President Bush ends.

Prof Mednicoff is also the Massachusetts University's adjunct assistant professor in the department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and the Programme in Middle Eastern Studies.

He expressed concerns about any future arms race in the Middle East, but is optimistic that such a situation can be prevented.

In his opening remarks, Dr Al Sadiq argued that the problems in the Arab World were misunderstood.

"The Middle East and the Gulf region is perceived by many as a region of conflicts and crises, but this description does not fully characterise or explain the depth and complexity of its problems, their historical root and the impact on the region of the foreign policy of outside powers," he said.

"The current violence and instability in Iraq, the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, the lack of progress with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, growing sectarianism, religious fundamentalism, violence and terrorist acts and the threat of nuclear proliferation in the region are all of great concern.

"Yet, there are also many positive developments in the Middle East, including moves to greater democracy, economic liberalisation, more openness and transparency."