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Problems aplenty in the Middle East
Meeting between leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt comes at an important time.
- Gulf News
- Published: 23:51 August 16, 2008
The recent Saudi-Egyptian summit in Alexandria is timely as it constitutes an attempt to bring back into focus the main issues that are facing the Arab world today. Many unresolved issues would continue to be an obstacle and will remain a problem if practical solutions are not introduced soon.
In the meeting between Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a number of issues were discussed, including the situation in Palestine and Lebanon, the problems arising in Iraq and Sudan, as well as the strained relations between Iran and the Arab countries.
It is no secret that the region is facing problems as a number of major issues are sidetracked or shelved for various reasons. To begin with, the recent bombings in Lebanon threaten once again the country's stability, regardless of the fact that there is a consensus reached on the political front.
Threats are still there, especially if the parties involved do not make a serious effort to end the crisis once and for all.
On the Palestinian front, matters could not be worse as the people are caught between the Fatah-Hamas infighting on one hand, and the harsh reality of the Israeli occupation on the other. Not only the Israeli political manoeuvring needs to be handled but also the divisions created by the differences between Palestinian politicians. The situation in Iraq does not fare better as occupation and violence need to be addressed, so that the process of nation-building can begin.
Political crises in the region are in abundance as many of the issues are complex in nature and would hence require intricate solutions to resolve them. This does not mean that it is impossible to reach positive outcomes but only that actions should speak louder than words.
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